WATA

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WATA

City of license	Boone, North Carolina
Frequency	1450 kHz
Format	News Talk Information
Power	1,000 watts unlimited
Class	C
Facility ID	71068
Transmitter Coordinates	36°12′59.00″N 81°42′6.00″W / 36.2163889, -81.7016667
Callsign meaning	WATAuga county
Affiliations	ESPN Radio, ABC Radio , Westwood One
Owner	Aisling Broadcasting of Banner Elk, LLC
Website	wataradio.com

WATA (1450 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a News Talk Information format.^[1] Licensed to Boone, North Carolina, USA. The station is currently owned by Aisling Broadcasting of Banner Elk, LLC and features programing from ESPN Radio, ABC Radio and Westwood One.^[2]

The station advertises itself as Boone's "Heritage Station." It emphasizes local news and announcements and broadcasts Watauga High School and Appalachian State University football and basketball games.

[edit] History

WATA was started by Mr. and Mrs. Roland Potter, owners of WKBC in nearby North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. WATA signed on the air in 1950. WATA's studios were originally located above the Boone bus station, at Depot and Rivers streets. The station broadcast live performances by country and bluegrass artists from that location during its early years of operation. Today WATA broadcasts from studios on Blowing Rock Road.

Highland Communication Associates bought WATA from the Potters in the late 1980s and started WZJS. Aisling bought these stations about the same time as the company also purchased WECR, WECR-FM and WXIT. Aisling went into receivership and George Reed of Media Services Group was appointed to manage the stations until a buyer is found ^[3].

[edit] References

^ WATA Facility Record. United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
^ Station Information Profile. Arbitron.
^ Scott Nicholson, "Receivership: Local Stations Seek Buyer," The Watauga Democrat, March 14, 2008.