WTBF (AM)
Encyclopedia
WTBF is a radio station
broadcasting a Talk/Personality format. Licensed to Troy, Alabama
, USA. The station is currently owned by Troy Broadcasting Corp. and features programing from ABC Radio.
, even with an occasional Talk
program.
WTBF signed on at 12 noon on February 25, 1947 with the roll of the timpani leading into "The Star Spangled Banner", played by the Troy High School Band. That drum roll was played by the future Mrs. Ann Gilchrist (wife of owner Joe Gilchrist). The station was then signed on for the very first time by Samuel F. (Sam) Townsend, who in 1949 purchased AM radio station WCNU
in Crestview, Florida
and relocated there. The original calls were to be WTBC, for Troy Broadcasting Corporation, but those letters were already taken, so they settled on WTBF.
For the first few years, WTBF was at 1490 on the dial, then moved down to 970 during the 1950s. Bob "Pappy" Tolbert, Jess Jordan, and Joe Gilchrist did wild morning shows before the genre was invented. Joe interviewed pigs who lived at the transmitter site; Pappy gave away junk records with crazy trivia questions. Birthdays, anniversaries, giveaways, obituaries, weather, local news (bake sales, gospel sings, barbecues, yard sales, etc.) are part of the Morning Show to this very day.
On July 16, 1969, Joe Gilchrist did a live remote of the Apollo 11
launch from Cape Canaveral
.
The original tower was over 300 feet tall and was located directly behind the station. It is now owned by a radio station in Puerto Rico
.
The AM still uses its original audio processor, which has only been disconnected one time—when locations changed.
students. By 1970 the tempo
was more Top 40 feeling with MOR music. From 1973 to 1978, the station played country during the day. From 1978 to 1985 it was all AC during the day. From 1985 to 1988 they went back to a hodgepodge of music. All during these periods, WTBF was still Top 40 at night, and some during the weekends. At night the program was called "Night Flight". In 1988 The late night AC stopped and WTBF went country all the way.
In October 1994, WTBF made an unusual move and started "Night Visions", a modern rock program airing at 8pm on weeknights. That became a revival of "Night Flight" by 1996; it lasted until 2003. There was a night of R&B and Blues
, 70s music, 80s music, jazz
, classic rock
and even contemporary Christian. This interesting arrangement continued off and on between 1998 and 2000 before ending altogether.
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...
broadcasting a Talk/Personality format. Licensed to Troy, Alabama
Troy, Alabama
Troy is a city in Pike County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 18,003. Troy experienced a growth spurt of over 4,000+ people since 2000. The city is the county seat of Pike County....
, USA. The station is currently owned by Troy Broadcasting Corp. and features programing from ABC Radio.
History of Troy Broadcasting Corporation
WTBF began broadcasting in 1947. A classic example of a small town station, they played all kinds of music during the day, from MOR to country musicCountry 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...
, even with an occasional Talk
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
program.
WTBF signed on at 12 noon on February 25, 1947 with the roll of the timpani leading into "The Star Spangled Banner", played by the Troy High School Band. That drum roll was played by the future Mrs. Ann Gilchrist (wife of owner Joe Gilchrist). The station was then signed on for the very first time by Samuel F. (Sam) Townsend, who in 1949 purchased AM radio station WCNU
WCNU
WCNU was a radio station located in Crestview, Florida, USA. The station served the Northwest Florida and South Alabama areas.- History :...
in Crestview, Florida
Crestview, Florida
Crestview is a city in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. Crestview’s name was chosen because of its location on the peak of a long woodland range between the Yellow and Shoal rivers which flow almost parallel on the east and west side of the City....
and relocated there. The original calls were to be WTBC, for Troy Broadcasting Corporation, but those letters were already taken, so they settled on WTBF.
For the first few years, WTBF was at 1490 on the dial, then moved down to 970 during the 1950s. Bob "Pappy" Tolbert, Jess Jordan, and Joe Gilchrist did wild morning shows before the genre was invented. Joe interviewed pigs who lived at the transmitter site; Pappy gave away junk records with crazy trivia questions. Birthdays, anniversaries, giveaways, obituaries, weather, local news (bake sales, gospel sings, barbecues, yard sales, etc.) are part of the Morning Show to this very day.
On July 16, 1969, Joe Gilchrist did a live remote of the Apollo 11
Apollo 11
In early 1969, Bill Anders accepted a job with the National Space Council effective in August 1969 and announced his retirement as an astronaut. At that point Ken Mattingly was moved from the support crew into parallel training with Anders as backup Command Module Pilot in case Apollo 11 was...
launch from Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral, from the Spanish Cabo Cañaveral, is a headland in Brevard County, Florida, United States, near the center of the state's Atlantic coast. Known as Cape Kennedy from 1963 to 1973, it lies east of Merritt Island, separated from it by the Banana River.It is part of a region known as the...
.
The original tower was over 300 feet tall and was located directly behind the station. It is now owned by a radio station in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
.
The AM still uses its original audio processor, which has only been disconnected one time—when locations changed.
WTBF programming through the years
At night, the programming targeted teens and collegeCollege
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
students. By 1970 the tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
was more Top 40 feeling with MOR music. From 1973 to 1978, the station played country during the day. From 1978 to 1985 it was all AC during the day. From 1985 to 1988 they went back to a hodgepodge of music. All during these periods, WTBF was still Top 40 at night, and some during the weekends. At night the program was called "Night Flight". In 1988 The late night AC stopped and WTBF went country all the way.
In October 1994, WTBF made an unusual move and started "Night Visions", a modern rock program airing at 8pm on weeknights. That became a revival of "Night Flight" by 1996; it lasted until 2003. There was a night of R&B and Blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
, 70s music, 80s music, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, 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...
and even contemporary Christian. This interesting arrangement continued off and on between 1998 and 2000 before ending altogether.