WBBR Call Letters
Ellis Bromberg
I'm a first-time poster, and please forgive me for reviving an old
thread...but one more post about the WNEW/WQXR/WBBR changes in New York,
if I may.
With all the discussion about the historic nature of the WNEW and
WQXR call letters, few may be aware that the WBBR calls also have historic
ties to New York City.
This material from some research I did for my M.A. degree 17 years
ago...
As early as 1924---before there was a WNEW or a WQXR in New York---
the U.S. Dept. of Commerce Radio Division listed a WBBR with 500 kw on 1100
kc, assigned to Rossville (Staten Island), NY, and licensed to the Peoples
Pulpit Association, 124 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn.
By 1926, the old Radio Broadcasting magazine identified WBBR as
sharing the 1100 frequency with two other New York City stations: WEBJ and
WFBH.
By 1927, WFBH was deleted, but WBBR and WEBJ (which was licensed to
the 3rd Avenue Railway Co., 2396 3rd Avenue, New York) moved to 1170 kc.
WBBR had increased its power to 1000 kw.
In 1928, WEBJ was gone, but WLTH/Brooklyn (licensed to the Voice of
Brooklyn, Inc., 635 Fulton Avenue, Brooklyn) began sharing time with WBBR on
1170 kc.
In 1929, WLTH moved to 1400 kc while WBBR moved to 1300. At 1300
kc, WBBR shared time with WEVD. (The latter, of course, is still in
operation at 1050 khz after many many years at 1330 khz.)
My research ended at 1932, so I cannot report what happened to WBBR
after that date. Perhaps someone else can pick up on the thread of this
long-forgotten station and call letters.
Ellis Bromberg Phone: (217) 333-1070
Station Manager FAX: (217) 244-6386
WILL-TV Internet: e-bro...@uiuc.edu
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Scott D Fybush
> In 1929, WLTH moved to 1400 kc while WBBR moved to 1300. At 1300
>kc, WBBR shared time with WEVD. (The latter, of course, is still in
>operation at 1050 khz after many many years at 1330 khz.)
> My research ended at 1932, so I cannot report what happened to WBBR
>after that date. Perhaps someone else can pick up on the thread of this
>long-forgotten station and call letters.
I posted on this when Bloomberg took the WBBR calls. WBBR stayed sharetime
with WEVD on 1300 up till WW2 or thereabouts. It was licensed to the
Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, which I believe is better known to us
as the Jehovas' Witnesses.
WBBR died sometime around 1941. I have a listing for it in 1939, but not
in 1946. So what happened to 1330? WEVD had it all to itself for another
35 years or so, adding WEVD-FM 97.9 in the 50s. WEVD abandoned the AM in
1977, and the AM became WNYM/WPOW. Those were consolidated under Radio
Vision Cristiana last year, and the station became noncommercial WWRV,
with a Spanish-language religious format. It's still on 1330 with an
awful signal.
WEVD-FM stayed on 97.9 until 1988, when it traded the FM for Spanish
Broadcasting System's WUKQ 1050 (formerly WHN - WFAN). 1050 became
WEVD, 97.9 WSKQ-FM...and so it stands today.
Suppose the current WBBR knows anything about the call letters' history?
Naaahhhhhh...
Scott Fybush -- fyb...@world.std.com