WJBE-FM

For the AM radio station in Powell, Tennessee, see WJBE (AM).
WJBE-FM
Broadcast areaWalker and Winston counties
Frequency88.5 MHz
Branding"Country Legends 88.5 FM"
Programming
FormatClassic country
Ownership
OwnerBig South Community Broadcasting, Inc.
WJLX
History
First air date
April 18, 2008 (2008-04-18)
Former call signs
WJBE (2007–2013)[1]
Call sign meaning
Jacob Brett Elmore, the son of owner Brett Elmore, born a week before the station signed on[2]
Technical information[3]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID172997
ClassA
ERP500 watts
HAAT61 meters (200 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
33°57′51″N 87°12′34″W / 33.96417°N 87.20944°W / 33.96417; -87.20944
Links
Public license information
Webcast[{{{url}}} Listen live]
Websitecountrylegends885.com

WJBE-FM (88.5 FM) is an American radio station licensed to serve the community of Five Points, Alabama. The station's broadcast license is held by Big South Community Broadcasting, Inc. Launched in 2008 under the "WJBE" call sign, WJBE-FM serves Alabama's Walker and Winston Counties. This station is unrelated to the Knoxville-based WJBE (1430 AM) owned by entertainer James Brown from 1968 through 1979.

History

Early days

This station received its original construction permit from the Federal Communications Commission on December 20, 2007.[4] The new station was assigned the call letters WJBE by the FCC on December 27, 2007.[1] WJBE received its license to cover from the FCC on June 5, 2008.[5] The station changed its call sign to the current WJBE-FM on June 28, 2013.[1]

On the air

WJBE originally broadcast a country music format branded as "Country Legends 88.5".[6] Notable local programs included The Wal-Win Wake-up Show with Brett Elmore & Barry Patilla on weekday mornings and The Woody Wilson Show on weekday mid-days.[7]

In addition to its music programming, the station broadcast local news and weather, regional sports, plus CNN Radio at the top of every hour. Each weekday morning, WJBE aired a tradio program called "Swap Shop".[8] WJBE also aired select local high school football games and the college basketball games of both Bevill State Community College and Walker College. The station was also the home of the 2009 Alabama Broadcasters Association's Small Market Sportscaster of the Year, Brett Elmore.[9]

The format later shifted to modern rock under the branding "88.5 The Planet" but with largely the same airstaff.

Falling silent

WJBE fell temporarily silent on January 10, 2014, for technical reasons.[10] In their January 15, 2014, filing with the FCC, the station asserted "technical problems with the audio end of the transmitter" requiring that the transmitter be "sent back to the factory for repairs" and requested special temporary authority to remain silent until the transmitter can be repaired and reinstalled.[11] WJBE is still listed with the FCC as "silent" (out of business) on the FCC listing of defunct FM broadcast stations.[12]

Sometime in late 2013 or early 2014, the station had returned to the "Country Legends 88.5" oprogramming. As of September 22, 2014, WJBE-FM returned to the air.

References

  1. ^ a b c "Call Sign History (172997)". CDBS Public Access Database. FCC Media Bureau. June 28, 2013. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved October 28, 2013.
  2. ^ "Now broadcasting". Daily Mountain Eagle. April 17, 2008.
  3. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WJBE-FM". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  4. ^ "Application Search Details (BNPED-20071015AER)". FCC Media Bureau. December 20, 2007. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
  5. ^ "Application Search Details (BLED-20080507ACH)". FCC Media Bureau. June 5, 2008. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
  6. ^ "Station Information Profile". Arbitron. Archived from the original on March 1, 2010.
  7. ^ "Jocks". Country Legends 88.5. Archived from the original on November 11, 2009. Retrieved July 18, 2009.
  8. ^ "Swap Shop". Country Legends 88.5. Archived from the original on November 11, 2009. Retrieved July 18, 2009.
  9. ^ Phillips, James (March 31, 2009). "Jasper radio personality wins prestigious broadcast award". Daily Mountain Eagle. The Alabama Broadcasters Association (ABA) presented its Best in Broadcasting Awards Saturday night in Birmingham, and Jasper's Brett Elmore was one of those honored at the event. Elmore, general manager for WJBE 88.5 FM and WJLX 1240 AM, brought home the award for Best Small Market Sportscaster.
  10. ^ "Three FMs Ask FCC For Silent STAs". All Access. January 17, 2014. Archived from the original on January 16, 2014. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  11. ^ "Application Search Details (BLSTA-20140114AGE)". FCC Media Bureau. January 15, 2014. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved January 31, 2014.
  12. ^ "FM silent stations, silent over 2 months". FCC Media Bureau. August 13, 2014. Archived from the original on August 13, 2014. Retrieved August 13, 2014.