WBAM-FM
Encyclopedia
WBAM, also known as Bama Country 98.9, is a country music
formatted radio station
that serves the Montgomery Metropolitan Area
, broadcasting on the FM
band at a frequency
of 98.9 MHz and licensed to Montgomery, Alabama
. The station is locally owned and operated by Bluewater Broadcasting Company, LLC. The station's transmitter
is located in the town of Grady, Alabama
. The station's studios are located off Carmichael Rd. on Wall St. in Midtown Montgomery.
Because of the 60 year history and large coverage area, the WBAM call letters are well known throughout the deep south
. They stand for AlaBAMa.
WBAM also participates in Montgomery rating surveys both by Arbitron
(Market #154), Neilson ratings (Market #21) and is monitored by Mediabase
.
s, covering much of Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. From its earliest days, WBAM put on concerts for the Montgomery area. One of its earliest Big BAM Shows featured Elvis Presley
as he ascended to fame, on the same bill with Roy Acuff
. Hank Williams was another frequent live on-air performer.
WBAM became known as "The Big BAM" or "The Voice of the Deep South", and is legendary. Disc jockeys associated with WBAM's Top 40 heyday include Bill J. Moody, now the sales manager for WDJR in Dothan, Bobby Brennan (The Top 5 at 5!), and Dan Brennan (Dan's Dusty Discs). Big BAM Shows of the late 1960s and early 1970s featured all the biggest artists of the day, including Paul Revere and the Raiders, Lou Christie
, Iron Butterfly
, The Carpenters
, The Monkees
(as a group and individually), Tommy Joyce and Bobby Heart, The Grass Roots
, and many more. Ticket prices were never more expensive than $4.00.
Mornings were dedicated to farm and gospel music
programming, with country and popular music played during the day. When 740 AM powered down at night, one would hear "Dixie
" as a sign-off.
In 1973
, WBAM-AM 740 adopted a country music
format. In 1978
, WBAM-FM 98.9 signed on with a Top 40 format. AM 740 was sold to Colonial Broadcasting in 1985
, and an era ended when the call letters changed to WMSP
for sports radio
programming.
On September 15, 2009 the building the original 740 AM studios were located in was demolished.
Radio personality Johnny Gilbert began his broadcasting career at WBAM. Gilbert was killed in a helicopter accident while working as an airborne traffic reporter at KULF in Houston, Texas
, on March 15, 1974. He was posthumously awarded the Steve Pieringer Award by the Texas Association of Broadcasters in 1974.
In the 1960s and early 1970s, the station sponsored a series of pop/rock concerts known as "Big BAM Shows" featuring acts ranging from Paul Revere and the Raiders, Lou Christie
, and The Beach Boys
to comedian Pat Paulsen
.
Other notable former personalities included Bill J. Moody, Paul Simpkins, Mark Robbins, Gene Hocutt and Joe Cook.
John Garrett announced on air, "he wanted to play an Alan Jackson
record instead". That's when Bama Country was born. WBAM has held on to its heritage call letters while returning to its roots as a country music
formatted radio station
. In the grand tradition of those legendary call letters; it's still imaged on air (although not exclusively) as "The Big BAM in Montgomery".
During the first three years as "Bama Country" the station put on a series of concerts known as "The Bama Country Birthday Bash" with many of today's top country music artists. Ticket prices were a modest $9.89.
, Brad Paisley
, Toby Keith
, Taylor Swift
, Carrie Underwood
, Lady Antebellum
, Rascal Flatts
, Jason Aldean
, and more. Legendary artists and songs are reserved for a weekly show titled: Legends Saturday Night which is hosted by JR "Bubba" Cullpepper.
WBAM also features news and weather updates from CBS 8 WAKA
, national news updates from Fox News Radio
, and traffic from Montgomery Skywatch Traffic.
with Kix Brooks
, Bob Kingsley
's Country Top 40 and Rise up Country. WBAM-FM is also a Fox News Radio
affiliate.
broadcast from the 1000 feet (304.8 m) Montgomery Tower Partnership behind the Eastdale Mall in Montgomery, Alabama
. The antenna
is a shared panel which still broadcasts several other local FM radio stations.
In the late 1990s Cox Communications
wanted to move a station into the Birmingham, Alabama
radio market. In order to meet Minimum Distance Separation Requirements set by the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC), WBAM had to first be re-located. The re-location was funded by Cox Communications
and the new 1000 feet (304.8 m) tower is located a few miles from the WSFA-TV tower in Grady, Alabama
.
WBAM-FM broadcasts with a 30 kW
Continental Electronics
transmitter into an 8-Bay Shively Labs Super-High-Power 6814 non-directional antenna.
, Alexander City Micropolitan Statistical Area, Dothan, Alabama metropolitan area and parts of the Florida Panhandle.
Cyril Brennan, the general manager and program director of WBAM, was named the 1976 "Program Director of the Year for Country Music" by Billboard
magazine's International Radio Programming Forum.
Alabama author Paul Hemphill
included references to WBAM in his 1979 novel Long Gone as the preferred radio station of the protagonist, Jamie Weeks. In 1987, Long Gone was made into a movie starring Dermot Mulroney
by HBO Films
.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
formatted radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
that serves the Montgomery Metropolitan Area
Montgomery Metropolitan Area
The Montgomery, Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area is a metropolitan statistical area in central Alabama...
, broadcasting on the FM
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
band at a frequency
Frequency
Frequency is the number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit time. It is also referred to as temporal frequency.The period is the duration of one cycle in a repeating event, so the period is the reciprocal of the frequency...
of 98.9 MHz and licensed to Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
. The station is locally owned and operated by Bluewater Broadcasting Company, LLC. The station's transmitter
Transmitter
In electronics and telecommunications a transmitter or radio transmitter is an electronic device which, with the aid of an antenna, produces radio waves. The transmitter itself generates a radio frequency alternating current, which is applied to the antenna. When excited by this alternating...
is located in the town of Grady, Alabama
Grady, Alabama
Grady is an unincorporated community in Montgomery County Alabama, United States. Grady is located about south of Montgomery. It is at the intersection of Montgomery County Road 28 and Mountgomery County Road 1 . The CSX railroad runs north and south through Grady. Near Grady on the Fannin Mill...
. The station's studios are located off Carmichael Rd. on Wall St. in Midtown Montgomery.
Because of the 60 year history and large coverage area, the WBAM call letters are well known throughout the deep south
Deep South
The Deep South is a descriptive category of the cultural and geographic subregions in the American South. Historically, it is differentiated from the "Upper South" as being the states which were most dependent on plantation type agriculture during the pre-Civil War period...
. They stand for AlaBAMa.
WBAM also participates in Montgomery rating surveys both by Arbitron
Arbitron
Arbitron is a consumer research company in the United States that collects listener data on radio audiences. It was founded as American Research Bureau by Jim Seiler in 1949 and became national by merging with L.A. based Coffin, Cooper and Clay in the early 1950s...
(Market #154), Neilson ratings (Market #21) and is monitored by Mediabase
Mediabase
Mediabase is a music industry service that monitors radio station airplay in 180 US and Canadian markets. Mediabase publishes music charts and data based on the most played songs on terrestrial and satellite radio, and provides in-depth analytical tools for radio and record industry professionals...
.
The Big Bam
WBAM signed on in 1953 as AM 740. WBAM was a powerhouse at 50,000 wattWatt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
s, covering much of Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. From its earliest days, WBAM put on concerts for the Montgomery area. One of its earliest Big BAM Shows featured Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
as he ascended to fame, on the same bill with Roy Acuff
Roy Acuff
Roy Claxton Acuff was an American country music singer, fiddler, and promoter. Known as the King of Country Music, Acuff is often credited with moving the genre from its early string band and "hoedown" format to the star singer-based format that helped make it internationally successful.Acuff...
. Hank Williams was another frequent live on-air performer.
WBAM became known as "The Big BAM" or "The Voice of the Deep South", and is legendary. Disc jockeys associated with WBAM's Top 40 heyday include Bill J. Moody, now the sales manager for WDJR in Dothan, Bobby Brennan (The Top 5 at 5!), and Dan Brennan (Dan's Dusty Discs). Big BAM Shows of the late 1960s and early 1970s featured all the biggest artists of the day, including Paul Revere and the Raiders, Lou Christie
Lou Christie
Luigi Alfredo Giovanni Sacco , known professionally as Lou Christie, is an American singer-songwriter best known for three separate strings of pop hits in the 1960s , including his 1966 smash, "Lightnin' Strikes" and his incredible 3 octave vocal range.-Biography:Sacco was born in Glenwillard,...
, Iron Butterfly
Iron Butterfly
Iron Butterfly is a US psychedelic rock band best known for the 1968 hit "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida".Their heyday was the late 1960s, but the band has been reincarnated with various members. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida is the 31st best-selling album in the world, selling more than 25 million copies.-History:The...
, The Carpenters
The Carpenters
Carpenters were an American vocal and instrumental duo, consisting of sister Karen and brother Richard Carpenter. The Carpenters were the #1 selling American music act of the 1970s. Though often referred to by the public as "The Carpenters", the duo's official name on authorized recordings and...
, The Monkees
The Monkees
The Monkees are an American pop rock group. Assembled in Los Angeles in 1966 by Robert "Bob" Rafelson and Bert Schneider for the American television series The Monkees, which aired from 1966 to 1968, the musical acting quartet was composed of Americans Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork,...
(as a group and individually), Tommy Joyce and Bobby Heart, The Grass Roots
The Grass Roots
The Grass Roots is an American rock band that charted between 1966 and 1975 as the brainchild of songwriting duo P. F. Sloan and Steve Barri.In their career, The Grass Roots achieved two gold albums, one gold single and charted singles a total of 21 times. Among their charting singles, they...
, and many more. Ticket prices were never more expensive than $4.00.
Mornings were dedicated to farm and gospel music
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
programming, with country and popular music played during the day. When 740 AM powered down at night, one would hear "Dixie
Dixie (song)
Countless lyrical variants of "Dixie" exist, but the version attributed to Dan Emmett and its variations are the most popular. Emmett's lyrics as they were originally intended reflect the mood of the United States in the late 1850s toward growing abolitionist sentiment. The song presented the point...
" as a sign-off.
In 1973
1973 in radio
The year 1973 saw a number of significant events in radio broadcasting.-Events:*15 October – Dutch public-broadcasting station Hilversum 3 begins round-the-clock transmission....
, WBAM-AM 740 adopted a country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
format. In 1978
1978 in radio
The year 1978 saw a number of significant events in radio broadcasting.-Events:* May 6 – Bob Kingsley, producer of the syndicated "American Country Countdown," takes over as host. He replaces Don Bowman, who had hosted for the first 4½ years...
, WBAM-FM 98.9 signed on with a Top 40 format. AM 740 was sold to Colonial Broadcasting in 1985
1985 in radio
The year 1985 in radio involved some significant events.-Events:*January 1 - CKLW Windsor, Ontario adopts the Music of Your Life format.*March 28 - A Roger Waters concert is broadcast live from Radio City Music Hall...
, and an era ended when the call letters changed to WMSP
WMSP
WMSP is a radio station licensed to serve Montgomery, Alabama, USA. The station is owned by Cumulus Media and the broadcast license is held by Cumulus Licensing LLC...
for sports radio
Sports radio
Sports radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A popular format with an almost exclusively male demographic in most areas, sports radio is characterized by an often-boisterous on-air style and extensive debate and analysis by both hosts and...
programming.
On September 15, 2009 the building the original 740 AM studios were located in was demolished.
Former programming and personalities
In the mid-1950s, the station was home to the "WBAM Deep South Jamboree" featuring live country and bluegrass acts such as Shorty Sullivan and his Green Valley Boys, Rebe Gosdin and his Sunny Valley Gang, Judy Jenkins, Jack Turner, and other rotating regulars.Radio personality Johnny Gilbert began his broadcasting career at WBAM. Gilbert was killed in a helicopter accident while working as an airborne traffic reporter at KULF in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, on March 15, 1974. He was posthumously awarded the Steve Pieringer Award by the Texas Association of Broadcasters in 1974.
In the 1960s and early 1970s, the station sponsored a series of pop/rock concerts known as "Big BAM Shows" featuring acts ranging from Paul Revere and the Raiders, Lou Christie
Lou Christie
Luigi Alfredo Giovanni Sacco , known professionally as Lou Christie, is an American singer-songwriter best known for three separate strings of pop hits in the 1960s , including his 1966 smash, "Lightnin' Strikes" and his incredible 3 octave vocal range.-Biography:Sacco was born in Glenwillard,...
, and The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
to comedian Pat Paulsen
Pat Paulsen
Patrick Layton "Pat" Paulsen was an American comedian and satirist notable for his roles on several of the Smothers Brothers TV shows, and for his campaigns for President of the United States in 1968, 1972, 1980, 1988, 1992, and 1996, which had primarily comedic rather than political objectives,...
.
Other notable former personalities included Bill J. Moody, Paul Simpkins, Mark Robbins, Gene Hocutt and Joe Cook.
Historical Videos
Notable TV and Radio personality Jimmy Carter (from Montgomery, Alabama) has assembled a few videos featuring some photos, jingles, and air checks of WBAM in its heyday.Pre-Bama Country
WBAM was also known as "Oldies 98" and then "Star 98.9" an Top 40 formatted station in the late 90's and early 2000s.The birth of Bama Country
In April, 20042004 in radio
The year 2004 saw a number of significant events in radio broadcasting history.-Events:*30 October - In the UK a 163-metre-high radio mast at Peterborough collapses in a fire.-Debuts:...
John Garrett announced on air, "he wanted to play an Alan Jackson
Alan Jackson
Alan Eugene Jackson is an American country music singer, known for blending traditional honky tonk and mainstream country sounds and penning many of his own hits. He has recorded 13 studio albums, 3 Greatest Hits albums, 2 Holiday albums, 1 Gospel album and several compilations, all on the Arista...
record instead". That's when Bama Country was born. WBAM has held on to its heritage call letters while returning to its roots as a country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
formatted radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
. In the grand tradition of those legendary call letters; it's still imaged on air (although not exclusively) as "The Big BAM in Montgomery".
During the first three years as "Bama Country" the station put on a series of concerts known as "The Bama Country Birthday Bash" with many of today's top country music artists. Ticket prices were a modest $9.89.
Bama Country Today
Since 2004, WBAM has broadcast a mainstream country format. The majority of the music played on WBAM tends to be newer and from more recent artists. Core artists include: Keith UrbanKeith Urban
Keith Lionel Urban is a New Zealand-born Australian, country music singer, songwriter and guitarist whose commercial success has been mainly in the United States and Australia. Urban was born in New Zealand and began his career in Australia at an early age...
, Brad Paisley
Brad Paisley
Brad Douglas Paisley is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His style crosses between traditional country music and Southern rock, and his songs are frequently laced with humor and pop culture references....
, Toby Keith
Toby Keith
Toby Keith Covel , best known as Toby Keith, is an American country music singer-songwriter, record producer and actor. Keith released his first four studio albums — 1993's Toby Keith, 1994's Boomtown, 1996's Blue Moon and 1997's Dream Walkin, plus a Greatest Hits package for various divisions of...
, Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
, Carrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood
Carrie Marie Underwood is an American country singer-songwriter and actress who rose to fame as the winner of the fourth season of American Idol, in 2005...
, Lady Antebellum
Lady Antebellum
Lady Antebellum is an American country pop music group formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 2006. The trio is composed of Charles Kelley , Dave Haywood and Hillary Scott .The group made its debut in 2007 as guest vocalists on Jim Brickman's single "Never Alone", before signing to Capitol...
, Rascal Flatts
Rascal Flatts
Rascal Flatts is an American country music band that originated in Columbus, Ohio, United States of America. Since its inception, Rascal Flatts has been composed of three members: Gary LeVox , Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney...
, Jason Aldean
Jason Aldean
Jason Aldine Williams is an American country music singer, known professionally as Jason Aldean. Since 2005, Aldean has recorded for Broken Bow Records, an independent record label for which he has released four albums and twelve singles...
, and more. Legendary artists and songs are reserved for a weekly show titled: Legends Saturday Night which is hosted by JR "Bubba" Cullpepper.
WBAM also features news and weather updates from CBS 8 WAKA
WAKA
WAKA is the CBS-affiliated television station for Central Alabama's Black Belt region licensed to Selma. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 42 from a transmitter in Gordonville. The station can also be seen on Knology and Charter channel 8...
, national news updates from Fox News Radio
Fox News Radio
Fox News Radio is an American radio network programmed by Fox News Channel.- History :In 2003, Fox News began syndicating one minute radio updates to radio stations via syndication service Westwood One. On June 1, 2005, Fox News Radio employed 60 people and provided five minute newscasts at the top...
, and traffic from Montgomery Skywatch Traffic.
Current Staff and Programming
Notable local programming on WBAM includes: John Garrett, Dr. Sam Faulk, and JR "Bubba" Culpepper. Other programs include: Legends Saturday Night, American Country CountdownAmerican Country Countdown
American Country Countdown, also known as ACC or American Country Countdown with Kix Brooks, is an internationally syndicated radio program which counts down the top 30 country songs of the previous week, from No. 30 to No. 1, according to the Mediabase country chart...
with Kix Brooks
Kix Brooks
Leon Eric "Kix" Brooks III , is an American country music artist, best known for being one half of the duo Brooks & Dunn.-Early life:...
, Bob Kingsley
Bob Kingsley
Bob Kingsley is an American country music radio personality and host of the nationally syndicated programs "Bob Kingsley's Country Top 40" and "Bob Kingsley with Today's Hit Makers."...
's Country Top 40 and Rise up Country. WBAM-FM is also a Fox News Radio
Fox News Radio
Fox News Radio is an American radio network programmed by Fox News Channel.- History :In 2003, Fox News began syndicating one minute radio updates to radio stations via syndication service Westwood One. On June 1, 2005, Fox News Radio employed 60 people and provided five minute newscasts at the top...
affiliate.
Technical information
For several years WBAM transmitterTransmitter
In electronics and telecommunications a transmitter or radio transmitter is an electronic device which, with the aid of an antenna, produces radio waves. The transmitter itself generates a radio frequency alternating current, which is applied to the antenna. When excited by this alternating...
broadcast from the 1000 feet (304.8 m) Montgomery Tower Partnership behind the Eastdale Mall in Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
. The antenna
Antenna
Antenna may refer to:-Science and engineering:* Antenna , also known as an aerial, a transducer designed to transmit or receive electromagnetic Antenna (pl. antennas in radio/TV, antennae in biology) may refer to:-Science and engineering:* Antenna (radio), also known as an aerial, a transducer...
is a shared panel which still broadcasts several other local FM radio stations.
In the late 1990s Cox Communications
Cox Communications
Cox Communications is a privately owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises providing digital cable television, telecommunications and wireless services in the United States...
wanted to move a station into the Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
radio market. In order to meet Minimum Distance Separation Requirements set by the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC), WBAM had to first be re-located. The re-location was funded by Cox Communications
Cox Communications
Cox Communications is a privately owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises providing digital cable television, telecommunications and wireless services in the United States...
and the new 1000 feet (304.8 m) tower is located a few miles from the WSFA-TV tower in Grady, Alabama
Grady, Alabama
Grady is an unincorporated community in Montgomery County Alabama, United States. Grady is located about south of Montgomery. It is at the intersection of Montgomery County Road 28 and Mountgomery County Road 1 . The CSX railroad runs north and south through Grady. Near Grady on the Fannin Mill...
.
WBAM-FM broadcasts with a 30 kW
Kw
kw or KW may refer to:* Kuwait, ISO 3166-1 country code** .kw, the country code top level domain for Kuwait* Kilowatt* Self-ionization of water Kw* Cornish language's ISO 639 code* Kitchener–Waterloo, Ontario, Canada...
Continental Electronics
Continental Electronics
Continental Electronics is a major American manufacturer of broadcast and military radio transmitters, based in Dallas, Texas. Although Continental today is best known for its FM, shortwave, and military VLF transmitters, Continental is most significant historically for its line of mediumwave ...
transmitter into an 8-Bay Shively Labs Super-High-Power 6814 non-directional antenna.
Coverage information
WBAM blankets Central and Southeast Alabama because of its transmitter location and height above average terrain. WBAM can be heard in the Columbus, Georgia-Auburn, Alabama Combined Statistical AreaGreater Columbus, Georgia
Greater Columbus, Georgia is a nickname for the Columbus–Auburn–Opelika, GA-AL Combined Statistical Area, an area that is made up of four counties in Georgia and three in Alabama. The statistical area includes two metropolitan areas and one micropolitan area...
, Alexander City Micropolitan Statistical Area, Dothan, Alabama metropolitan area and parts of the Florida Panhandle.
Ownership
In March 2004, Deep South Broadcasting Co. (Bob Brennen, owner) reached an agreement to sell this station to Bluewater Broadcasting Company, LLC. The sale was part of a multi-company four-station deal valued at a reported $15.3 million. The deal was approved by the FCC on April 21, 2004, and the transaction was consummated on June 21, 2004. At the time of the sale, WBAM-FM was broadcasting a Top 40 format.Awards and honors
Paul Simpkins, an original WBAM on-air personality from the time of the station's launch in 1953 until the sale in 1984, received a number of honors during his more than three decades with the station. These include being named Sterling Magazine Personality of the Month and TV Radio Mirror Personality of the Month in 1967, 1968 and 1972. Simpkins was inducted into the Country Music DJ Hall of Fame in 1998.Cyril Brennan, the general manager and program director of WBAM, was named the 1976 "Program Director of the Year for Country Music" by Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
magazine's International Radio Programming Forum.
Popular culture
WBAM is name-checked with "This is country country on WBAM coming to you live, neighbor" in the poem "Pickup" by American poet Paul Allen.Alabama author Paul Hemphill
Paul Hemphill
Paul James Hemphill was an American journalist and author who wrote extensively about often-overlooked topics in the Southern United States such as country music, evangelism, football, stock car racing and the blue collar people he met on his journeys around the South.-Early life and...
included references to WBAM in his 1979 novel Long Gone as the preferred radio station of the protagonist, Jamie Weeks. In 1987, Long Gone was made into a movie starring Dermot Mulroney
Dermot Mulroney
-Early life:Mulroney was born in Alexandria, Virginia, the son of Ellen, a housewife and amateur actress originally from Manchester, Iowa, and Michael Mulroney, a law professor at Villanova University School of Law, originally from Elkader, Iowa. He has a sister, Moira, and three brothers, Conor,...
by HBO Films
HBO Films
HBO Films is a division of the cable television network HBO that produces feature films and miniseries. While much of HBO Films' output is created directly for the television market, such as the film Witness Protection and the mini-series Band of Brothers, Pacific, Generation Kill and Angels in...
.