WTRU
Encyclopedia
WTRU is a radio station licensed to Kernersville, North Carolina
. It operates on 830 AM, with broadcasting power of 50 kilowatts during the day and at 10 kilowatts during the night. The station formerly used the callsigns WWMO, WETR and WXII.
It is owned and operated by Truth Broadcasting Corporation, broadcasting predominantly preaching and teaching on Christian- and Bible-based topics in central North Carolina. Truth Broadcasting is owned by Stuart Epperson, Jr., son of Stuart Epperson
, named by Time Magazine as one of America's 25 most influential evangelicals
.
The station is the flagship of the "Truth Radio Network," a network of stations in North Carolina, South Carolina
, Virginia
, Iowa
and Utah
airing much of the same programming as WTRU.
with a Southern gospel
and preaching format. In the mid-90s the callsign was changed to WETR and the station moved to the old Color Tile building on High Point Road in Greensboro, North Carolina
. WETR offered a mix of "entertainment radio" programming that included talk radio
such as The Fabulous Sports Babe
and Dr. Laura
, and beach music
.
New towers were built outside Walkertown, North Carolina
to improve coverage of the entire Greensboro-High Point-Winston Salem
market. By this time, Hearst-Argyle Television, owner of area NBC
affiliate WXII-TV
, bought the station and named it WXII-AM, and a news radio
format was used that included audio from some WXII-TV
news broadcasts.Truth Broadcasting bought the station in June 2000 and, after a few weeks of silence, returned it to the air with the current format and call letters.From 1956 til 1992 the WTRU calls were assigned to the now silenced AM 1600 in Muskegon Heights, Michigan.
As of August 2011, WTRU simulcasts it's broadcast on 97.7FM (W249BZ - Clemmons) which covers the Forsyth County area and 102.9FM (W275AL - High Point) which helps better cover High Point and parts of Greensboro, NC.
Kernersville, North Carolina
Kernersville is a town in Forsyth County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 17,126 at the 2000 census. In 2007 the U.S. Census estimated the town's population at 22,309. Kernersville is located at the heart of the Piedmont Triad metropolitan area, which consists of the cities...
. It operates on 830 AM, with broadcasting power of 50 kilowatts during the day and at 10 kilowatts during the night. The station formerly used the callsigns WWMO, WETR and WXII.
It is owned and operated by Truth Broadcasting Corporation, broadcasting predominantly preaching and teaching on Christian- and Bible-based topics in central North Carolina. Truth Broadcasting is owned by Stuart Epperson, Jr., son of Stuart Epperson
Stuart Epperson
Stuart W. Epperson is co-founder and chairman of Salem Communications, and a member of the conservative Council for National Policy .In 1984 and 1986, Epperson was the Republican nominee for the fifth Congressional district of North Carolina. In both races, Epperson was defeated by the incumbent...
, named by Time Magazine as one of America's 25 most influential evangelicals
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
.
The station is the flagship of the "Truth Radio Network," a network of stations in North Carolina, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
and Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
airing much of the same programming as WTRU.
History
The station started as WWMO in Eden, North CarolinaEden, North Carolina
Eden is a city in Rockingham County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 15,908 at the 2000 census. The city was incorporated in 1967 through the consolidation of three separate towns: Leaksville, Spray, and Draper....
with a Southern gospel
Southern Gospel
Southern Gospel music—at one time also known as "quartet music"—is music whose lyrics are written to express either personal or a communal faith regarding biblical teachings and Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music...
and preaching format. In the mid-90s the callsign was changed to WETR and the station moved to the old Color Tile building on High Point Road in Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...
. WETR offered a mix of "entertainment radio" programming that included 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...
such as The Fabulous Sports Babe
The Fabulous Sports Babe
Nanci Donnellan, best known by her title of "The Fabulous Sports Babe," is an American sports radio broadcaster, currently broadcasting on WHBO in the Tampa Bay, Florida area. She is best known nationally for being syndicated across the United States on both ESPN Radio and ESPN2, from 1994 until 2001...
and Dr. Laura
Laura Schlessinger
Laura Catherine Schlessinger is an American talk radio host, socially conservative commentator and author. Her radio program consists mainly of her responses to callers' requests for personal advice and has occasionally featured her short monologues on social and political topics...
, and beach music
Beach music
Beach music, also known as Carolina beach music, is a regional genre which developed from various musical styles of the forties, fifties and sixties. These styles ranged from big band swing instrumentals to the more raucous sounds of blues/jump blues, jazz, doo-wop, boogie, rhythm and blues,...
.
New towers were built outside Walkertown, North Carolina
Walkertown, North Carolina
Walkertown is a town in Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States. It is part of the Piedmont Triad. The population was 4,009 at the 2000 census.It is named after an early resident.-Geography:Walkertown is located at ....
to improve coverage of the entire Greensboro-High Point-Winston Salem
Piedmont Triad
The Piedmont Triad, or Triad, is a north-central region of the U.S. state of North Carolina that consists of the area within and surrounding the three major cities of Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and High Point. This close group or "triad" of cities lies in the Piedmont geographical region of the...
market. By this time, Hearst-Argyle Television, owner of area NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
affiliate WXII-TV
WXII-TV
WXII-TV is the NBC television station licensed for the Greensboro–High Point–Winston-Salem, North Carolina designated market area with Parts of SWVA. It is licensed to Winston-Salem and is currently owned by the Hearst Corporation. Its transmitter is located on Sauratown Mountain in...
, bought the station and named it WXII-AM, and a news radio
News Radio
News Radio can refer to:* NewsRadio, the NBC sitcom which aired from 1995–1999.* News radio, the all-news or news/talk radio format....
format was used that included audio from some WXII-TV
WXII-TV
WXII-TV is the NBC television station licensed for the Greensboro–High Point–Winston-Salem, North Carolina designated market area with Parts of SWVA. It is licensed to Winston-Salem and is currently owned by the Hearst Corporation. Its transmitter is located on Sauratown Mountain in...
news broadcasts.Truth Broadcasting bought the station in June 2000 and, after a few weeks of silence, returned it to the air with the current format and call letters.From 1956 til 1992 the WTRU calls were assigned to the now silenced AM 1600 in Muskegon Heights, Michigan.
As of August 2011, WTRU simulcasts it's broadcast on 97.7FM (W249BZ - Clemmons) which covers the Forsyth County area and 102.9FM (W275AL - High Point) which helps better cover High Point and parts of Greensboro, NC.
External links
- Central North Carolina Voice of Truth - Current home of the WTRU callsign