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WBMD (750 AM) is a
radio station Radio broadcasting is the broadcasting 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 rad ...
broadcasting a
religious Religion is a range of social- cultural systems, including designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relate humanity to supernatural ...
format. Licensed to
Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the List of United States ...
, United States, the station is Baltimore's outlet for the
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
-oriented
Relevant Radio Relevant Radio (corporate name Relevant Radio, Inc.) is a radio network in the United States, mainly broadcasting talk radio and religious programming involving the Catholic Church. Relevant Radio broadcasts "talk radio for Catholic life" over a ...
network. Because it shares the same frequency as " clear channel" station WSB in
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
, WBMD broadcasts only during the daytime hours.


History

WBMD began broadcasting November 27, 1947, on 750 kHz with 1 kW power (daytime only). The station was licensed to Key Broadcasting Corporation, with studios at 2 West Eager Street in Baltimore. In the 1950s-1960s, the station aired daily religious programs by a number of local ministers, who bought airtime in 15- or 30-minute blocks. Sunday afternoons in the 1960s featured ethnic programs, such as Greek and German language shows. In the 1990s, WBMD's schedule continued its focus on religious programming. In 1994, WBMD's ownership, Sconnix Broadcasting, sold the station, along with FM sister station WQSR (105.7), to American Radio Systems (ARS).Chen, Howard Henry
Boston group purchases oldies WQSR and AM sister
''
Baltimore Sun ''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local, regional, national, and international news. Founded in 1837, the newspaper was owned by Tribune Publish ...
'' (July 8, 1994). Retrieved June 7, 2018.
In 2005, to comply with
Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, internet, wi-fi, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains j ...
(FCC) ownership restrictions, Infinity Radio sold WBMD and WBGR—among the few religious-oriented stations in the group—to Family Stations; Family already owned WFSI (107.9 FM) in nearby
Annapolis Annapolis ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is the county seat of Anne Arundel County and its only incorporated city. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east o ...
. In 2021, Family Stations swapped WBMD to Relevant Radio in exchange for
WAMT WAMT (1190 kHz) is a non-commercial AM radio station airing a Christian radio format. Licensed to Pine Castle– Sky Lake, Florida, it serves the Greater Orlando radio market. The station is an owned and operated by Tennessee-based Famil ...
in the
Orlando, Florida Orlando ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, Florida, United States. The city proper had a population of 307,573 at the 2020 census, making it the fourth-most populous city in Florida behind Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville ...
, area. The swap, which left WFSI (860 AM) as Family's only Baltimore station, allowed Family to enter the Orlando market (where Relevant Radio also owned WHOO) and Relevant Radio to enter Baltimore.


References


External links


FCC History Cards for WBMD
BMD BMD Relevant Radio stations BMD Radio stations established in 1947 1947 establishments in Maryland Catholicism in Maryland Religion in Baltimore {{Maryland-radio-station-stub