WBGI-FM (105.5

MHz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose expression in terms of SI base units is s−1, meaning that one he ...

) is a

radio station Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radio ...

broadcasting a

classic country Classic country is a music radio format that specializes in playing mainstream country and western music hits from past decades. Repertoire The radio format specializes in hits from the 1950s through the early 1980s, and focus primarily on innov ...

radio format A radio format or programming format (not to be confused with broadcast programming) describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. The radio format emerged mainly in the United States in the 1950s, at a time when Radio broadcasting, ...

. It is

licensed A license (or licence) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another party (licensee) as an element of an agreeme ...

Bethlehem, West Virginia Bethlehem is a village in Ohio County, West Virginia, United States. It is part of the Wheeling, West Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,499 at the 2010 census. Geography Bethlehem is located at (40.048761, -80.693601 ...

, and it serves the

Wheeling metropolitan area The Wheeling, WV-OH Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of two counties in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia and one in eastern Ohio, anchored by the city of Wheeling. As of t ...

. WBGI-FM is owned by Cody Barack through licensee The Ohio Midland Newsgroup LLC. The station has an

effective radiated power Effective radiated power (ERP), synonymous with equivalent radiated power, is an IEEE standardized definition of directional radio frequency (RF) power, such as that emitted by a radio transmitter. It is the total power in watts that would hav ...

(ERP) of 13,500

watt The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantify the rate of energy transfer. The watt is named after James Wa ...

s. The

transmitter In electronics and telecommunications, a radio transmitter or just transmitter is an electronic device which produces radio waves with an antenna (radio), antenna. The transmitter itself generates a radio frequency alternating current, which i ...

is on Highland Lane in Bethlehem, near Interstate 470.

History

The station first

signed on Signing may refer to: * Using sign language * Signature A signature (; from la, signare, "to sign") is a handwritten (and often stylized) depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on do ...

the air in . Its original

call sign In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally assigne ...

was WHLX. Beginning in 2001, 105.5 was the home of WVKF, a

CHR/Top 40 Contemporary hit radio (also known as CHR, contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format that is common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by ...

station under the

Kiss-FM KISS-FM (99.5 MHz) is a commercial radio station in San Antonio, Texas. It airs an mainstream rock format and is owned by Cox Media Group. The studios and offices are located on Datapoint Drive in Northwest San Antonio near the South Texas ...

brand. But the CHR/Top 40 format moved to 95.7 in 2004. After Kiss-FM moved, 105.5 flipped to

Classic Hits Classic hits is a radio format which generally includes songs from the top 40 music charts from the late 1960s to the early 2000s, with music from the 1980s serving as the core of the format. Music that was popularized by MTV in the early 1980s ...

as "Kool 105.5" under the WUKL call letters. On August 12, 2021, the station cluster was sold from Forever Media to the Ohio Midland Newsgroup LLC. The properties included WBGI-FM, WLIE (now WLYV), and WRQY. The price tag was $1,250,000 along with the sale of

FM translator A broadcast relay station, also known as a satellite station, relay transmitter, broadcast translator (U.S.), re-broadcaster (Canada), repeater (two-way radio) or complementary station (Mexico), is a broadcast transmitter which repeats (or tran ...

W235BX. On December 28, 2021, the Ohio Midland Newsgroup announced that WUKL and WBGI-FM would swap formats on January 3, 2022, at 5:30 a.m. The switch put the classic hits format on 100.5 as a revived "WOMP-FM”, and the country format on 105.5 as "105.5 Biggie Country", with both stations exchanging call signs before the announcement. On September 22, 2022, after stunting with a one day loop of "

Achy Breaky Heart Achy may refer to: * Suffering from pain Pain is a distressing feeling often caused by intense or damaging stimuli. The International Association for the Study of Pain defines pain as "an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associate ...

" by

Billy Ray Cyrus Billy Ray Cyrus (born August 25, 1961) is an American country singer and actor. He has released 16 studio albums and 53 singles since 1992, and is known for his hit single "Achy Breaky Heart", which topped the U.S. Hot Country Songs chart and ...

, WBGI-FM changed its format to classic country as "Big Willie 105.5", position as "The Greatest Country Hits of the 80s, 90s & More".

References

External links

* BGI-FM Country radio stations in West Virginia Classic country radio stations in the United States Radio stations established in 1985 1985 establishments in West Virginia {{WestVirginia-radio-station-stub