WLTM (FM)
Encyclopedia
WUBL FM
94.9, known as "94.9 the Bull", is an Atlanta FM radio station
that plays country music
. Its radio transmitter is located just northeast of Atlanta
near Druid Hills Road in North Druid Hills, with several other stations.
changed to easy listening
with the WPCH callsign. In the early 1980s, the station's format switched from easy listening to soft AC as a response to WSB-FM
's format change. The name was "FM95 WPCH" until mid 1991, when the "Peach 94.9" name was adopted, reflecting its exact frequency for newer radios with digital tuning, and Atlanta's nickname as the "Big Peach
". (This is derived from its main road of Peachtree Street
, and New York being the "Big Apple
", as well as Atlanta being the "New York of the South"; the callsign is now on WPCH-TV 17.1 as "Peachtree TV" in Atlanta.) The station enjoyed consistent ratings
success through the 1990s and early 2000s with on-air personalities
such as Steve Goss, Sandy Weaver (now running a voiceover
company, Voicework On Demand, let go from WYAY on 2/29/2008), Dale O'Brien, Kari Dean (TV producer at WAGA-TV
5 in Atlanta), John Martin, Rashke, and John Weatherbee (currently doing local weather for WNGC
FM in Athens, Georgia).
In December 2002, the name "Peach" was dropped, and the station became the more generic WLTM "94.9 Lite FM", a brand
used by fellow Clear Channel Communications
stations in other cities, as well as CBS Radio
-owned stations WLIF
in Baltimore, WLTE
in Minneapolis
and KVIL in Dallas
. Prior to Christmas
each year, Lite FM played all Christmas music
.
From 2005 to 2006, the station had Randy & Spiff as its morning show Randy is currently on WGST
AM 640 under the name Randy Cook, and Spiff recently joined True Oldies 106.7 WYAY-FM. The duo were formerly at WFOX "Fox 97" (now WSRV
"The River") and briefly at then sister Clear Channel Station WLCL
FM "Cool 105.7". Lite's morning show from May 2003 until March 2005 was married couple Gene & Julie, who are now in Dallas at KVIL. The nighttime show was the syndicated Delilah
. (However, Delilah was not on the new 96.7 Lite FM (which is now The Legend) schedule; instead, it is now aired on former competitor WSB-FM, "B98.5FM".)
In the middle of its all-Christmas music format, and more than a week before Christmas Day, Lite FM changed to country music as "The Bull" at noon on December 18, 2006. WLTM's call letters were changed to WUBL. The old adult contemporary format officially moved to 96.7 FM
on December 20, 2006, and stayed there until December 26, 2007, when 96.7 switched to a classic country
format to accompany WUBL. On January 7, 2008 WUBL added The Cledus T. Party, starring comedian
/parody
singer Cledus T. Judd
, as its morning show
.
, this station is the primary entry point (PEP) for Emergency Alert System
messages for the state of Georgia
. In an emergency, the two stations receive alerts via secure networks directly from the U.S. president, the Georgia Emergency Management Agency
, and the National Weather Service
. All other radio
and television station
s and cable TV systems in metro Atlanta
must monitor these two stations at all times with their EAS equipment. Alerts are then relay
ed across the state by other stations.
Current personalties include: Kristen Gates (morning show co-host), Jason Pullman (morning show co-host), Art "Mad Man" Mehring (traffic), Madison Reeves (mid-days), Lance Houston (afternoons), Ty Bentli (nights), Rob Carter (weekends), Tripp West (weekends), and After Midnight with Blair Garner
.
In 2011, the station changed its HD Radio
channel
2 to simulcast
Immanuel Broadcasting Network, whose flagship station
is WCCV
FM 91.7 in Cartersville
. Two IBN-owned broadcast translators are actually assigned to WUBL instead of WCCV as their primary station: W265AV 100.9 Woodstock
, and W221CG 92.1 "Kennesaw" (actually Hiram
/Dallas
), both transmitting IBN programming. WGST AM 640 is carried on WUBL's HD3 channel, as well as on W222AF FM 92.3, which is also owned by Immanuel and formerly rebroadcast WCCV. However, W222AF is assigned directly to retransmit WGST, not WUBL.
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
94.9, known as "94.9 the Bull", is an Atlanta FM 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 plays country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
. Its radio transmitter is located just northeast of 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...
near Druid Hills Road in North Druid Hills, with several other stations.
History
The station began as religious WAVQ-FM, sister to WAVO AM. In the 1970s, the formatRadio format
A radio format or programming format not to be confused with broadcast programming describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. Radio formats are frequently employed as a marketing tool, and constantly evolve...
changed to easy listening
Easy listening
Easy listening is a broad style of popular music and radio format that emerged in the 1950s, evolving out of big band music, and related to MOR music as played on many AM radio stations. It encompasses the exotica, beautiful music, light music, lounge music, ambient music, and space age pop genres...
with the WPCH callsign. In the early 1980s, the station's format switched from easy listening to soft AC as a response to WSB-FM
WSB-FM
WSB-FM is an Atlanta radio station. Along with several other Atlanta radio stations, WSB-FM is owned by Cox Enterprises' Cox Media Group subsidiary, and is the group's flagship FM station...
's format change. The name was "FM95 WPCH" until mid 1991, when the "Peach 94.9" name was adopted, reflecting its exact frequency for newer radios with digital tuning, and Atlanta's nickname as the "Big Peach
Peach
The peach tree is a deciduous tree growing to tall and 6 in. in diameter, belonging to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae. It bears an edible juicy fruit called a peach...
". (This is derived from its main road of Peachtree Street
Peachtree Street
Peachtree Street is the main street of Atlanta. The city grew up around the street, and many of its historical and municipal buildings are or were located along it...
, and New York being the "Big Apple
Big Apple
"The Big Apple" is a nickname for New York City. It was first popularized in the 1920s by John J. Fitz Gerald, a sports writer for the New York Morning Telegraph...
", as well as Atlanta being the "New York of the South"; the callsign is now on WPCH-TV 17.1 as "Peachtree TV" in Atlanta.) The station enjoyed consistent ratings
Audience measurement
Audience measurement measures how many people are in an audience, usually in relation to radio listenership and television viewership, but also in relation to newspaper and magazine readership and, increasingly, web traffic on websites...
success through the 1990s and early 2000s with on-air personalities
Radio personality
A radio personality is a person with an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality can be someone who introduces and discusses various genres of music, hosts a talk radio show that may take calls from listeners, or someone whose primary responsibility is to give news, weather,...
such as Steve Goss, Sandy Weaver (now running a voiceover
VoiceOver
VoiceOver is a screen reader built into Apple Inc.'s Mac OS X, iOS and iPod operating systems. By using VoiceOver, the user can access their Macintosh or iOS device based on spoken descriptions and, in the case of the Mac, the keyboard. The feature is designed to increase accessibility for blind...
company, Voicework On Demand, let go from WYAY on 2/29/2008), Dale O'Brien, Kari Dean (TV producer at WAGA-TV
WAGA-TV
WAGA-TV, virtual channel 5.1 is an owned-and-operated television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Television Network and based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States...
5 in Atlanta), John Martin, Rashke, and John Weatherbee (currently doing local weather for WNGC
WNGC (FM)
WNGC is a radio station in North Georgia that plays country music. Its city of license is Arcade, Georgia with studios in Athens.-Station history:...
FM in Athens, Georgia).
In December 2002, the name "Peach" was dropped, and the station became the more generic WLTM "94.9 Lite FM", a brand
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
used by fellow Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
stations in other cities, as well as CBS Radio
CBS Radio
CBS Radio, Inc., formerly known as Infinity Broadcasting Corporation, is one of the largest owners and operators of radio stations in the United States, third behind main rival Clear Channel Communications and Cumulus Media. CBS Radio owns around 130 radio stations across the country...
-owned stations WLIF
WLIF
WLIF is a radio station located in Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States. It is currently owned and operated by CBS Radio. Its studios are located in the Mount Washington section of Baltimore, while its transmitter is located two miles northeast in Hampton, Maryland...
in Baltimore, WLTE
WLTE
WLTE is a radio station in Minneapolis-St. Paul that carries a "Lite rock" adult contemporary format and has done so for more than two decades. WLTE is owned by CBS Corporation, which also owns WCCO radio today...
in Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
and KVIL in Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
. Prior to Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
each year, Lite FM played all Christmas music
Christmas music
Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music normally performed or heard around the Christmas season, which tends to begin in the months leading up the actual holiday and end in the weeks shortly thereafter.-Early:...
.
From 2005 to 2006, the station had Randy & Spiff as its morning show Randy is currently on WGST
WGST (AM)
WGST AM 640 is a radio station licensed in the city of Atlanta, Georgia operating at a frequency of 640 kHz with 50,000 watts of power during the daytime, and 1,000 watts of power during nighttime hours...
AM 640 under the name Randy Cook, and Spiff recently joined True Oldies 106.7 WYAY-FM. The duo were formerly at WFOX "Fox 97" (now WSRV
WSRV (FM)
WSRV is a classic-rock-leaning classic-hits-formatted radio station that plays hit music from the 1960s, '70s, and '80s. It is broadcast from the Cox Media Group facility on West Peachtree Street near the Brookwood area of Atlanta, Georgia in the United States...
"The River") and briefly at then sister Clear Channel Station WLCL
WWVA-FM
WWVA-FM is an Atlanta radio station broadcasting a Rhythmic contemporary radio format which features R&B, Pop and Dance hits. It is owned by Clear Channel Communications and is licensed to serve Canton, Georgia...
FM "Cool 105.7". Lite's morning show from May 2003 until March 2005 was married couple Gene & Julie, who are now in Dallas at KVIL. The nighttime show was the syndicated Delilah
Delilah Rene
Delilah Rene Luke , almost always known mononymously as Delilah, is an American radio personality, author, and songwriter, best known as the host of a nationally syndicated nightly U.S...
. (However, Delilah was not on the new 96.7 Lite FM (which is now The Legend) schedule; instead, it is now aired on former competitor WSB-FM, "B98.5FM".)
In the middle of its all-Christmas music format, and more than a week before Christmas Day, Lite FM changed to country music as "The Bull" at noon on December 18, 2006. WLTM's call letters were changed to WUBL. The old adult contemporary format officially moved to 96.7 FM
WWLG
WWLG FM 96.7 is an Atlanta radio station broadcasting a rhythmic contemporary radio format which features R&B, pop music and dance hits. It is owned by Clear Channel Communications and is licensed to serve Peachtree City, Georgia...
on December 20, 2006, and stayed there until December 26, 2007, when 96.7 switched to a classic country
Classic country
Classic country is a music radio format that specializes in playing mainstream country hits from past decades.This genre generally follows one of two formats: those specializing in hits from the 1920s through the early 1970s, and focus primarily on innovators and artists from country music's Golden...
format to accompany WUBL. On January 7, 2008 WUBL added The Cledus T. Party, starring comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
/parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
singer Cledus T. Judd
Cledus T. Judd
Barry Poole is an American country music artist who records under the name Cledus T. Judd. Known primarily for his parodies of popular country music songs, he has been called the "Weird Al" Yankovic of country music, and his albums are usually an equal mix of original comedy songs and parodies...
, as its morning show
Morning zoo
Morning zoo is a format of morning radio show common to English-language radio broadcasting. The name is derived from the "wackiness and zaniness" of the activities, bits, and overall personality of the show and its hosts...
.
Current
Along with WSB-FMWSB-FM
WSB-FM is an Atlanta radio station. Along with several other Atlanta radio stations, WSB-FM is owned by Cox Enterprises' Cox Media Group subsidiary, and is the group's flagship FM station...
, this station is the primary entry point (PEP) for Emergency Alert System
Emergency Alert System
The Emergency Alert System is a national warning system in the United States put into place on January 1, 1997, when it superseded the Emergency Broadcast System , which itself had superseded the CONELRAD System...
messages for the state of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. In an emergency, the two stations receive alerts via secure networks directly from the U.S. president, the Georgia Emergency Management Agency
Georgia Emergency Management Agency
The Georgia Emergency Management Agency or GEMA is the emergency management agency for the U.S. state of Georgia. Its function is similar to that of the Federal Emergency Management Agency in preparing for and responding to disasters, and mitigating potential hazards....
, and the National Weather Service
National Weather Service
The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
. All other radio
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...
and television station
Television station
A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
s and cable TV systems in metro Atlanta
Metro Atlanta
The Atlanta metropolitan area or metro Atlanta, officially designated by the US Census Bureau as the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta Metropolitan Statistical Area, is the most populous metro area in the U.S. state of Georgia and the ninth-largest metropolitan statistical area in the United States...
must monitor these two stations at all times with their EAS equipment. Alerts are then relay
Relay
A relay is an electrically operated switch. Many relays use an electromagnet to operate a switching mechanism mechanically, but other operating principles are also used. Relays are used where it is necessary to control a circuit by a low-power signal , or where several circuits must be controlled...
ed across the state by other stations.
Current personalties include: Kristen Gates (morning show co-host), Jason Pullman (morning show co-host), Art "Mad Man" Mehring (traffic), Madison Reeves (mid-days), Lance Houston (afternoons), Ty Bentli (nights), Rob Carter (weekends), Tripp West (weekends), and After Midnight with Blair Garner
Blair Garner
Blair Garner is an American radio personality. According to his After MidNite with Blair Garner show website, he purchased his first car at age 12. He is the host of the syndicated radio programs After MidNite with Blair Garner and The Blair Garner Show...
.
In 2011, the station changed its 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...
channel
Digital subchannel
In broadcasting, digital subchannels are a means to transmit more than one independent program at the same time from the same digital radio or digital television station on the same radio frequency channel. This is done by using data compression techniques to reduce the size of each individual...
2 to simulcast
Simulcast
Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
Immanuel Broadcasting Network, whose flagship station
Flagship station
In broadcasting, a flagship is the broadcast which originates a television network, or a particular radio show or TV show, primarily in the United States and Canada. This includes both direct network feeds and broadcast syndication, but generally not backhauls...
is WCCV
WCCV (FM)
WCCV FM 91.7 is a radio station licensed to serve the city of Cartersville, Georgia. It is owned by and is the flagship station of Immanuel Broadcasting Network, also based in Cartersville...
FM 91.7 in Cartersville
Cartersville, Georgia
Cartersville is a town in Bartow County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 19,7314. The city is the county seat of Bartow County.-Geography:Cartersville was named for Colonel Farish Carter....
. Two IBN-owned broadcast translators are actually assigned to WUBL instead of WCCV as their primary station: W265AV 100.9 Woodstock
Woodstock, Georgia
Woodstock is a city in Cherokee County, Georgia, United States. The population was 23,896 at the 2010 census.Originally a stop on the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, Woodstock is now considered part of the Atlanta metropolitan area...
, and W221CG 92.1 "Kennesaw" (actually Hiram
Hiram, Georgia
Hiram is a city in Paulding County, Georgia, United States. The population was 1,361 at the 2000 census. It is home to country music star, Travis Tritt.-Geography:Hiram is located at ....
/Dallas
Dallas, Georgia
Dallas is a city in and the county seat of Paulding County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 11,544. It was named for George M. Dallas, Vice President of the United States of America under James K. Polk.-History:...
), both transmitting IBN programming. WGST AM 640 is carried on WUBL's HD3 channel, as well as on W222AF FM 92.3, which is also owned by Immanuel and formerly rebroadcast WCCV. However, W222AF is assigned directly to retransmit WGST, not WUBL.