| City of license | Roanoke, Virginia |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | New River Valley |
| Branding | "Vibe 100" |
| Slogan | "Today's Best R&B and Classic Soul" |
| Frequency | 610 kHz |
| First air date | October 1, 1940 |
| Format | Urban Contemporary |
| Power | 5,000 Watts daytime 1,000 Watts nighttime |
| Class | B |
| Facility ID | 41111 |
| Callsign meaning | W ViBE |
| Former callsigns | WSLS (1940-1972) WSLC (1972-2002) WVBE (2002-present) |
| Owner | Mel Wheeler, Inc. |
| Sister stations | WFIR, WSLC-FM, WSLQ, WVBB, WVBE-FM, WXLK |
| Website | WVBE Online |
WVBE is an Urban Contemporary formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Roanoke, Virginia, serving the New River Valley. WVBE is owned and operated by Mel Wheeler, Inc.
WVBE launched with the callsign WSLS just before noon on October 1, 1940.[1] For over 50 years, the station would carry a Country format. At one time, the now defunct Roy H. Park Broadcasting had owned WSLS-AM-FM-TV, but sold the radios stations because Park also owned a newspaper in Roanoke. After the purchase, the AM became WSLC at midnight on August 1, 1972,[2] but stayed Country, and the FM became Rock WSLQ). Only the TV station still carries the original WSLS letters. At noon on May 25, 2000, the station began simulcasting it new sister station, the former easy listening turned classic rock station WPVR, which was flipped to Country as WSLC-FM, after being purchased by Mel Wheeler Inc. This continued until March 13, 2002, when WSLC-AM was flipped to new calls as WVBE-AM, simulcasting co-owned WVBE-FM Lynchburg, and brought R&B music full time to Roanoke.[3]
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