WZAP
WZAP is a religious formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Bristol, Virginia, serving the Tri-Cities area. WZAP is owned and operated by Charles Lawson, through licensee Awaken Broadcasting Inc.[1]
| City | Bristol, Virginia |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Tri-Cities |
| Frequency | 690 kHz |
| Branding | "WZAP 690AM/93.3FM" |
| Slogan | "Music For Life" |
| Programming | |
| Format | Religious Christian |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Charles Lawson (Awaken Broadcasting Inc.) |
| History | |
| Former call signs | WCYB |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 55004 |
| Class | D |
| Power | 10,000 Watts daytime 14 Watts nighttime |
| Translator(s) | 93.3 MHz - (W227DT - Bristol, Virginia) |
| Links | |
| Website | 690wzap |
History
The station was founded by Appalachian Broadcasting, a consortium of local businessmen, in December 1946 under the call sign WCYB. The station's initial format was country music, including such notable acts as the Stanley Brothers.[2] Appalachian Broadcasting signed on WCYB-TV in 1956. In 1969, Appalachian's owners decided to retire. The FCC had by this time barred common ownership of television and radio stations, so the radio station was sold to another local businessman, James Ayers, who changed the call letters to WZAP. Ayers died in 1975, and in 1976 his estate sold the station to general manager Al Morris and his company, RAM Communications. [3]
Prior to the dominance of FM radio, WZAP was the number one station in the Tri-Cities TN/VA market, playing country/western music with a personality-DJ format. The station switched to its current Southern gospel format in 1982.
Some key on-air personnel over the years included Glenn Harlow, Dave Ray, Matt Stevens, Douglas "D.K." Smith, Ray Hutchins, Greg Hutchins, and Ed Spiegel. WZAP's longtime chief engineer was John Faniola, who could often be heard testing the station's transmitter late into the overnight hours.
Effective March 28, 2017, Ram Communications sold WZAP to Awaken Broadcasting Inc. for $350,000.
References
- "WZAP Facility Record". Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
- "The WCYB Radio Tapes". Johnson City: East Tennessee State University. 2002. Retrieved 2009-06-06.
- "History of WZAP - 1946 to 2009". 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-06.
External links
- WZAP in the FCC's AM station database
- WZAP on Radio-Locator
- WZAP in Nielsen Audio's AM station database