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WLBY (1290 AM) is a broadcast radio station in the United States.
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 ...
to
Saline, Michigan Saline ( ') is a city in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 8,948 at the 2020 census. The city borders Saline Township to the southwest, and the two are administered autonomously. History Before the 18th century ...
, with offices in nearby
Ann Arbor Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna (name), Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah (given name), Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie (given name), ...
, the station has a
talk Talk may refer to: Communication * Communication, the encoding and decoding of exchanged messages between people * Conversation, interactive communication between two or more people * Lecture, an oral presentation intended to inform or instruct ...
format and serves surrounding
Washtenaw County Washtenaw County () is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the population was 372,258. The county seat is Ann Arbor. The county was authorized by legislation in 1822 and organized as a county in 1826. Washtenaw ...
. WLBY is owned by
Cumulus Broadcasting Cumulus Media, Inc. is an American broadcasting company and is the third largest owner and operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States behind Audacy and iHeartMedia. As of June 2019, Cumulus lists ownership of 428 stations in 87 ...
along with three other stations based in Ann Arbor. The station first signed on in 1958 as WOIA and had music formats for much of its history, as late as the 2000s. After nearly four decades as a music station, in 1996 the station changed to a
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
format leased by
Domino's Pizza Domino's Pizza, Inc., trading as Domino's, is an American multinational pizza restaurant chain founded in 1960 and led by CEO Russell Weiner. The corporation is Delaware domiciled and headquartered at the Domino's Farms Office Park in Ann Arbor ...
founder
Tom Monaghan Thomas Stephen Monaghan (born March 25, 1937) is an American entrepreneur who founded Domino's Pizza in 1960. He owned the Detroit Tigers from 1983 to 1992. Monaghan also owns the Domino's Farms Office Park, located in the Ann Arbor Charter Town ...
. Then from 1999 to 2001, the station broadcast
business news Business journalism is the part of journalism that tracks, records, analyzes and interprets the business, economic and financial activities and changes that take place in societies. Topics widely cover the entire purview of all commercial activi ...
. After two short-lived adult standards and oldies formats from 2001 to 2004, the station picked up its present call sign WLBY in 2004 and became a
progressive talk radio Progressive talk radio is a talk radio format devoted to expressing left-leaning, liberal or progressive viewpoints of news and issues as opposed to conservative talk radio. In the United States, the format has included syndicated and independe ...
station carrying the
Air America Radio Air America (formerly Air America Radio and Air America Media) was an radio in the United States, American radio network specializing in progressive talk radio. It was on the air from March 2004 to January 2010. The network was founded as a left ...
format. In 2009, WLBY returned to business news; the station picked up a more conventional talk format by 2012. With hourly news updates provided by
ABC News Radio ABC News Radio is the news radio service of ABC Audio, a division of ABC News in the United States. Formerly known as ABC Radio News, ABC News Radio feeds, through Skyview Networks, five minute newscasts on the hour and news briefs at half-pas ...
, WLBY broadcasts a local morning show and nationally syndicated programs including ''
The Dan Bongino Show Daniel John Bongino (born December 4, 1974) is an American conservative political commentator, radio show host, and author. He served as a New York City Police Department (NYPD) officer from 1995 to 1999 and as a Secret Service agent from 1999 ...
'', ''
The Mark Levin Show ''The Mark Levin Show'' is a conservative talk radio show hosted by Mark Levin. The program is broadcast nationwide on Westwood One and reaches an estimated seven million weekly listeners, according to an estimate from ''Talkers Magazine''. The ...
'', and the
Bloomberg Radio Bloomberg Radio is a radio service of Bloomberg L.P. that provides global business news programming 24 hours a day. The format is general and financial news, offering local, national and international news reports along with financial market up ...
network. Additionally, WLBY broadcasts University of Michigan women's basketball and is the secondary
Ann Arbor Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna (name), Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah (given name), Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie (given name), ...
affiliate of the
Detroit Lions Radio Network The Detroit Lions Radio Network is a radio network in Michigan and Toledo, Ohio that broadcasts all of the NFL's Detroit Lions games and related programming. All preseason, regular season, and postseason games are aired live throughout the network. ...
.


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 on . The 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 WOIA. It had music formats for much of its history, as late as the 2000s. After nearly four decades as a music station, in 1996 the station changed to a
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
format leased by
Domino's Pizza Domino's Pizza, Inc., trading as Domino's, is an American multinational pizza restaurant chain founded in 1960 and led by CEO Russell Weiner. The corporation is Delaware domiciled and headquartered at the Domino's Farms Office Park in Ann Arbor ...
founder
Tom Monaghan Thomas Stephen Monaghan (born March 25, 1937) is an American entrepreneur who founded Domino's Pizza in 1960. He owned the Detroit Tigers from 1983 to 1992. Monaghan also owns the Domino's Farms Office Park, located in the Ann Arbor Charter Town ...
. Then from 1999 to 2001, the station broadcast
business news Business journalism is the part of journalism that tracks, records, analyzes and interprets the business, economic and financial activities and changes that take place in societies. Topics widely cover the entire purview of all commercial activi ...
. After two short-lived adult standards and
oldies Oldies is a term for musical genres such as pop music, rock and roll, doo-wop, surf music (broadly characterized as classic rock and pop rock) from the second half of the 20th century, specifically from around the mid-1950s to the 1980s, as we ...
formats from 2001 to 2004, the station picked up its present call sign WLBY in 2004. It became a
progressive talk Progressive talk radio is a talk radio format devoted to expressing left-leaning, liberal or progressive viewpoints of news and issues as opposed to conservative talk radio. In the United States, the format has included syndicated and independe ...
station carrying the
Air America Radio Air America (formerly Air America Radio and Air America Media) was an radio in the United States, American radio network specializing in progressive talk radio. It was on the air from March 2004 to January 2010. The network was founded as a left ...
network. In 2009, WLBY returned to business news. The station picked up a standard talk format by 2012.


WOIA, WOIB and WNRS (1958–1992)

Founded by the Saline Broadcasting Company, the station first broadcast at 3 p.m. on January 5, 1958. WOIA broadcast with 500 watts of power as a
daytimer A clear-channel station is an AM radio station in North America that has the highest protection from interference from other stations, particularly concerning night-time skywave propagation. The system exists to ensure the viability of cross-coun ...
. The studios were in Lodi Township. It had a
full service Full service or Full Service may refer to: * Full-service radio, a wide range of programming * Full Service Network, a communications company Entertainment * "Full Service", a song by the New Kids on the Block from their album ''The Block'' * F ...
format featuring news, educational interviews, and both popular and classical music. Sundays had an hour of
German music Germany claims some of the most renowned composers, singers, producers and performers of the world. Germany is the largest music market in Europe, and third largest in the world. German classical music is one of the most performed in the world; ...
. In 1959, the Lester Broadcasting Corporation purchased WOIA from Saline Broadcasting. The WDEO call sign and programming would move to WWCM. On October 1, 1999, WDEO changed its call sign to WYBN and format from religion to the
Business Talk Radio Network BizTalkRadio is a radio network in the United States. Its programming focuses on the entrepreneur, small business owner and listener who wants to manage their family's assets. Formerly known as the Business Talk Radio Network, BTR was purchased ...
. The "YBN" stood for "Your Business News". In May 2000,
Clear Channel Communications iHeartMedia, Inc., formerly CC Media Holdings, Inc., is an American mass media corporation headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It is the holding company of iHeartCommunications, Inc. (formerly Clear Channel Communications, Inc.), a company fou ...
acquired Cumulus' Ann Arbor stations, including WYBN.


Oldies formats as WCAS (2001–2004)

On March 5, 2001, WYBN changed to WCAS. On March 23, WCAS changed from business news to an adult standards format. On June 28, 2002, WCAS changed an all-oldies format dubbed "Honey Radio", playing 1950s to 1970s oldies, a homage to the "Honey Radio" format on the old
WHND WHND (89.7 FM) is a radio station licensed to Sister Bay, Wisconsin, United States, serving the Door County area. The station is part of Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR), and broadcasts WPR's "NPR News and Classical Network", consisting of classical ...
in
Monroe, Michigan Monroe is the largest city and county seat of Monroe County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Monroe had a population of 20,462 in the 2020 census. The city is bordered on the south by Monroe Charter Township, but the two are administered autonomo ...
. A week later on July 5, WCAS changed its call sign to WHNE.


Talk formats as WLBY (2004–present)

On August 23, 2004, WHNE changed to WLBY and began broadcasting
Air America Radio Air America (formerly Air America Radio and Air America Media) was an radio in the United States, American radio network specializing in progressive talk radio. It was on the air from March 2004 to January 2010. The network was founded as a left ...
, a
progressive talk radio Progressive talk radio is a talk radio format devoted to expressing left-leaning, liberal or progressive viewpoints of news and issues as opposed to conservative talk radio. In the United States, the format has included syndicated and independe ...
network. General manager Bob Bolak considered Air America a potentially successful format considering what he called "the liberal mood of Ann Arbor" in addition to a goal to attract younger listeners. Although WLBY attracted a 2.2 ratings share in the fall 2004
Arbitron Nielsen Audio (formerly Arbitron) is a consumer research company in the United States that collects listener data on radio broadcasting audiences. It was founded as the American Research Bureau by Jim Seiler in 1949 and became national by mergin ...
ratings, the share declined to 0.9 in spring 2005, a decline that a Clear Channel station manager attributed to interest in political talk declining after the
2004 United States presidential election The 2004 United States presidential election was the 55th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. The Republican ticket of incumbent President George W. Bush and his running mate incumbent Vice President Dick Chene ...
. Beginning in the 2004–05 season, WLBY broadcast select University of Michigan women's basketball games. WLBY improved to a 1.2 share in spring 2006. In mid-November 2006, nearly a week after statewide elections, WLBY temporarily dropped Air America to
stunt A stunt is an unusual and difficult physical feat or an act requiring a special skill, performed for artistic purposes usually on television, theaters, or cinema. Stunts are a feature of many action films. Before computer generated imagery spec ...
with content related to University of Michigan sports, namely a loop of Michigan's fight song "
The Victors "The Victors" is the fight song of the University of Michigan. Michigan student Louis Elbel wrote the song in 1898 after the football team's victory over the University of Chicago, which clinched an undefeated season and the Western Conferen ...
", highlights of classic football games, and sports updates. In December 2006, Cumulus reacquired Clear Channel's Ann Arbor stations, including WLBY, as part of a multi-station swap. By fall 2007, WLBY's ratings declined to 0.6. After a year-long hiatus, Lucy Ann Lance resumed her daily talk show on WLBY on January 24, 2009. On March 16, 2009, WLBY switched to a business talk format, featuring Lance's morning show and nationally syndicated programs including financial advice '' The Dave Ramsey Show'', consumer advice '' The Clark Howard Show'', and programming from the
Business Talk Radio Network BizTalkRadio is a radio network in the United States. Its programming focuses on the entrepreneur, small business owner and listener who wants to manage their family's assets. Formerly known as the Business Talk Radio Network, BTR was purchased ...
. WLBY previously broadcast the Business Talk Radio Network in 1999 as WYBN. WLBY's new slogan was "Ann Arbor's Business Talk Radio". By 2010, WLBY's regular programming was limited to Lance, Ramsey, Howard, and the
Bloomberg Radio Bloomberg Radio is a radio service of Bloomberg L.P. that provides global business news programming 24 hours a day. The format is general and financial news, offering local, national and international news reports along with financial market up ...
network. By spring 2012, WLBY added news and sports talk to its regular schedule, including '' The Mike Huckabee Show'' and ''The Huge Show''. WLBY changed its slogan to "Ann Arbor's Talk Station" around July 2012.


Programming and operations

Weekday program include the local ''Lucy Ann Lance Show'' and nationally syndicated talk shows, such as ''
The Dan Bongino Show Daniel John Bongino (born December 4, 1974) is an American conservative political commentator, radio show host, and author. He served as a New York City Police Department (NYPD) officer from 1995 to 1999 and as a Secret Service agent from 1999 ...
'' and ''
The Mark Levin Show ''The Mark Levin Show'' is a conservative talk radio show hosted by Mark Levin. The program is broadcast nationwide on Westwood One and reaches an estimated seven million weekly listeners, according to an estimate from ''Talkers Magazine''. The ...
'' from
Westwood One Westwood One is an American radio network There are two types of radio network currently in use around the world: the one-to-many (simplex communication) broadcast network commonly used for public information and mass-media entertainment, and ...
and ''CBS Eye on the World'' with
John Batchelor John Calvin Batchelor (born April 29, 1948) is an American author and host of ''Eye on the World'' on the CBS Audio Network. His flagship station is New York's 710 WOR. The show is a hard-news-analysis radio program on current events, world his ...
. WLBY simulcasts the
Bloomberg Radio Bloomberg Radio is a radio service of Bloomberg L.P. that provides global business news programming 24 hours a day. The format is general and financial news, offering local, national and international news reports along with financial market up ...
network on overnight hours and weekends. WLBY also broadcasts local sports. As a member of the
Michigan Sports Network The Michigan Wolverines Sports Network is an American radio network consisting of 46 radio stations which carry coverage of Michigan Wolverines football and men's basketball. WXYT-FM (97.1 FM) and WWJ (950 AM), both in Metro Detroit, serve as ...
, WLBY broadcasts
Michigan Wolverines women's basketball The Michigan Wolverines women's basketball team is the intercollegiate women's basketball program representing the University of Michigan. The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Associati ...
games. WLBY is also the secondary Ann Arbor affiliate of the
Detroit Lions Radio Network The Detroit Lions Radio Network is a radio network in Michigan and Toledo, Ohio that broadcasts all of the NFL's Detroit Lions games and related programming. All preseason, regular season, and postseason games are aired live throughout the network. ...
when WTKA has to broadcast a
Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
game. WLBY is powered at 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 by day and 26 watts at night, using a
directional antenna A directional antenna or beam antenna is an antenna which radiates or receives greater power in specific directions allowing increased performance and reduced interference from unwanted sources. Directional antennas provide increased performance ...
with a two-
tower array A tower array is an arrangement of multiple radio towers which are mast radiators in a phased array. They were originally developed as ground-based tracking radars. Tower arrays can consist of free-standing or guyed towers or a mix of them. Tower a ...
. 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 Brassow Road at Bellweather Drive in Saline.Radio-Locator.com/WLBY
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References


External links


WLBY ScheduleBroadcasting Magazine 01-06-64
{{Cumulus Media LBY Radio stations established in 1958 Cumulus Media radio stations 1958 establishments in Michigan