WBBB-FM
Encyclopedia
WBBB is a Mainstream rock
radio station based in Raleigh, North Carolina
.
, 850 AM. In 1959 the station became WKIX-FM, simulcasting much of sister AM WKIX's top 40
format. This move was out of necessity as WKIX-AM's 10 kW signal was powered down to a directional 5 kW at night, preventing the station from having full area coverage. In the 1970s, WKIX-FM changed format to easy listening WYYD. The station changed its letters to WYLT and became a satellite MOR station in the mid-80s, and began playing soft adult contemporary music soon after that. In 1994, WYLT traded call letters with co-owned WKIX and switched to country. When the station switched to rock on January 28, 1998, the WBBB letters were taken from a Burlington, North Carolina
radio station at 920 AM (which had originally signed on as WPCM). WBBB was called "Real Rock, 96rock" then transitioned to "The Rock Station, 96rock". As of November 2010, 96rock had a hard classic rock
format playing everything from Jimi Hendrix
, Led Zeppelin
and Mötley Crüe
to Nirvana
and Alice In Chains
. On June 10, 2011, long-time morning crew "Salt and Demetri The Greek" were fired from the station. Bob the Blade was moved to mornings. The music also returned to Mainstream Rock
a short time later with the motto "Everything That Rocks". On November 21, 2011, the station rebranded as "Radio 96.1." General manager Mike Hartel said the station would have no DJs for a while, after listeners indicated in surveys that they wanted more music and less talk, a view consistent with nationwide practices. Among those let go were Bob "The Blade" Robinson, "a fixture on local rock radio for three decades."
Mainstream rock
Mainstream rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations in the United States and Canada.-Format background:...
radio station based in Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
.
History
The station was signed on in 1949 by the Raleigh News and Observer as WNAO-FM to simulcast sister station WNAOWRBZ
WKIX is a radio station broadcasting an oldies format. Licensed to Raleigh, North Carolina, USA, the station serves the Research Triangle, North Carolina area. The station is currently owned by Curtis Media Group.-History:...
, 850 AM. In 1959 the station became WKIX-FM, simulcasting much of sister AM WKIX's top 40
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
format. This move was out of necessity as WKIX-AM's 10 kW signal was powered down to a directional 5 kW at night, preventing the station from having full area coverage. In the 1970s, WKIX-FM changed format to easy listening WYYD. The station changed its letters to WYLT and became a satellite MOR station in the mid-80s, and began playing soft adult contemporary music soon after that. In 1994, WYLT traded call letters with co-owned WKIX and switched to country. When the station switched to rock on January 28, 1998, the WBBB letters were taken from a Burlington, North Carolina
Burlington, North Carolina
Burlington is a city in Alamance and Guilford counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the principal city of the Burlington, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Alamance County, in which most of the city is located. The population was 49,963 at the 2010...
radio station at 920 AM (which had originally signed on as WPCM). WBBB was called "Real Rock, 96rock" then transitioned to "The Rock Station, 96rock". As of November 2010, 96rock had a hard classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
format playing everything from Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
, Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
and Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...
to Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
and Alice In Chains
Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. The initial lineup was rounded out by drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr...
. On June 10, 2011, long-time morning crew "Salt and Demetri The Greek" were fired from the station. Bob the Blade was moved to mornings. The music also returned to Mainstream Rock
Mainstream rock
Mainstream rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations in the United States and Canada.-Format background:...
a short time later with the motto "Everything That Rocks". On November 21, 2011, the station rebranded as "Radio 96.1." General manager Mike Hartel said the station would have no DJs for a while, after listeners indicated in surveys that they wanted more music and less talk, a view consistent with nationwide practices. Among those let go were Bob "The Blade" Robinson, "a fixture on local rock radio for three decades."