WRBZ (AM)

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WRBZ is a sports talk radio station based in Raleigh, North Carolina with a frequency of 850 AM.This station had originally been legendary Top 40 station WKIX for many years. Owned by McClatchey Broadcasting, WRBZ goes by the handle 850 the Buzz and is currently affiliated with the Fox Sports Radio Network. The station is also home to broadcasts of the Duke Blue Devils, East Carolina Pirates, and the Carolina Panthers.

WRBZ's sister station is Durham-based WDNC (goes by handle 620 the Bull).

[edit] History

In 1947, the Raleigh News and Observer simultaneously signed on WNAO 850 and WNAO-FM 96.1. Both aired the same programming, most of which came from their affiliation with the American Broadcasting Company (ABC). The two radio stations were joined in 1953 by Raleigh's first television station, WNAO-TV, channel 28. However, WNAO-TV went out of business in 1958. The very next year, the WNAO stations would be reborn as WKIX (and WKIX-FM) "The Giant of the South". WKIX "channel 85" brought Top 40 to Raleigh and launched many notable careers including the late Dale Van Horn, John Tesh, Rick Dees and WRAL-TV morning/noon anchor Bill Leslie. The station went country in the early eighties, then oldies and, later, popular standards. When their FM half decided to give country another go in 1994, WKIX swapped their calls with 96.1, up to this point known as WYLT. The FM was known as "W-Light 96 FM", "Lite 96.1" and "Y96" under the WYLT calls; AM 850 would be known as "Lite 85". The very next year, "Lite 85" made way for WRBZ "850 The Buzz", dumping the popular standards for a slow transition to talk programming. It kicked off with CNN Headline News' audio and eventually ended up as hot talk by 1996. The weekends featured '70s music. Also in 1996, WRBZ owner Alchemy Broadcasting sold the station's FM sister station, WKIX 96.1, to Curtis Media Group for $16 million dollars. By 1999, "850 The Buzz", now a stand alone, was all-sports, and developed a high profile as the flagship station for both the NHL Carolina Hurricanes and Duke University Blue Devils. In 2002, "The Buzz" lost the Hurricanes flagship to two Curtis Media rimshot FM signals, but continued to feature many promotions and talk centered around the team. In late 2004, Alchemy announced it was selling WRBZ to Curtis Media for $8.7 million; however, new FCC market definitions prevented Curtis from closing on the station. McClatchey Broadcasting, headed by Curtis' son-in-law William McClatchey, bought WRBZ for the same price instead.

[edit] External link