WLBC-FM

WLBC-FM (104.1

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

commercial Commercial may refer to: * a dose of advertising conveyed through media (such as - for example - radio or television) ** Radio advertisement ** Television advertisement * (adjective for:) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and s ...

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 radi ...

in Muncie, Indiana. It is owned by Woof Boom Radio and airs a

hot adult contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quiet ...

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 was compelle ...

. The radio studios and

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

are on East 29th Street in the Southside of Muncie. WLBC-FM 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 h ...

of 41,000

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 ...

s. It broadcasts using HD Radio technology. The HD2 digital subchannel carries a

simulcast Simulcast (a portmanteau of simultaneous broadcast) is the broadcasting of programmes/programs or events across more than one resolution, bitrate or medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at exactly the same time (that is, simulta ...

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

sister station

WBKQ WBKQ (96.7 FM, "Blake FM") is a radio station licensed to Alexandria, Indiana. It serves the Muncie area and is owned by Woof Boom Radio Muncie License, LLC and airs a new country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre o ...

96.7 FM. The HD3 signal carries a simulcast of

The Life FM The Life FM is a network of Christian radio stations in the United States, broadcasting southern gospel music.The Life FM

, a Christian radio service. The HD4 signal carries a simulcast of 89.1 WSPM, known as "
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 ...

Radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmi ...
Indy". Those subchannels feed three
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 tra ...
s.

History
In , WLBC-FM signed on the air. It was the FM counterpart to WLBC
1340 AM 1340 kHz is defined as a Class C (local) frequency in the coterminous United States and such stations on this frequency are limited to 1,000 watts. U.S. stations outside the coterminous United States (Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, & the U.S. V ...
(now WMUN). WLBC (AM) was established in 1926 in the home of broadcasting pioneer Don Burton on South Jefferson Street in Muncie. Until the 1970s, the two stations mostly
simulcast Simulcast (a portmanteau of simultaneous broadcast) is the broadcasting of programmes/programs or events across more than one resolution, bitrate or medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at exactly the same time (that is, simulta ...
their programming. In 1953, a television station was added on Channel 49, WLBC-TV (today
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
member station WIPB). In the 1970s WLBC-FM (previously WMUN) was one of the first Indiana FM stations with a
Top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or "cont ...
format competing with crosstown AM
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-co ...
990 WERK (now WNAP). At first, WLBC-FM used an
automated Automation describes a wide range of technologies that reduce human intervention in processes, namely by predetermining decision criteria, subprocess relationships, and related actions, as well as embodying those predeterminations in machines ...
hit music package produced by
Drake-Chenault Drake-Chenault Enterprises (originally American Independent Radio Inc.) was a radio syndication company that specialized in automation on FM radio stations. The company was founded in the late-1960s by radio programmer and deejay Bill Drake (1937� ...
Enterprises while 1340 WLBC (AM) aired traditional middle of the road programming. Over time, live
disc jockey A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobile ...
s were added to WLBC-FM. An early employee was Chris Schenkel, who later became a top ABC-TV sports broadcaster.Chris Schenkel
/ref> Schenkel came to WLBC after working at WBAA as a premedical student at
Purdue University Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and mone ...
. Morry Mannies was a sportscaster on WLBC-FM and sister station WXFN. He retired several years ago after calling Ball State University sports for many years. On June 1, 2013, WLBC-FM was acquired by Woof Boom Radio, whose Eastern Indiana cluster includes WERK 104.9 FM
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 1980 ...
), WHBU 1240 AM (
talk radio Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often featu ...
), WXFN 1340 AM ( Fox Sports Radio), WMXQ 93.5 FM (
classic rock Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, prima ...
) and
WBKQ WBKQ (96.7 FM, "Blake FM") is a radio station licensed to Alexandria, Indiana. It serves the Muncie area and is owned by Woof Boom Radio Muncie License, LLC and airs a new country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre o ...
96.7 FM (
country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...
). Woof Boom Radio purchased the stations from Backyard Broadcasting for $4.45 million.

Staff
WLBC-FM is led by owner and president Jeff Chapman and CFO Susan Rodricks. Staff also includes: Steve Lindell (with WLBC since the 1990s) who serves as Director of Operations and Morning Host, Sean Mattingly is the Director of Technical Operations (Chief Engineer), Sue Tschuor (GSM), Kim Morris (more than two decades with WLBC, hosting middays), Jared Boomer (afternoons) and Sidny Grow (evenings).

References

External links

WLBC website
LBC-FM Radio stations established in 1947 1947 establishments in Indiana Hot adult contemporary radio stations in the United States {{Indiana-radio-station-stub