WLBE (790 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

Regional Mexican Regional Mexican music refers collectively to the regional subgenres of the country music of Mexico and its derivatives from the Southwestern United States. Each subgenre is representative of a certain region and its popularity also varies by ...

format. Licensed to Leesburg-

Eustis, Florida Eustis is a city in Lake County, Florida, United States. It lies about 35 miles northwest of Orlando, Florida and is part of the Greater Orlando, Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population in the city ...

, United States, it serves the Lake County area and reaches into parts of nearby Marion County as well. The station is currently owned by Q-Broadcasting Corporation. The station originally signed on in 1947 using the call letters WEUS, but changed to WLBE effective October 19, 1948. The move from Floradel Avenue to Radio Road took place in 1950, the same year Paul Husebo bought it. Wendell Husebo sold the station in 1962 after spending 37 hours on the air in 1960 during

Hurricane Donna Hurricane Donna, known in Puerto Rico as Hurricane San Lorenzo, was the strongest hurricane of the 1960 Atlantic hurricane season, and caused severe damage to the Lesser Antilles, the Greater Antilles, and the East Coast of the United States, ...

. With all the changes over the years, WLBE aired Leesburg High School sports. Bob Andrews worked in radio for 60 years, starting when WLBE

signed on A sign-on (or start-up in Commonwealth countries except Canada) is the beginning of operations for a radio broadcasting, radio or television station, generally at the start of each day. It is the opposite of a sign-off (or closedown in Commonw ...

, and returning after an absence in 1980 to host "The Breakfast Club". Harry Reiner Revocable Trust owned the station starting in 1983. In 2013, the primary format, starting each afternoon, was

oldies Oldies is a term for musical genres such as pop music, rock and roll, doo-wop, surf music from the second half of the 20th century, specifically from around the mid-1950s to the 1980s, as well as for a radio format playing this music. Since 2 ...

from the 50s, 60 and 70s, targeting senior citizens, with talk shows providing information four hours each day, a sports show on weekends, religious programming including

gospel music Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music vary according to culture and social context. Gospel music is compo ...

on Sunday, and the "Lake County

Auction An auction is usually a process of Trade, buying and selling Good (economics), goods or Service (economics), services by offering them up for Bidding, bids, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder or buying the item from th ...

Show". One of the shows included a " swap shop". Before signing off, it was " Real Country AM 790" with "Today's Stars and Legends". As of June 22, 2019, the station was off the air. It has since returned to the air.

References

External links

WLBE page on cflradio.net
LBE Leesburg, Florida 1947 establishments in Florida Radio stations established in 1947 Full service radio stations in the United States {{Florida-radio-station-stub