WNCB

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'**WNCB'**

City of license	Gardendale, Alabama
Broadcast area	Birmingham
Branding	New Country 97.3
First air date	1998
Frequency	97.3 MHz
Format	Country
ERP	6400 watts
Class	C2
Callsign meaning	New Country Birmingham
Owner	Cox Radio
Website	www.newcountry973.com

WNCB is an FM radio station licensed to Gardendale, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham. It is known on the air as “New Country 97.3’’ and is one of seven stations in the Birmingham market that is owned by Cox Radio. Other Birmingham stations owned by Cox include WBHK-FM (95.7), WBHK-FM (98.7), WZZK-FM (104.7), WBPT-FM (106.9), WAGG-AM (610) and WPSB-AM (1320).

[edit] History

As of 2006, 97.3 is the newest station to sign on in the Birmingham market. WEDA, then licensed to Homewood, signed on with a CHR format in 1998, calling itself Hot 97.3. Birmingham had not had a CHR station since WAPI-FM (now WYSF) changed formats in 1994, and the owners were hoping to fill that niche. However, WQEN, a CHR station licensed to Gadsden, began broadcasting from a tower closer to Birmingham earlier in the year and was more successful than WEDA.

In 1999, Cox Radio purchased WEDA from the local investors who owned the station, changed the call letters to WRLR, and changed the format to active rock. The new on-air name of the station was Real Rock 97.3. Initially, the station was moderately successful. However, a weak signal (initially, the station broadcast at 640 watts ERP) and competition from modern rock/alternative station WRAX caused WRLR to become one of the lowest rated FM stations in Birmingham.

In October 2001, WODL (Oldies 106.9) unexpectedly changed its format to all ‘80’s music and became known as WBPT, “106-9 the Point”. Cox moved the oldies format and call letters to 97.3, and the station became known as Oldies 97.3. Once again, the weak signal of 97.3 proved to be a hindrance to the station’s success. Also, the popularity of oldies stations focusing on music from the 1960’s began to decline. In June 2004, the power of the station increased from 640 watts to 6,400 watts. In July of that year, the station changed its emphasis from ‘60’s oldies to music from the 1970’s. Core artists of the station known as “70’s Hit Radio, 97-3 WODL” included Chicago, the Doobie Brothers, Alice Cooper, Grand Funk Railroad and James Taylor.

After less than three months as a ‘70’s oldies station, the station once again changed formats to hot country in September 2004, placing it in competition with co-owned country station WZZK and cross-town rival WDXB.

[edit] External links

FM Radio stations serving the Birmingham / Tuscaloosa / Anniston/ Gadsden area (Arbitron #56 and 234)
Birmingham	WBRC 87.7¹ \| WLJR 88.5 \| WBFR 89.5 \| WBHM 90.3 \| WJSR 91.1 (covers the northern half of the city) \| WVSU 91.1 (covers the southern half of the city) \| WGIB 91.9/101.5 \| WPHC 92.5 \| WDJC 93.7 \| WYSF 94.5 \| WBHJ 95.7 \| WMJJ 96.5 \| WNCB 97.3 \| WKLD 97.7 (Oneonta: covers northern suburbs) \| WHPH 97.7 (Jemison: covers southern suburbs) \| WBHK 98.7 \| WZRR 99.5 \| WJOX 100.5 \| WYDE 101.1 \| WDXB 102.5 \| WQEN 103.7 \| WZZK 104.7 \| WENN 105.5 \| WBPT 106.9 \| WUHT 107.7 ¹ Audio for TV channel 6 (Fox)
Tuscaloosa	WMFT 88.9 \| WVUA 90.7 \| WUAL 91.5 \| WTUG 92.9 \| WZBQ 94.1 \| WFFN 95.3 \| WTXT 98.1 \| WDGM 99.1 \| WBEI 101.7 \| WNPT 102.9 \| WQZZ 104.3/97.3/100.1 \| WRTR 105.9
Anniston	WJCK 88.3 \| WKNG 89.1 \| WGRW 90.7 \| WTBJ 91.3 \| WPIL 91.7 \| WLJS 91.9 \| WTDR 92.7 \| WHMA 95.5 \| WVOK 97.9 \| WTRB 98.3 \| WRHY 105.9 \|
Gadsden	WTBB 89.9 \| WSGN 91.5 \| WGMZ 93.1 \| WKXX 102.9 \| WQSB 105.1 \|
Other	Alabama Radio Markets Anniston (AM) (FM) \| Auburn \| Birmingham (AM) (FM) \| Decatur \| Dothan \| Florence-Muscle Shoals \| Gadsden (AM) (FM) \| Huntsville \| Mobile \| Montgomery \| Selma \| Tuscaloosa (AM) (FM) See also: List of radio stations in Alabama and List of United States radio markets