WBLX
Encyclopedia
WBLX-FM is an American
Mainstream Urban
music-formatted radio station
that serves Mobile
, Lower Alabama
, and Pensacola, Florida
. The station has served the Gulf Coast for more than 25 years. The station was assigned the WBLX-FM call letters by the Federal Communications Commission
on July 4, 1988
. In 2006, WBLX began broadcasting in IBOC digital radio
, using the HD Radio
system from iBiquity
.
format, has been one of the market's leading stations with the same calls and format for about 25 years. In 1998, Cumulus acquired competitor WDLT-FM, and skewed it to being an Urban Adult Contemporary
. This has allowed WBLX to skew its programming towards a younger audience as a Mainstream Urban. Also for many years, WBLX carried the "93BLX Jams" and "The Beat of the Bay" brandnames, however, in 2000 they changed their slogan to "The Big Station 93BLX".
Cumulus Broadcasting began upgrading its stations to HD Radio broadcasting in 2005. One of the first ten stations to be upgraded was WBLX.
WBLX is one of the most powerful radio stations in the Gulf region. It can be heard from New Orleans, Montgomery, AL, South Georgia, and 100 miles out in the Gulf of Mexico.
One of the station's most famous broadcasts featured a part-time DJ that went by the name "Inetta the Mood Setta." She was evidently upset about the treatment she had received from some co-workers and station management and quit her job live on air using the phrase "I quit this bitch," which infiltrated pop culture, showing up on t-shirts and in various internet posts.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Mainstream Urban
Mainstream Urban
Mainstream Urban is a term used to describe a radio format similar to an Urban Contemporary format. The format differentiates itself due to two factors: playlist composition and target demographic...
music-formatted radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
that serves Mobile
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
, Lower Alabama
Lower Alabama
Lower Alabama is a term used to describe various parts of southern Alabama. Its usage does not however reflect a formally defined geographic region. Three areas generally are known to use the Lower Alabama name....
, and Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
. The station has served the Gulf Coast for more than 25 years. The station was assigned the WBLX-FM call letters by the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
on July 4, 1988
1988 in radio
The year 1988 in radio involved some significant events.-Events:*August 13 — Los Angeles radio personality Shadoe Stevens takes over as host of "American Top 40." He replaces Casey Kasem, who had hosted since the show's debut in 1970...
. In 2006, WBLX began broadcasting in IBOC digital radio
Digital radio
Digital radio has several meanings:1. Today the most common meaning is digital radio broadcasting technologies, such as the digital audio broadcasting system, also known as Eureka 147. In these systems, the analog audio signal is digitized into zeros and ones, compressed using formats such as...
, using the HD Radio
HD Radio
HD Radio, which originally stood for "Hybrid Digital", is the trademark for iBiquity's in-band on-channel digital radio technology used by AM and FM radio stations to transmit audio and data via a digital signal in conjunction with their analog signals...
system from iBiquity
IBiquity
iBiquity Digital Corporation is a company formed by the merger of USA Digital Radio and Lucent Digital Radio, with the goal of creating an in-band on-channel digital radio system for the United States and around the world...
.
History
WBLX began as FM counterpart to gospel station WMOO (1550 AM). As WBLX, with the Urban contemporaryUrban contemporary
Urban contemporary is a music radio format. The term was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s. Urban contemporary radio stations feature a playlist made up entirely of hip hop/rap, contemporary R&B, pop, electronica such as dubstep and drum and bass and Caribbean music...
format, has been one of the market's leading stations with the same calls and format for about 25 years. In 1998, Cumulus acquired competitor WDLT-FM, and skewed it to being an Urban Adult Contemporary
Urban Adult Contemporary
Urban adult contemporary is the name for a format of radio music, similar to an urban contemporary format. Radio stations using this format usually would not have rap music on their playlists. The format was designed by Barry Mayo when he, Lee S. Simonson and Bill Pearson organized Broadcast...
. This has allowed WBLX to skew its programming towards a younger audience as a Mainstream Urban. Also for many years, WBLX carried the "93BLX Jams" and "The Beat of the Bay" brandnames, however, in 2000 they changed their slogan to "The Big Station 93BLX".
Cumulus Broadcasting began upgrading its stations to HD Radio broadcasting in 2005. One of the first ten stations to be upgraded was WBLX.
WBLX is one of the most powerful radio stations in the Gulf region. It can be heard from New Orleans, Montgomery, AL, South Georgia, and 100 miles out in the Gulf of Mexico.
Personnel
Station management includes operations manager James Alexander and program director/music director AL-MY-T.One of the station's most famous broadcasts featured a part-time DJ that went by the name "Inetta the Mood Setta." She was evidently upset about the treatment she had received from some co-workers and station management and quit her job live on air using the phrase "I quit this bitch," which infiltrated pop culture, showing up on t-shirts and in various internet posts.