WLNK
Encyclopedia
WLNK, known on the air as "107.9 The Link", is a 100,000 watt radio station in Charlotte, North Carolina
. It broadcasts at 107.9 MHz, primarily serving the Charlotte metropolitan area
. On air programming consists of female-oriented talk radio
, combined with adult contemporary music.
The station was owned by Philadelphia-based Lincoln Financial Group (which took over Jefferson-Pilot Broadcasting in 2006) until 2008. The WLNK callsign predates its previous owner and thus, similarities to the name "Lincoln" are coincidental. On November 12, 2007, as Lincoln Financial began to liquidate its broadcasting assets, Greater Media
announced plans to acquire WLNK, along with sister stations WBT and WBT-FM, for $100 million, a deal which was finalized on January 31, 2008.
stations in the nation. Initially, the station aired a mixture of classical music
and beautiful music
, but by the mid-1960s was airing the beautiful music format produced by Schulke Radio Productions.
On August 31, 1978 at 6 P.M., beautiful music WBT-FM became "WBCY-108, Charlotte's Best Rock". According to an ad appearing in The Charlotte Observer
September 1, WBCY played 108 hours of music uninterrupted by commercials. Artists played included Chicago
, Peter Frampton
, The Rolling Stones
, Carly Simon
, Billy Joel
, and Eddie Money
. Popular announcers on the station during this time included John Lambis, Chris Jones, Alan Ryan
, Becky Kent
and Fred Story. Over the next 11 years, the station moved back and forth between adult top 40 and high-energy adult contemporary.
In the early '80s, WBCY hired Johnny Ray Isley as morning host, and later added Billy James as co-host. After John Boy accepted Jesus, he eventually decided he was being asked to play inappropriate songs, and he quit WBCY in February 1986. Bob Lacey
, a veteran announcer for WBT (AM)
and WBTV
, replaced John Boy temporarily. Jim "Catfish" Prewitt also paired with Billy, who left the station in April. Later in 1986, Randy Cook and Spiff Dingle became the new morning hosts, while John Boy and Billy
went to work for WRFX.
WBCY was also the home of popular Contemporary Christian music program, "Visions" hosted by Ken Mayfield. The program aired every Sunday morning from 1985 until 1993 when Mayfield left to manage WRCM.
In December 1988, Randy and Spiff were fired because WBCY intended to moved toward "a more adult-oriented sound." They became the morning hosts at WFOX in Atlanta
. Later in the year, WBCY announced that Lacey would be the station's morning host. The station returned to the WBT-FM call letters and changed its format to mainstream adult contemporary under the moniker "Sunny 107.9". Sheri Lynch
joined Bob in 1992. Eventually, the station's music began leaning in a top 40 direction again.
In 1995, WBT added an FM frequency to reach more listeners west of Charlotte at night, and the WBT-FM letters went to the former WBZK-FM in Chester, S.C.
, while Sunny 107.9 became WWSN. In late 1996, the station changed its nickname to "Hits 107.9."
In 1997, the station adopted its current call letters when the format was changed to modern adult contemporary. At the same time, it changed its moniker to "107.9 the Link." This format lasted only a few years, and the station returned to a more mainstream sound.
Matt Harris (not to be confused with Matt "Mattman" Harris from WTPT's "Rise Guys") and Ramona Holloway joined WLNK as afternoon hosts in 2001. The decision was made to syndicate Matt and Ramona in 2003.
That same year, Pam Stone
began hosting a midday talk show, which meant WLNK was now lifestyle talk during the day on weekdays with music at night and on weekends. Stone's show later moved to weekends before the station ended it, and she is now heard on the Sunday program The Satisfied Life with WLNK afternoon co-host Ramona Holloway. Kelly McKay now hosts the midday program, which features more music than the rest of the station's daytime schedule.
WLNK syndicates much of its programming. Bob and Sheri is the most widely syndicated, heard on over 40 stations. Matt and Ramona is heard on 4 stations (including WLNK). Syndication of WLNK's programming is handled by Dial Global
.
In December 2010
, WLNK switched formats to adult contemporary according to the Mediabase
reports.
In the summer of 2011, WLNK slightly tweaked its branding, to "The Link at 107.9."
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
. It broadcasts at 107.9 MHz, primarily serving the Charlotte metropolitan area
Charlotte metropolitan area
The Charlotte metropolitan area is a metropolitan area/region of North and South Carolina within and surrounding the city of Charlotte...
. On air programming consists of female-oriented talk radio
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
, combined with adult contemporary music.
The station was owned by Philadelphia-based Lincoln Financial Group (which took over Jefferson-Pilot Broadcasting in 2006) until 2008. The WLNK callsign predates its previous owner and thus, similarities to the name "Lincoln" are coincidental. On November 12, 2007, as Lincoln Financial began to liquidate its broadcasting assets, Greater Media
Greater Media
Greater Media, Inc., known as Greater Media, is an American media company that specializes in radio stations. The markets where they own radio stations include Boston, Detroit, Philadelphia, Charlotte, and the state of New Jersey...
announced plans to acquire WLNK, along with sister stations WBT and WBT-FM, for $100 million, a deal which was finalized on January 31, 2008.
History
WBT-FM was first heard on the 107.9 frequency in 1961, but this was actually the second incarnation of WBT-FM. Those call letters were used on WBT's first FM service at 99.9 MHz from 1947-1954. The station at 107.9 was one of the first FM stereoSTEREO
STEREO is a solar observation mission. Two nearly identical spacecraft were launched into orbits that cause them to respectively pull farther ahead of and fall gradually behind the Earth...
stations in the nation. Initially, the station aired a mixture of classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
and beautiful music
Beautiful music
Beautiful music is a mostly instrumental music format that was prominent in American radio from the 1960s through the 1980s...
, but by the mid-1960s was airing the beautiful music format produced by Schulke Radio Productions.
On August 31, 1978 at 6 P.M., beautiful music WBT-FM became "WBCY-108, Charlotte's Best Rock". According to an ad appearing in The Charlotte Observer
The Charlotte Observer
The Charlotte Observer, serving Charlotte, North Carolina and its metro area, is the largest newspaper, in terms of circulation, in North Carolina and South Carolina...
September 1, WBCY played 108 hours of music uninterrupted by commercials. Artists played included Chicago
Chicago (band)
Chicago is an American rock band formed in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois. The self-described "rock and roll band with horns" began as a politically charged, sometimes experimental, rock band and later moved to a predominantly softer sound, becoming famous for producing a number of hit ballads. They had...
, Peter Frampton
Peter Frampton
Peter Kenneth Frampton is an English musician, singer, producer, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist. He was previously associated with the bands Humble Pie and The Herd. Frampton's international breakthrough album was his live release, Frampton Comes Alive!. The album sold over 6 million copies...
, The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, Carly Simon
Carly Simon
Carly Elisabeth Simon is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and children's author. She rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hit records, and has since been the recipient of two Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe Award for her work...
, Billy Joel
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
, and Eddie Money
Eddie Money
Eddie Money is an American rock guitarist, saxophonist and singer-songwriter who found success in the 1970s and 1980s with a string of Top 40 hits and platinum albums...
. Popular announcers on the station during this time included John Lambis, Chris Jones, Alan Ryan
Alan Ryan
Alan James Ryan, FBA was Warden of New College, Oxford, and Professor of Politics at the University of Oxford and currently a lecturer at Princeton University....
, Becky Kent
Becky Kent
Becky Kent is a Canadian politician. She was elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly in the Cole Harbour-Eastern Passage provincial by-election on October 2, 2007...
and Fred Story. Over the next 11 years, the station moved back and forth between adult top 40 and high-energy adult contemporary.
In the early '80s, WBCY hired Johnny Ray Isley as morning host, and later added Billy James as co-host. After John Boy accepted Jesus, he eventually decided he was being asked to play inappropriate songs, and he quit WBCY in February 1986. Bob Lacey
The Bob and Sheri Show
The Bob and Sheri Show is a syndicated U.S. radio program hosted by Bob Lacey and Sheri Lynch at radio station WLNK in Charlotte, North Carolina...
, a veteran announcer for WBT (AM)
WBT (AM)
WBT is a radio station in Charlotte, North Carolina, broadcasting on the AM dial at 1110 kHz. A 50,000-watt clear-channel station, it can be heard across most of the eastern half of North America at night. It simulcasts on WBT-FM, at 99.3 MHz in Chester, South Carolina. It is owned by Greater...
and WBTV
WBTV
WBTV, channel 3 , is the CBS affiliate in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is one of two flagship stations of Raycom Media. WBTV's studios are located off Morehead Street just west of Uptown Charlotte, and its transmitter is located in north-central Gaston County, North Carolina...
, replaced John Boy temporarily. Jim "Catfish" Prewitt also paired with Billy, who left the station in April. Later in 1986, Randy Cook and Spiff Dingle became the new morning hosts, while John Boy and Billy
John Boy and Billy
John Isley and Billy James, known as John Boy & Billy, named after "John-Boy Harris and brother Bross Harris", are American radio hosts based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Their comedic morning program The John Boy & Billy Big Show broadcasts from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m...
went to work for WRFX.
WBCY was also the home of popular Contemporary Christian music program, "Visions" hosted by Ken Mayfield. The program aired every Sunday morning from 1985 until 1993 when Mayfield left to manage WRCM.
In December 1988, Randy and Spiff were fired because WBCY intended to moved toward "a more adult-oriented sound." They became the morning hosts at WFOX in Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. Later in the year, WBCY announced that Lacey would be the station's morning host. The station returned to the WBT-FM call letters and changed its format to mainstream adult contemporary under the moniker "Sunny 107.9". Sheri Lynch
The Bob and Sheri Show
The Bob and Sheri Show is a syndicated U.S. radio program hosted by Bob Lacey and Sheri Lynch at radio station WLNK in Charlotte, North Carolina...
joined Bob in 1992. Eventually, the station's music began leaning in a top 40 direction again.
In 1995, WBT added an FM frequency to reach more listeners west of Charlotte at night, and the WBT-FM letters went to the former WBZK-FM in Chester, S.C.
Chester, South Carolina
Chester is a small city in Chester County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 6,476 at the 2000 census and a center urban cluster population of 11,140...
, while Sunny 107.9 became WWSN. In late 1996, the station changed its nickname to "Hits 107.9."
In 1997, the station adopted its current call letters when the format was changed to modern adult contemporary. At the same time, it changed its moniker to "107.9 the Link." This format lasted only a few years, and the station returned to a more mainstream sound.
Matt Harris (not to be confused with Matt "Mattman" Harris from WTPT's "Rise Guys") and Ramona Holloway joined WLNK as afternoon hosts in 2001. The decision was made to syndicate Matt and Ramona in 2003.
That same year, Pam Stone
Pam Stone
Pam Stone is an American actress, comedian, and talk radio host.Stone starred in the television series Coach for seven seasons as the character, Judy Watkins....
began hosting a midday talk show, which meant WLNK was now lifestyle talk during the day on weekdays with music at night and on weekends. Stone's show later moved to weekends before the station ended it, and she is now heard on the Sunday program The Satisfied Life with WLNK afternoon co-host Ramona Holloway. Kelly McKay now hosts the midday program, which features more music than the rest of the station's daytime schedule.
WLNK syndicates much of its programming. Bob and Sheri is the most widely syndicated, heard on over 40 stations. Matt and Ramona is heard on 4 stations (including WLNK). Syndication of WLNK's programming is handled by Dial Global
Dial Global
Dial Global is a radio syndication company. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Triton Media Group and is a sister company to Townsquare Media, both of which are owned by Oaktree Capital Management....
.
In December 2010
2010 in radio
The following events occurred in radio in 2010.-Events:*Date Unknown: CHOI/Quebec City flips from Alternative Rock to News/Talk.*January 4: KJCS/Lufkin, Texas goes silent....
, WLNK switched formats to adult contemporary according to the Mediabase
Mediabase
Mediabase is a music industry service that monitors radio station airplay in 180 US and Canadian markets. Mediabase publishes music charts and data based on the most played songs on terrestrial and satellite radio, and provides in-depth analytical tools for radio and record industry professionals...
reports.
In the summer of 2011, WLNK slightly tweaked its branding, to "The Link at 107.9."