WLIE
 | |
| City of license | Islip, New York |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | New York metropolitan area |
| Frequency | 540 kHz |
| First air date | 1960 (as WBIC) |
| Format | Variety |
| Language(s) | Spanish, English |
| Power |
2,500 watts (day) 220 watts (night) |
| Class | B |
| Facility ID | 37805 |
| Transmitter coordinates | 40°45′6.00″N 73°12′50.00″W / 40.7516667°N 73.2138889°W |
| Callsign meaning |
W Long Island Expressway[1] W Long Island Experts |
| Former callsigns |
WBIC (1960-?) WLIX (?-1995) WLUX (1995-2002)[2] |
| Owner | Principle NY Holding Co., LLC |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | www.wlie540am.com |
WLIE (540 AM) is a radio station licensed to Islip, New York. The station has had a long history on the bottom end of the AM dial.
In the early 1970s, then known as WLIX, it broadcast an automated "beautiful music" format. Owned at that time by marketer, former Mutual Broadcasting System chairman and would-be politician Malcolm E. Smith, Jr., it occupied a Canadian clear-channel frequency, requiring it to leave the air at sundown.
Sometime in the mid-1970s, it changed to Christian programming, still as WLIX. In 1983, it was permitted to broadcast after dark, at reduced power. In the mid-1990s, it was WLUX with a pop standards format. In 2002 it flipped formats to become first a talk radio station,[3][4] then a business talk radio station.[5]
Beginning in 2008, the station started airing Spanish language religious shows. It currently broadcasts a Variety Format, including Leased Air-Time and news/talk programs.[6]
The station is being operated by Principle Broadcasting Network under a LMA from Long Island Multimedia in anticipation of a $14 million purchase.[7]
In 1981, this station was featured on the NBC series Real People, which was a cross between a newsmagazine and what can now be called reality television. Later, Ed Tyll hosted a talk show on WLIE.
References
- ↑ "Call Letter Origins". Radio History on the Web. Retrieved April 8, 2013.
- ↑ "Call Sign History". CDBS Public Access Database. FCC Media Bureau. Retrieved April 8, 2013.
- ↑ Hinckley, David (2002-09-04). "Stern: Ousted Rivals Had It Coming". New York Daily News.
- ↑ Hinckley, David (2002-11-20). "WLIE Boosts Signal and Island Focus". New York Daily News.
- ↑ Solnik, Claude (2003-08-01). "Island Talk WLIE cuts staff to lower expenses". Long Island Business News.
- ↑ "WLIE website". Retrieved April 8, 2013.
- ↑ Fybush, Scott. "2007: The Year In Review". NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved April 8, 2013.
External links
- WLIE official website
- Query the FCC's AM station database for WLIE
- Radio-Locator Information on WLIE
- Query Nielsen Audio's AM station database for WLIE
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||