WLBL (AM)

WLBL (AM)
City Auburndale, Wisconsin
Broadcast area Stevens Point
Wisconsin Rapids
Marshfield, Wisconsin
Frequency 930 kHz
Translator(s) 99.1 Mhz (W256CZ)
100.9 Mhz (W265DC)
First air date February 5, 1923
Format Public radio, News
Power 5,000 watts (daytime)
70 watts (night)
Class D
Facility ID 63138
Callsign meaning Wisconsin, Land of Beautiful Lakes[1]
Former callsigns WPAH (1923-1924)
Affiliations Wisconsin Public Radio, NPR, American Public Media
Owner Wisconsin Educational Communications Board
Webcast Stream
Website Wisconsin Public Radio
WLBL Webpage

WLBL (930 AM) is a radio station licensed to Auburndale, Wisconsin, serving Stevens Point and Wisconsin Rapids. The station is part of Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR), and airs WPR's "Ideas Network", consisting of news and talk programming.

WLBL is the second-oldest station in the Wisconsin Public Radio network. It traces its history to station WPAH in Waupaca, which was licensed to the Wisconsin Department of Markets, and began broadcasting on February 5, 1923. The Department later moved its operations to Stevens Point, where it was issued a license for WLBL in May 1924. In 1932, it began sharing programs with Madison's WHA—the ancestor of today's Wisconsin Public Radio network. Owned for many years by the state Commerce Department, it is now owned by the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.

WLBL must power down to 70 watts at sunset, resulting in spotty coverage even in Stevens Point. It is allowed to boost its power to 500 watts before sunrise, then go to full power at sunrise. Because of this, an HD Radio subchannel of the full Ideas Network schedule is heard on Wausau's WHRM-FM (90.9-3), a sister station to WLBL which carries WPR's NPR News and Classical service.

References

  1. The station application requested "WLOL", for "Land of Lakes", but the U.S. Department of Commerce, which regulated radio at this time, required that call signs for new stations meet the current standard of being issued sequentially-assigned call letters that had "B" as the third letter, so "WLBL" was substituted, and the station slogan modified accordingly. 9XM Talking by Randall Davidson, 2006, page 204, quoting the May 12, 1924 issue of the Stevens Point Daily Journal.

Coordinates: 44°36′48″N 90°02′14″W / 44.61333°N 90.03722°W / 44.61333; -90.03722

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