WBEB
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
|
| Broadcast area | Philadelphia, PA |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 101.1 MHz |
| Format | Soft Rock/Adult Contemporary |
| Owner | Independently Owned |
WBEB, known as "B101", is a Soft Rock/Adult Contemporary radio station which is broadcast in the Philadelphia area. The station has been a top ranking station in the Philadelphia Arbitron ratings for over fifteen years, and is the only independently owned station in the Philadelphia radio market. Its transmitter is located in the Roxborough section of the city.
Contents |
[edit] WDVR-FM heritage
Previously called WDVR-FM (Delaware Valley Radio) and WEAZ, the station pioneered the Beautiful Music format beginning in 1963.
Original staff included Rich Franklin and Dave Shayer, both broadcast veterans, and were two of the original air staff hired by WDVR/WEAZ/WBEB 101.1 FM when they first went on the air May 13, 1963. Both, later, were Music Directors at 101.1 FM, and are still active in broadcasting today. Working with Jerry Lee, Marlin Taylor, Dave Kurtz, Alan Campbell and others, WDVR skyrocketed to phenomial success and became a broadcasting legend. 101.1 FM was, and is, one of the most successful independent FM stations in the country.
The station was known for playing Beautiful Music featuring pop tunes reworked in the form of instrumentals. They played two vocalists per hour, as the vocalists would be based on the works of such artists as Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Nat King Cole, Neil Diamond and The Carpenters. By the 1980s, the station increased the amount of music with vocalists to four per hour as they also added more artists suited to an adult contemporary format.
In 1988, the station dropped Beautiful Music for a soft adult contemporary format. With the format change, the entire airstaff stayed on and continued, as the station was known at this point as "Easy 101." The station's would shift to a mainstream adult contemporary format in the 1990s, and their call letters would eventually change to WBEB.
[edit] Clear Channel's Envy and Threat
Its been reported that Clear Channel Communications has made some high offers for this station but the owners refuse to sell it. The station is extremely successful. Clear Channel had attempted to spoil the success by targeting WBEB's audience with a '60s to '80s based oldies format with an AC texture using a successful 1980's moniker "Sunny 104.5 WSNI" on 104.5 FM. While that station had modest success and brought B 101's ratings down moderately, B 101 prevailed. Clear Channel had ended the Sunny 104 AC Oldies format in August of 2006 leaving B 101 as the sole Adult Contemporary station for the market. In fact because Sunny 104.5 played very little if any current product B 101 in that sense was the only AC station in the market for the last 10 years or longer. This is one example where a locally owned station prevailed over corporate desires. It should be noted that WBEB carries Delilah's evening show which is syndicated by Clear Channel's Premiere Radio Networks.
[edit] On-Air Schedule
[edit] All Christmas Music
As a yearly tradition, B101 starts to play Christmas music sometime in mid-November. B101 has switched to all Christmas music this year on November 18, 2006.
[edit] Weekdays
- 5AM to 10AM - The B101 Morning Show with Chris McCoy and Tiffany Hill
- 10AM to 3PM - Juan Varleta
- 3PM to 8PM - Dan Blackman
- 8PM-1AM - Delilah {Delilah Rene}
[edit] Weekends
- Various Shifts - Dave Packer
- Various Shifts - Anne Evans
- Various Shifts - Lorraine Ranalli
