WXBN (880 kHz) is a commercial AM

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 ...

licensed to Sweetwater, Florida, and serving the Miami–Fort Lauderdale radio market. It is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc., and airs a black-oriented news format as an affiliate of the co-owned

Black Information Network Black Information Network (BIN) is a Broadcast network, radio network and content brand owned by iHeartMedia. Launched on June 30, 2020, it is an all-news radio network of stations targeting African American communities, carrying mostly important ...

. 880 AM is a United States

clear-channel A clear-channel station is a North American AM broadcasting, AM radio station that has the highest level of protection from Interference (communication), interference from other stations, particularly from nighttime skywave signals. This classifi ...

frequency reserved for Class A station WHSQ in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. WXBN uses a highly directional

antenna array An antenna array (or array antenna) is a set of multiple connected antenna (radio), antennas which work together as a single antenna, to transmit or receive radio waves. The individual antennas (called ''elements'') are usually connected to a s ...

(8 towers) to prevent interference to WHSQ's nighttime

skywave In radio communication, skywave or skip refers to the propagation of radio waves reflected or refracted back toward Earth from the ionosphere, an electrically charged layer of the upper atmosphere. Since it is not limited by the curvatur ...

signal. The

transmitter In electronics and telecommunications, a radio transmitter or just transmitter (often abbreviated as XMTR or TX in technical documents) is an electronic device which produces radio waves with an antenna (radio), antenna with the purpose of sig ...

is off the Tamiami Trail ( U.S. Route 41) in Everglades, Florida.

History

Florida City Radio

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 ...

was granted to Florida City Radio by the

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) on February 18, 2008, to start this station. The

call letters 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 Identifier, unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be fo ...

WZAB were issued on July 15, 2008. But the station did not go on the air until Salem Communications began its local marketing agreement (LMA) with Florida City Radio to operate the station. WZAB made its debut on October 7, 2008, airing a business

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. They may feature monologues, dialogues between the hosts, Interview (jo ...

format as "880 The Biz". Florida City Radio soon sold the station to Salem outright for $1.4 million.

Catholic programming

On July 25, 2019, Salem Media Group agreed to sell WZAB and WKAT in the Miami market, as well as

WLCC WLCC (760 AM broadcasting, AM) is a radio station broadcasting a Christian radio format, simulcasting WTBN. Licensed to Brandon, Florida, United States, it serves the Tampa Bay area. WLCC is owned by Salem Media Group. History The station began ...

and WWMI in the Tampa Bay market, to Immaculate Heart Media, Inc. for more than $8.2 million. The sale closed on September 30, 2019. WZAB began airing

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 ...

religious programming with the sale. But the Miami area also has a Catholic station on 1080 AM, WQOS in Coral Gables. The religious format on 880 AM lasted a little over a year.

Black Information Network

iHeartMedia began operating WZAB under a local marketing agreement (LMA) on October 1, 2020, with the intention of making it Miami's Black Information Network outlet. It was part of a deal in which WZAB would be swapped to iHeart in exchange for KKDD in

San Bernardino, California San Bernardino ( ) is a city in and the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city had a population of 222,101 in the 2020 census, making it the List of ...

, W292DH in

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

, and $1 million. Following a day of carrying historical speeches, WZAB began carrying BIN programming on October 2. Effective November 30, 2020,

iHeartMedia iHeartMedia, Inc., or 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 founded by ...

acquired WZAB.iHeartRadio Acquires WZAB-AM/Miami in Radio Swap
Radio Online - December 8, 2020 The call sign was changed to WXBN on March 3, 2021.

References

External links

{{IHeartMedia XBN Radio stations established in 2008 2008 establishments in Florida Black Information Network stations All-news radio stations in the United States IHeartMedia radio stations