WWBC (1510

kHz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), often described as being equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose formal expression in terms of SI base uni ...

) is a

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AM radio station licensed to

Cocoa, Florida Cocoa is a city in Brevard County, Florida. Its population was 19,041 at the 2020 United States census, up from 17,140 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Palm Bay, Florida, Palm Bay–Melbourne, Florida, Melbourne–Titusville, Flori ...

, United States, and serving the

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. It airs a Christian talk and teaching

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, ...

and is owned by Astro Enterprises, Inc. By day, WWBC is powered at 50,000 watts. WWBC is a

daytimer A clear-channel station is a North American AM radio station that has the highest level of protection from interference from other stations, particularly from nighttime skywave signals. This classification exists to ensure the viability of cross ...

, required to go off the air at night to avoid interference to other stations; during

critical hours Critical hours for radio stations is the time from sunrise to two hours after sunrise, and from two hours before sunset until sunset, local time. During this time, certain American radio stations may be operating with reduced power as a result of Se ...

, the station is powered at 25,000 watts. It uses a

directional antenna A directional antenna or beam antenna is an antenna that radiates or receives greater radio wave power in specific directions. Directional antennas can radiate radio waves in beams, when greater concentration of radiation in a certain directio ...

at all times. Programming is heard around the clock on 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 tr ...

stations at 94.7, 99.9 and 100.7

MHz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), often described as being equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose formal expression in terms of SI base u ...

History

The Blue Crystal Broadcasting Corporation, owned by William Earman, received a

construction permit Planning permission or building permit refers to the approval needed for construction or expansion (including significant renovation), and sometimes for demolition, in some jurisdictions. House building permits, for example, are subject to bu ...

on January 27, 1964, to build a new daytime-only radio station on 1510 kHz in Cocoa. The station

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 ...

July 11, with the transmitter mounted in the water in the Indian River at the Island Point Marina, and studios on Forrest Avenue. The station broadcast a pop music format. Two years after building the station, Earman sold WWBC in order to become general manager of the Cocoa Chamber of Commerce. The new owners, Astro Enterprises, mostly consisted of employees of another station in town. Under Astro, WWBC began broadcasting a

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

format. Ownership in Astro Enterprises completely turned over in 1975, when the company was sold to a group headed by Raymond A. Kassis of

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

. The station had already carried some religious programs, but under Kassis, a

born-again To be born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelical Christianity, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is d ...

Christian, WWBC shifted to a primarily religious format, airing local and national fare, along with some country music. Kassis announced in 1977 his intention to apply for television channel 52 for a station focused on family programming. His bid opened the door for other applicants to file; one, Good Life Broadcasting, proposing a similar service, prompted Kassis to claim that the competitor had "blundered" by "taking a brother to court". The two parties would settle in late 1980, with The Good Life winning a construction permit for WTGL. ( Guide to reading History Cards) Kassis would later start the

National Christian Network The National Christian Network was a religious television network in the United States which formed in 1979. The channel was founded by Ray A. Kassis and located in Cocoa, Florida, where it owned studios. The programming was originated from Jewish ...

from facilities shared with WWBC in Cocoa, which were also rented for use as an uplink facility by Sheridan Broadcasting Networks. Four years after the Kassis purchase, the station was approved to increase daytime power to 1,000 watts. ( Guide to reading History Cards) On December 2, 1984, Kassis started WMIE-FM 91.5, a noncommercial station also with a Christian format and oriented to the Black community. WWBC was required to relocate its transmitter from the Island Point site when it was sold to condominium developers in the early 2000s. The new transmitter location was the former location of defunct WKKO (860 AM). Kassis died in 2016. The intellectual unit of WMEL, which had moved among several stations in the Melbourne–Cocoa area, began broadcasting for a time on WWBC and its translators on November 1, 2016, as John Harper leased out the station.

Translators

References

External links

1510WWBC.com
{{Daytime-only radio stations in Florida WBC Radio stations established in 1964 1964 establishments in Florida WBC