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WVBE (AM)
Encyclopedia
WVBE is an Urban Contemporary
formatted broadcast
radio station
licensed to Roanoke, Virginia
, serving the New River Valley
. WVBE is owned and operated by Mel Wheeler, Inc.
format. At one time, the now defunct Roy H. Park Broadcasting had owned WSLS-AM-FM-TV, but sold the radios stations because Park also owned a newspaper in Roanoke. After the purchase, the AM became WSLC at midnight on August 1, 1972, but stayed Country
, and the FM became Rock
WSLQ
). Only the TV station still carries the original WSLS
letters. At noon on May 25, 2000, the station began simulcasting it new sister station, the former easy listening
turned classic rock
station WPVR, which was flipped to Country
as WSLC-FM
, after being purchased by Mel Wheeler Inc. This continued until March 13, 2002, when WSLC-AM was flipped to new calls as WVBE-AM, simulcasting co-owned WVBE-FM Lynchburg, and brought R&B
music full time to Roanoke.
Urban 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...
formatted broadcast
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
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...
licensed to Roanoke, Virginia
Roanoke, Virginia
Roanoke is an independent city in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. state of Virginia and is the tenth-largest city in the Commonwealth. It is located in the Roanoke Valley of the Roanoke Region of Virginia. The population within the city limits was 97,032 as of 2010...
, serving the New River Valley
New River Valley
The New River Valley is a region in the eastern United States along the New River in the Commonwealth of Virginia . The valley comprises the counties of Montgomery , Pulaski, Floyd, Giles and the independent City of Radford...
. WVBE is owned and operated by Mel Wheeler, Inc.
History
WVBE launched with the callsign WSLS just before noon on October 1, 1940. For over 50 years, the station would carry a CountryCountry 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...
format. At one time, the now defunct Roy H. Park Broadcasting had owned WSLS-AM-FM-TV, but sold the radios stations because Park also owned a newspaper in Roanoke. After the purchase, the AM became WSLC at midnight on August 1, 1972, but stayed Country
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...
, and the FM became Rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
WSLQ
WSLQ
WSLQ is an Adult Contemporary formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Roanoke, Virginia, serving the New River Valley and Southwest Virginia. WSLQ is owned and operated by Mel Wheeler, Inc.-Power Distinction:...
). Only the TV station still carries the original WSLS
WSLS-TV
WSLS-TV, channel 10 , is the NBC-affiliated television station in Roanoke, Virginia. Its transmitter is located on Poor Mountain in Roanoke County. The station is owned by Media General who also owns local newspapers The News & Advance and Danville Register & Bee...
letters. At noon on May 25, 2000, the station began simulcasting it new sister station, the former 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...
turned 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...
station WPVR, which was flipped to Country
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...
as WSLC-FM
WSLC-FM
WSLC-FM is a Country formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Roanoke, Virginia, serving the New River Valley. WSLC-FM is owned and operated by Mel Wheeler, Inc.-WDBJ-FM:...
, after being purchased by Mel Wheeler Inc. This continued until March 13, 2002, when WSLC-AM was flipped to new calls as WVBE-AM, simulcasting co-owned WVBE-FM Lynchburg, and brought R&B
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...
music full time to Roanoke.