WSB-FM
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| Broadcast area | Atlanta, Georgia |
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| Branding | B 98.5 FM |
| Slogan | "Atlanta's best variety of soft rock, and voted #1 for the most music while you work" |
| Frequency | 98.5 MHz |
| Format | Adult Contemporary |
| ERP | 100,000 watts (100 kW) |
| Class | C0 |
| Callsign meaning | Welcome South Brother the B is used in the branding "B 98.5 FM" |
| Owner | Cox Radio |
| Website | b985.com |
WSB-FM ("B98.5FM") is an Atlanta radio station that plays adult contemporary music (AC). Along with several other Atlanta radio stations, WSB-FM is owned by Cox Enterprises' publicly-traded subsidiary Cox Radio, and is the group's flagship FM station. It is the only Atlanta FM radio station to continue to share a callsign with local TV and AM radio stations (WSB AM and WSB-TV), and one of the few such triopolies (under the same ownership) left in the entire U.S.
Following in the footsteps of pioneer WSB-AM, WSB-FM was the first FM station in the Southeast, debuting originally on 104.5 FM in 1948. After Cox acquired the Atlanta Constitution, WSB-FM went silent in 1952, and returned a few years later on 98.5 FM.
The station has been an adult contemporary music station since 1980. However, from late 2000 until the fall of 2003, the station played AC on weekdays and 1980s music on weekends. This ended when WMAX-FM (now WBZY) became an all-80s station. During the holiday seasons in 2004 and 2005, the station played all-Christmas music from Thanksgiving to Christmas.
When WSB-FM changed to AC from beautiful music in 1980, the station initially broadcast under the branding "WSB 99 FM", shifting to "WSB 98.5" due to an Arbitron ratings clash with WARM (now WNNX) 99.7 in the mid-1980s. Later in the 1980s, the station adopted its present branding, "B98.5FM".
The station plays over 90 minutes of radio commercial-free music each weekday at 9AM. B98.5's primary "listen at work" competitor is WLTM, "94.9 Lite FM".
WSB's current HD-2 service is a throwback to their 'beautiful music' days.
Along with WLTM, WSB-FM is the primary entry point (PEP) for Emergency Alert System messages for the state of Georgia. In an emergency, the two stations receive alerts via secure networks directly from the U.S. president, the Georgia Emergency Management Agency, and the National Weather Service. All other broadcast stations and cable TV systems in metro Atlanta must monitor these two stations at all times with their EAS equipment. Alerts are then relayed across the state by other stations.
WSB-FM shares a tower with WPBA TV 30, and in fact shares the same antenna with WSTR FM 94.1 and WVEE FM 103.3. The three stations' transmitters are diplexed together, so that they all feed to the antenna instead of into each other.
A planned merger of GE and Cox in the late 70s almost caused WSB-FM to be spun off to Ragan Henry with plans to take the WEZA calls.
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| Atlanta metro area FM radio stations (Arbitron #9) WJSP 88.1 | WRAS 88.5 | WBCX 89.1 | WRFG 89.3 | WABE 90.1 | WUWG 90.7 | WREK 91.1 | WWEV 91.5 | WCLK 91.9 | WZGC 92.9 | WVFJ 93.3 | WSTR 94.1 | WLTM 94.9 | WBTS 95.5 | WKLS 96.1 | WVWA 96.7 | WSRV 97.1 | WPZE 97.5 | WGPB 97.7 | WSB 98.5 | WNNX 99.7 | WNSY 100.1 | WWWQ 100.5 | WKHX 101.5 | WAZX 101.9 | WLKQ 102.3 | WAMJ 102.5 | WCKS 102.7 | WMJE 102.9 | WVEE 103.3 | WPUP 103.7 | WALR 104.1 | WFSH 104.7 | WBZY 105.3 | WWVA 105.7 | WNGC 106.1 | WHLE 106.3 | WYAY 106.7 | WTSH 107.1 | WJZZ 107.5 | WHTA 107.9 | WPCG 107.9 |
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Corporate Management: James C. Kennedy (COB & CEO) | Dennis Berry | Jimmy W. Hayes | Robert C. O'Leary | Timothy W. Hughes | John G. Boyette | Richard J. Jacobson | Alexander V. Netchvolodoff | Preston B. Barnett | Susan W. Coker | Richard D. Huguley | Roberto I. Jimenez | Marybeth Leamer | J. Lacey Lewis | Michael J. Mannheimer | Andrew A. Merdek | Gregory B. Morrison | Robert N. Redella | Deborah E. Ruth | Sanford Schwartz | Alexandria M. Wilson | Patrick J. Esser | Jay R. Smith | Robert F. Niel | Andrew S. Fisher | Dean H. Eisner | Chip Perry |
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Daily Newspapers: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution | The Austin American-Statesman | The Dayton Daily News | The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel | The Nacogdoches Daily Sentinel | The Greenville Daily Reflector | The Longview News-Journal | The Lufkin Daily News | The Marshall News Messenger | The Middletown Journal | The Palm Beach Daily News | The Palm Beach Post | The Rocky Mount Telegram | The Springfield News-Sun | The Waco Tribune-Herald |
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Weekly Newspapers: ¡ahora sí! | The Ayden-Grifton Times-Leader | The Bastrop Advertiser | The Beaufort-Hyde News | The Bertie Ledger-Advance | The Chowin Herald | The Duplin Times | The Fairfield Echo | The Farmville Enterprise | The Florida Pennysaver | The Grand Junction Nickel | The Lake Travis View | LaPalma | Mundo Hispánico | The Mason Pulse-Journal | The North Lake Travis Log | The Oxford Press | Perquimans Weekly | The Pflugerville Pflag | The Robersonville Weekly Herald | The Smithville Times | The Snow Hill Standard Laconic | The Western Star | The Westland Picayune | The Williamston Enterprise |
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Other Assets: AutoTrader.com | Cox Communications | Cox Custom Media | COXnet | Cox News Service | Cox Target Media, Inc. | Dent Wizard | Manheim Auctions | PAGAS Mailing Services | SP Newsprint | Trader Publishing Co. | Valpak | Washington Bureau |
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Radio Stations: KCCN | KCYY | KELZ | KHPT | KINE | KISS | KJSR | KKBQ | KKCM | KKNE | KKYX | KLDE | KONO | KPHW | KRAV | KRMG | KRTR-AM | KRTR-FM | KSMG | KTHT | KWEN | WAPE | WAGG | WALR | WBAB | WBHJ | WBHK | WBLI | WBPT | WBTS | WCFB | WCTZ | WDBO | WDPT | WDUV | WDYL | WEDR | WEZN | WFLC | WFOX | WFYV | WHDR | WHIO | WHKO | WHPT | WHQT | WHTQ | WHZT | WJGL | WJMZ | WKHK | WKLR | WMMO | WMXB | WMXQ | WNCB | WOKV | WPLR | WPOI | WPSB | WPTI | WPYO | WRKA | WSB-AM | WSB-FM | WSFR | WSRV | WSTC / WNLK | WSUN | WVEZ | WWKA | WWRM | WXGL | WZLR | WZZK |
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ABC Network Affiliates: WFTV1 | WSB | WSOC1 |
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Fox Network Affiliates: KFOX | KRXI | KTVU1 | WPGH2 |
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Independent Television Stations: KICU1 | WAXN1 | WRDQ1 |
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1Stations involved in a duopoly. |
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2Cox holds a 10% interest in the station, of which Sinclair Broadcast Group owns the remaining 90%. |
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3Cox operates the station under a local marketing agreement. |
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Annual Revenue: $12.0 billion USD (2005) | Employees: 77,000 | Stock Symbol: Unknown at this time. | Website: www.coxenterprises.com |
