WEMB
| City of license | Erwin, Tennessee |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area |
Johnson City Kingsport Bristol TN - VA |
| Frequency | 1420 AM |
| First air date | 1957 |
| Format | Various |
| Power |
5,000 watts day 20 watts night |
| Class | D |
| Owner | WEMB, Inc. |
| Website | http://www.wemb.com |
WEMB is a radio station serving the Tri-Cities region of Johnson City/Kingsport/Bristol in Tennessee and Bristol in Virginia. The outlet, owned by WEMB, Inc., is licensed to Erwin, Tennessee.
History
The call letters EMB stand for Elvia Meadows Blakemore, wife of Max Blakemore, who built the station over his Erwin pharmacy, Clinchfield Drug on Main Avenue, in 1957.
In 1966, the station moved to its current location at 101 Riverview Road, just south of Erwin.
The station plays gospel music, bluegrass music, and country music with programs such as "Gospel Trax" {named for the station's close proximity to Clinchfield Railroad) the "Spivey Mountain Flour Bluegrass Hour" (named for the Spivey Mountain Boys, a group that originated in Erwin), and the "WEMB Attic", which mixes contemporary country music with country hits from 1950 through 1999.
Elvis Presley was banned at the station for several years.
WEMB is an affiliate of the University of Tennessee Vol Radio Network.
The Blakemores now own three stations in western North Carolina.
WEMB, Inc. also owns its sister station, WXIS "Jammin" 92.3/103.9, a Top 40 outlet known as "X-104" until it shifted to Rhythmic in 1999.
External links
- WEMB official website
- Query the FCC's AM station database for WEMB
- Radio-Locator Information on WEMB
- Query Nielsen Audio's AM station database for WEMB
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Coordinates: 36°06′58″N 82°26′49″W / 36.11611°N 82.44694°W