WBRB (Michigan) explained

WBRB
City:Mount Clemens, Michigan
Country:US
Format:Motivational speeches
Owner:Wolpin Broadcasting Company
Airdate:[1]
Power:500 watts (daytime only)
Former Callsigns:WWHK (1982–1984)

WBRB was a radio station on 1430 kHz AM in Mount Clemens, Michigan, United States. Operating from 1957 to 1990, the station primarily served as the radio voice of Macomb County. In its last years of operation, its format consisted of motivational speeches and adult contemporary music.

History

On June 27, 1955, Mt. Clemens Broadcasting Company (later renamed WBRB, Inc.) applied to the Federal Communications Commission for permission to build a new 500-watt station, to broadcast directionally during daytime hours, which was granted by the FCC on December 14.[2] The new station began broadcasting on May 18, 1957, from studios on South Gratiot Street.

Wright & Maltz Incorporated, the partnership that later became Malrite Communications, acquired WBRB in 1959. An FM counterpart, WBRB-FM 102.7, began broadcasting on November 6, 1960;[3] this station began broadcasting country music at night, when WBRB was off the air on AM, in 1965.[4] Under Malrite, WBRB continued its intensive focus on programming about and for Macomb County. The WBRB stations were still Macomb County's only commercial outlets in 1976, and they offered hard-hitting local news and feature programming, including high school sports, tradio, and local news.[5] [6]

Malrite put the WBRB stations on the market in the late 1970s, and the FM and AM operations were sold to separate owners. Inner City Broadcasting Corporation acquired the FM outlet, with its signal more capable of reaching Metro Detroit, in 1978, whereupon it became WLBS.[7] [8] After a buyout attempt by the WBRB general manager failed to materialize,[9] Radcom, Inc., a company owned equally by comedian Gilda Radner, her brother, and two other business partners, purchased the AM station the next year.[10] The Radcom years were unhappy for WBRB, which saw advertising revenues decline, and for Radner's business ventures. The format was changed to big band music in 1982—using Primetime Radio, a satellite-delivered service of Taft Broadcasting[11] [12] —with new WWHK call letters, though ratings did not improve. By 1983, the Radners and Detroit financier Neil Goodman had sued each other over the management of several co-investments, which included WBRB, an apartment complex, and a Detroit parking garage.[13] The station then ceased broadcasting in February 1984 while the FCC evaluated an application made to move WWHK to 1160 kHz.[14] [15]

After a sale to a group led by retired physician Harley Robinson, WBRB returned to the air—and to its former call letters—in November 1985 after an absence of some 18 months. The new ownership group returned WBRB to its roots as a station with a community focus alongside "non-offensive rock" titles (adult contemporary music).[16] The hope was that advertising would improve; by the end of the decade, WBRB's format had changed to motivational speeches mixed with adult contemporary music. However, the loss of the FM frequency limited the AM's reach severely. The station's final day of broadcasting was January 15, 1990; after its evening sports talk show, WBRB left the air for good, and 25 full- and part-time employees lost their jobs.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: WBRB(AM). Broadcasting Yearbook. 1989. World Radio History. B-152. 2022-10-31. 2022-11-24. https://web.archive.org/web/20221124050204/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1989/1989-BC-YB.pdf#page=236. live.
  2. Web site: FCC history cards for WBRB. Federal Communications Commission. 2022-10-31. 2020-11-19. https://web.archive.org/web/20201119061220/http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getimportletter_exh.cgi?import_letter_id=50845. live.
  3. News: A Complete Free Press Tour Of Detroit's Dial. May 15, 1966. Detroit 16, 17, 18, 22. Detroit Free Press. Detroit, Michigan. Newspapers.com. October 31, 2022. October 31, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221031054845/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112303028/a-complete-free-press-tour-of-detroits/. live.
  4. News: Now You Have a Choice, Direct from the Bar-B Ranch. February 21, 1965. 11-C. Detroit Free Press. Newspapers.com. October 31, 2022. January 10, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230110043451/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112303251/now-you-have-a-choice-direct-from-the/. live.
  5. News: WBRB Proud of Provincial Sound: Macomb Radio Likes Cows, Cornball. November 22, 1976. 3A, 14A. Julie. Morris. Detroit Free Press. Newspapers.com. October 31, 2022. January 10, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230110043506/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112293454/wbrb-proud-of-provincial-sound-macomb/. live.
  6. News: 'Mighty Voice of Macomb' silenced: Struggling radio station signs off—at least until a buyer is found. GenealogyBank. The Detroit News. 3B. Gese. Schabath. January 16, 1990. October 31, 2022. January 10, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230110043445/https://www.genealogybank.com/sign-up?pq=1&destination=doc/newspapers/image/v2%3A143B808DB2B45FAC%40GB3NEWS-168E667C2FE75671%402447908-168E60C1993EE9CE%4012-168E60C1993EE9CE%40%3Fh%3D1%26fname%3DWBRB%26lname%3D%26fullname%3D%26kwinc%3D%26kwexc%3D%26rgfromDate%3D%26rgtoDate%3D%26formDate%3D%26formDateFlex%3Dexact%26dateType%3Drange%26processingtime%3D%26addedFrom%3D%26addedTo%3D%26sid%3Dvnwreizkkrodppiutcoernqrlluelxqo_wma-gateway010_1667181976645&docref=image/v2%3A143B808DB2B45FAC%40GB3NEWS-168E667C2FE75671%402447908-168E60C1993EE9CE%4012-168E60C1993EE9CE%40. live.
  7. News: New Sound: Macomb finds its voice is changing; station sold. July 13, 1978. 3A. Detroit Free Press. Newspapers.com. October 31, 2022. January 10, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230110043454/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112301882/new-sound-macomb-finds-its-voice-is/. live.
  8. News: Offbeat home for new music. March 29, 1984. MS-1A, 7A. Carol. Pearson. Detroit Free Press. Newspapers.com. October 31, 2022. October 31, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221031054846/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112301715/offbeat-home-for-new-music/. live.
  9. News: Clearance: FM first, now WBRB- AM put on the block by owners. July 16, 1978. 4C. Detroit Free Press. Newspapers.com. October 31, 2022. January 10, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230110043454/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112301890/clearance-fm-first-now-wbrb-am-put/. live.
  10. News: Now Gilda's got a radio station. March 13, 1979. 9B. Detroit Free Press. Newspapers.com. October 31, 2022. October 31, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221031054831/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112301610/now-gildas-got-a-radio-station/. live.
  11. News: Recapture the Rapture: Hear the Best Songs in Popular Music. October 6, 1982. 13C. Detroit Free Press. Newspapers.com. October 31, 2022. January 10, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230110043454/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112303935/recapture-the-rapture-hear-the-best/. live.
  12. News: Taft to offer 24-hour satellite radio feed. Broadcasting. March 22, 1982. 75. World Radio History. 2022-10-31. 2022-10-08. https://web.archive.org/web/20221008200150/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1982/BC-1982-03-22.pdf. live.
  13. News: Gilda Radner And Brother File Countersuit In Detroit. April 11, 1983. 16. Associated Press. The Herald-Palladium. Saint Joseph, Michigan. Newspapers.com. October 31, 2022. October 31, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221031054830/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112301643/gilda-radner-and-brother-file/. live.
  14. News: Briefly. February 17, 1984. 12D. Detroit Free Press. Newspapers.com. October 31, 2022. October 31, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221031060038/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112303955/briefly/. live.
  15. News: Macomb radio station fails to motivate listeners to listen. Mike. Wowk. January 8, 1990. The Detroit News. GenealogyBank. 4B. October 31, 2022. October 31, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221031084914/https://www.genealogybank.com/doc/newspapers/image/v2:143B808DB2B45FAC@GB3NEWS-168E66BFDB554409@2447900-168E56EB41A94048@15-168E56EB41A94048?clipid=roxlqhytwsfycfzdvtvdvudtsizangaf_wma-gateway018_1667182921400. live.
  16. News: Voice of Macomb to return. November 7, 1985. MN-6A. Linda M.. Solomon. Detroit Free Press. Detroit, Michigan. Newspapers.com. October 31, 2022. October 31, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221031054835/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112301268/voice-of-macomb-to-return/. live.

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