WBFN
Encyclopedia
WBFN is a radio station
in Battle Creek, Michigan
, that broadcasts an adult contemporary Christian music
and religious teaching format at 1400 kHz.
AM 1400 is one of Michigan's oldest radio stations, signing on in the fall of 1926 as WKBP, broadcasting with 50 watts at 1420 kilocycles and owned by the Battle Creek Enquirer and News. By 1930, WKBP had changed its calls to WELL. WELL shifted from 1420 to its current dial position of 1400 kilocycles in 1941. An FM sister, WELL-FM (later WKFR-FM, originally at 96.5 but soon moving to 103.3), was added in June 1963.
In 1964, WELL became WKFR and switched its format from MOR musical fare to Top 40 as "Keener 14," inspired by the success of WKNR "Keener 13" in Detroit (now WDTW (AM)
). After the Detroit station dropped the WKNR calls in 1972 in a sale and format change, WKFR became WKNR (however, its sister FM station did not change its calls and remained WKFR-FM). The Top 40 format at AM 1400 continued until about 1982, when it shifted to 103.3 WKFR-FM (which retains it to this day). WKNR-AM would feature an oldies
format and also a simulcast of WKFR-FM's CHR format during the 1980s before reverting to the heritage WELL calls in 1988.
Prior to the current religious format, WBFN, known as "The Fan," had an all-sports schedule. The station previously carried the Music of Your Life
adult standards
format and was known as "Unforgettable 1400."
Clear Channel Communications
agreed to transfer the license of WBFN to Cumulus Broadcasting as part of Clear Channel's private equity takeover, which required the new entity to conform to the FCC's market current ownership limits. Cumulus in turn agreed to donate the license for WBFN to Family Life Communications at it was also at the market ownership caps.http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6407352.html. The FCC approved the transfer on December 20, 2007 http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/prefill_and_display.pl?Application_id=1172867&Service=AM&Form_id=314&Facility_id=37462, however the actual transfer was still contingent on the private equity takeover of Clear Channel, reportedly because the credit crunch was making its difficult for the private equity firms to raise the necessary funds.http://today.reuters.com/news/articleinvesting.aspx?type=comktNews&rpc=33&storyid=2008-03-11T170152Z_01_N11593528_RTRIDST_0_CLEARCHANNEL-UPDATE-1.XML
The deal finally was completed on February 18, 2011. WBFN had already been on the air simulcasting Family Life's 96.7 FM WUFN
in Albion
since September 2007.
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 Battle Creek, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, that broadcasts an adult contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
and religious teaching format at 1400 kHz.
AM 1400 is one of Michigan's oldest radio stations, signing on in the fall of 1926 as WKBP, broadcasting with 50 watts at 1420 kilocycles and owned by the Battle Creek Enquirer and News. By 1930, WKBP had changed its calls to WELL. WELL shifted from 1420 to its current dial position of 1400 kilocycles in 1941. An FM sister, WELL-FM (later WKFR-FM, originally at 96.5 but soon moving to 103.3), was added in June 1963.
In 1964, WELL became WKFR and switched its format from MOR musical fare to Top 40 as "Keener 14," inspired by the success of WKNR "Keener 13" in Detroit (now WDTW (AM)
WDTW (AM)
WDTW is a Detroit-area radio station, operating at 1310 kHz with 5,000 watts. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications and airs mostly syndicated progressive talk radio programs....
). After the Detroit station dropped the WKNR calls in 1972 in a sale and format change, WKFR became WKNR (however, its sister FM station did not change its calls and remained WKFR-FM). The Top 40 format at AM 1400 continued until about 1982, when it shifted to 103.3 WKFR-FM (which retains it to this day). WKNR-AM would feature an oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
format and also a simulcast of WKFR-FM's CHR format during the 1980s before reverting to the heritage WELL calls in 1988.
Prior to the current religious format, WBFN, known as "The Fan," had an all-sports schedule. The station previously carried the Music of Your Life
Music of Your Life
Music of Your Life is a satellite-delivered radio network featuring the Adult Standards music format. Created by record executive and jingle writer Al Ham, and now under the direction of Marc Angell, Music of Your Life has more than 50 AM, FM and HD-2 radio station affiliates, and has been in...
adult standards
Adult standards
Adult standards is a North American radio format heard primarily on AM or class A FM stations.Adult standards is aimed at "mature" adults, meaning mainly those persons over 50 years of age, but it is mostly targeted for senior citizens...
format and was known as "Unforgettable 1400."
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
agreed to transfer the license of WBFN to Cumulus Broadcasting as part of Clear Channel's private equity takeover, which required the new entity to conform to the FCC's market current ownership limits. Cumulus in turn agreed to donate the license for WBFN to Family Life Communications at it was also at the market ownership caps.http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6407352.html. The FCC approved the transfer on December 20, 2007 http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/prefill_and_display.pl?Application_id=1172867&Service=AM&Form_id=314&Facility_id=37462, however the actual transfer was still contingent on the private equity takeover of Clear Channel, reportedly because the credit crunch was making its difficult for the private equity firms to raise the necessary funds.http://today.reuters.com/news/articleinvesting.aspx?type=comktNews&rpc=33&storyid=2008-03-11T170152Z_01_N11593528_RTRIDST_0_CLEARCHANNEL-UPDATE-1.XML
The deal finally was completed on February 18, 2011. WBFN had already been on the air simulcasting Family Life's 96.7 FM WUFN
WUFN
WUFN is an FM station in Albion, Michigan on 96.7 MHz and WUNN is an AM station on 1110 kHz in Mason, Michigan. Both are non-commercial, Christian stations owned by Family Life Radio....
in Albion
Albion, Michigan
Albion is a city in Calhoun County in the south central region of the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. The population was 9,144 at the 2000 census and is part of the Battle Creek Metropolitan Statistical Area...
since September 2007.