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WBCN (Florida)

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from W282BY)

WBCN
Broadcast area
Fort Myers, Florida
Frequency770 kHz
BrandingESPN Southwest Florida
Programming
FormatSports
Affiliations
Ownership
OwnerFort Myers Broadcasting Company
History
First air date
December 17, 1983 (1983-12-17)
Last air date
March 2, 2026 (2026-03-02)
Former call signs
  • WKZY (1983–1984)
  • WZRZ (1984–1990)
  • WVTI (1990–1991)
  • WRXK (1991)
  • WWCN (1991–2013)
  • WJBX (2013–2021)
Call sign meaning
"Boston Concert Network". Call sign was parked from its heritage use at 104.1 FM in Boston
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
4437
ClassB
Power
  • 10,000 watts day
  • 630 watts night
Transmitter coordinates
26°46′30″N 81°50′51″W / 26.775°N 81.8475°W / 26.775; -81.8475
TranslatorSee § Translators
Repeaters
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen live
Websiteespnswfl.com

WBCN (770 kHz), branded as "ESPN Southwest Florida", was a commercial AM radio station broadcasting a sports radio format. Licensed to North Fort Myers, Florida, the station was owned by Fort Myers Broadcasting Company.

Using a directional antenna, WBCN broadcast with 10,000 watts by day. Because 770 kHz is a clear channel frequency reserved for Class A station WABC in New York City, WBCN reduced power at night to 630 watts to avoid interference. The transmitter was off Huffmaster Road in North Fort Myers and the studios and offices were on South Tamiami Trail in Estero, Florida.[2] In addition to its AM signal, WBCN used two FM translators to air its programming: 104.3 W282BY and 98.1 W251AL, both in Fort Myers.[3]

Programming

[edit]

WBCN carried Tampa Bay Rays baseball, Tampa Bay Buccaneers football, Florida Gators football, Florida Everblades hockey, Westwood One coverage of the National Football League, along with Florida Gulf Coast Eagles basketball. The station had also carried Florida Firecats football, Miami Hurricanes football, Florida State Seminoles football, Miami Marlins baseball and Fort Myers Miracle baseball in the past. [4]

WBCN used to broadcast NBA, Major League Baseball, and college football games from ESPN Radio. NASCAR races from Motor Racing Network and Performance Racing Network moved to the then-WWCN from WCKT in 2006. Miami Dolphins games not aired on WRXK-FM, mostly in the preseason, were heard on WBCN, which carried the team full-time before picking up NASCAR.

History

[edit]

WBCN first signed on the air on December 17, 1983, as big band station WKZY.[5] In 1987, the station was acquired by Beasley Broadcasting, switching the format to oldies as WZRZ.[6] The station also spent time as a soft adult contemporary outlet and also played active rock for a time.

For much of the 1990s and early 2000s, it used the call letters WWCN, originally as a radio affiliate of CNN Headline News and later as a talk station. On June 20, 2013, WWCN began simulcasting the rock music programming on WJBX (99.3 FM); the two stations swapped call signs.

On June 28, 2013, WJBX dropped its simulcast with WWCN and switched to Spanish-language sports radio, with programming from the ESPN Deportes Radio Network.

WJBX logo as a talk station

On June 16, 2016, WJBX changed its format back to talk.[7] The station primarily carried nationally syndicated talk shows, including Dave Ramsey, Brian Kilmeade, Hugh Hewitt, Todd Schnitt and This Morning, America's First News with Gordon Deal. Weekend hosts included Larry Elder, Sebastian Gorka, Eric Metaxas, The Jesus Christ Show with Neil Saavedra, and repeats of weekday programs.[8] WJBX carried Townhall News at the start of each hour.

The call sign was changed from WJBX to WBCN on February 5, 2021, with the WJBX call sign being moved to the 1660 AM facility in Charlotte, North Carolina, which had been WBCN. The Charlotte station went silent on December 31, 2020, as the result of the sale of its transmitter site land.[9]

On May 28, 2021, WBCN changed their format from news/talk to sports, branded as "ESPN Southwest Florida", with programming from ESPN Radio; the format moved from WWCN.[10]

On August 12, 2025, Beasley split its Fort Myers cluster and sold half to Fort Myers Broadcasting Company for $9 million along with WJPT and WWCN.[11]

On March 2, 2026, WBCN and translator W251AL signed off the air.[12] The Federal Communications Commission cancelled the station's license on July 7, 2026,[13] at Fort Myers Broadcasting's request.[14]

Technology

[edit]

WBCN enjoyed the largest daytime coverage area of any AM radio station in Southwest Florida. As a music station (Transtar Radio Networks' "Format 41" and Satellite Music Network's "Z-Rock") the station transmitted in AM stereo, using the C-QUAM system. It incorporated HD radio technology.

Translators

[edit]

It was announced on July 2, 2012 that Beasley Broadcasting would purchase the two translators from Reach Communications for $150,000, to serve as rebroadcasters for WWCN's sports radio format (via WRXK-FM HD2):[15] On June 20, 2013, these translators changed their format to alternative rock, relaying WRXK-FM HD2. Then in 2016, the translators began simulcasting WJBX's talk radio format.

Broadcast translators for WBCN
Call signFrequencyCity of licenseFIDERP (W)HAATClassFCC info
W251AL 98.1 FMFort Myers, Florida139037230129.2 m (424 ft)DLMS
W282BY 104.3 FMFort Myers, Florida13920125092 m (302 ft)DLMS

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "Facility Technical Data for WBCN". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ↑ "WBCN-AM 770 KHZ - North Fort Myers, FL".
  3. ↑ "Beasley Adds New Talker to Southwest FL at WJBX". June 17, 2016.
  4. ↑ "News & Press". floridaeverblades.com. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  5. ↑ "Broadcasting Yearbook 1984" (PDF). americanradiohistory.com.[dead link]
  6. ↑ "Broadcasting Yearbook 1990" (PDF). americanradiohistory.com.[dead link]
  7. ↑ "Beasley Launches Fort Myers Newstalker". radioinsight.com.
  8. ↑ "Resources and Information". ww16.wjbxnewstalk.com. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  9. ↑ Venta, Lance (January 14, 2021). "WBCN Goes Dark As Beasley Sells Tower Property". RadioInsight. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  10. ↑ "Playa & ESPN Move to New Locations in Fort Myers". radioinsight.com.
  11. ↑ Sun Broadcasting & Fort Myers Broadcasting To Split Beasley Cluster
  12. ↑ ESPN Southwest Florida Signs Off & WWCN-FM is Positively Christian as Fort Myers Changes Contnue Radioinsight - March 2, 2026
  13. ↑ "License Cancelled". Federal Communications Commission Licensing and Management System. July 7, 2026. Retrieved July 7, 2026.
  14. ↑ Venta, Lance (July 12, 2026). "FCC Report 7/12: Three Florida Licenses Go Away". RadioInsight. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  15. ↑ "Music & Radio Station News | AllAccess.com". All Access. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
[edit]
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