WLON
Encyclopedia
WLON is a radio station
broadcasting an oldies
format and serving the Lincolnton, North Carolina
area, and owned and operated by HRN Broadcasting. The station plays a mixture of 1960s, '70s and some '80s oldies music, as well as Christian contemporary and beach music
on Sundays. WLON AM is also the home of Lincolnton High School
football every Friday night, Atlanta Braves
baseball, NC State Wolfpack
and UNC
Tar Heel
s college basketball.
WLON's morning show is called "Morning Magic with Milton Baker" and is hosted by Lincoln County native Milton Baker. News is broadcast by longtime news director Larry Seagle. Voice production is primarily done by talent Lilly White.
Jon Mayhew, owner and publisher of The Carolina Scoop, once produced Cherryville Ironman football games on sister station WCSL (1590AM) and produced a classic rock/oldies show on 1050AM called "Groovy Tunes."
WLON also carries Mike Walker's "Saving the 70s", a show devoted to the music and culture of the 1970s, on Monday afternoons at 4pm. You can listen online at http://www.hrnb.com or hear archived shows at http://www.savingthe70s.com
, Tommy Hunter of Belmont
and Jeff and Vivian Nichols of Lincolnton owned the 34-year-old WLON, the only radio station in Lincoln County
. Jeff Nichols was general manager. The format was adult contemporary/oldies
. Larry Seagle had been news director for 18 years. Tim Biggerstaff had been a DJ for about 10 years.
On April 1, 1993, Cherryville
-based KTC Broadcasting Inc. took over WLON in a lease agreement. KTC was buying the station but would operate it under a lease agreement until the Federal Communications Commission
approved the sale. WLON would join The Piedmont Superstations Radio Network of WCSL
in Cherryville, WGNC
in Gastonia
and WOHS in Shelby
, which simulcast
most of their programming. The change would mean 24-hour broadcasts on WLON for the first time with the addition of a call-in sports talk show from Las Vegas
. Biggerstaff would remain as morning DJ, and his show would be heard on all four KTC stations. News for the entire area would be expanded. The four stations aired UNC football and basketball, Atlanta Braves baseball, Dallas Cowboys
and Washington Redskins
NFL
football, and CBS
coverage of such events as The World Series
and The Super Bowl
.
Some WLON listeners did not like hearing their station lose its local focus, and they signed a petition to bring back the old WLON.
The four stations added the NFL Carolina Panthers
when the team began playing in 1995. They also aired games of the NBA
Charlotte Hornets In 2000, the stations began airing the Redskins again instead of the Panthers (WGNC aired the Panthers if there was no conflict).
Late in 1999, the four stations changed from country music
to "super oldies." Biggerstaff, the program director, said country had moved away from its traditional sound. Lillie White remained as midday host, and Andy Foster was afternoon host. Local and sports remained important, and the stations aired the One-on-One sports radio network at night .
In 2004, Biggerstaff was still hosting his show on WCSL and WLON despite diabetes-related health problems. Later he moved to Lincolnton-based Hometown Radio's Shelby operation. On WADA
he played classic country
music and hosted a "Swap Shop
" show on WGNC and WOHS. By this time he had experienced a kidney transplant
and two pancreas transplants
.
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...
broadcasting 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 serving the Lincolnton, North Carolina
Lincolnton, North Carolina
Lincolnton is a city in Lincoln County, North Carolina, United States, within the Charlotte metropolitan area. The population was 10,683 at the 2010 census. Lincolnton is located northwest of Charlotte, on the South Fork of the Catawba River, and near the junction of State Highway 27 and U.S. Route...
area, and owned and operated by HRN Broadcasting. The station plays a mixture of 1960s, '70s and some '80s oldies music, as well as Christian contemporary and beach music
Beach music
Beach music, also known as Carolina beach music, is a regional genre which developed from various musical styles of the forties, fifties and sixties. These styles ranged from big band swing instrumentals to the more raucous sounds of blues/jump blues, jazz, doo-wop, boogie, rhythm and blues,...
on Sundays. WLON AM is also the home of Lincolnton High School
Lincolnton High School
Lincolnton High School is a high school located in Lincolnton, North Carolina. Its school colors are black and gold.In 2011, Lincolnton High school hosted the Southern Piedmont 1A/2A Conference basketball tournament and won the tournament....
football every Friday night, Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
baseball, NC State Wolfpack
NC State Wolfpack
The athletic teams of the North Carolina State University, known as the Wolfpack, compete in 24 intercollegiate varsity sports. NC State is a founding member of the Atlantic Coast Conference and has won eight national championships: two NCAA championships, two AIAW championships, and four titles...
and UNC
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
Tar Heel
Tar Heel
Tar Heel is a nickname applied to the state and inhabitants of North Carolina as well as the nickname of the University of North Carolina athletic teams, students, alumni, and fans....
s college basketball.
WLON's morning show is called "Morning Magic with Milton Baker" and is hosted by Lincoln County native Milton Baker. News is broadcast by longtime news director Larry Seagle. Voice production is primarily done by talent Lilly White.
Jon Mayhew, owner and publisher of The Carolina Scoop, once produced Cherryville Ironman football games on sister station WCSL (1590AM) and produced a classic rock/oldies show on 1050AM called "Groovy Tunes."
WLON also carries Mike Walker's "Saving the 70s", a show devoted to the music and culture of the 1970s, on Monday afternoons at 4pm. You can listen online at http://www.hrnb.com or hear archived shows at http://www.savingthe70s.com
History
Frank Hall of Lake WylieLake Wylie, South Carolina
Lake Wylie is a census-designated place in York County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 3,061 at the 2000 census. Lake Wylie is located on a peninsula along the shore of Lake Wylie, a reservoir that was named for Dr. W...
, Tommy Hunter of Belmont
Belmont, North Carolina
Belmont is a small suburban city in Gaston County, North Carolina, United States, located about west of uptown Charlotte, North Carolina and east of Gastonia. The population was 8,705 at the 2000 census. Once known as Garibaldi, the city named in honor of August Belmont, a prominent New York banker...
and Jeff and Vivian Nichols of Lincolnton owned the 34-year-old WLON, the only radio station in Lincoln County
Lincoln County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 71,498 people, 24,041 households, and 18,174 families residing in the county. The population density was 214 people per square mile . There were 25,717 housing units at an average density of 86 per square mile...
. Jeff Nichols was general manager. The format was adult contemporary/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....
. Larry Seagle had been news director for 18 years. Tim Biggerstaff had been a DJ for about 10 years.
On April 1, 1993, Cherryville
Cherryville, North Carolina
Cherryville is a small city in northwestern Gaston County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 5,361 at the 2000 census. The New Year's Shooters preserve the area's German heritage by honoring the custom of beginning each year with a chant and the shooting of muskets...
-based KTC Broadcasting Inc. took over WLON in a lease agreement. KTC was buying the station but would operate it under a lease agreement until 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...
approved the sale. WLON would join The Piedmont Superstations Radio Network of WCSL
WCSL
WCSL is a radio station broadcasting a Southern Gospel format. Licensed to Cherryville, North Carolina, USA. The station is currently owned by Hrn Broadcasting, Inc. and features programing from Jones Radio Network.The station has obtained a construction permit from the FCC for a power increase...
in Cherryville, WGNC
WGNC
WGNC is a radio station broadcasting a News, Talk, and Sports format. Licensed to Gastonia, North Carolina, USA, it serves the Gastonia area....
in Gastonia
Gastonia, North Carolina
Gastonia is the largest city and county seat of Gaston County, North Carolina, United States. It is also the third largest suburb of the Charlotte Area, behind Concord and Rock Hill. The population was 71,226 as of Gastonia is the largest city and county seat of Gaston County, North Carolina,...
and WOHS in Shelby
Shelby, North Carolina
Shelby is a city in Cleveland County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 19,477 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Cleveland County.-Geography:Shelby is located at ....
, which simulcast
Simulcast
Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
most of their programming. The change would mean 24-hour broadcasts on WLON for the first time with the addition of a call-in sports talk show from Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. Biggerstaff would remain as morning DJ, and his show would be heard on all four KTC stations. News for the entire area would be expanded. The four stations aired UNC football and basketball, Atlanta Braves baseball, Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
and Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
football, and CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
coverage of such events as The World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
and The Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
.
Some WLON listeners did not like hearing their station lose its local focus, and they signed a petition to bring back the old WLON.
The four stations added the NFL Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
when the team began playing in 1995. They also aired games of the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
Charlotte Hornets In 2000, the stations began airing the Redskins again instead of the Panthers (WGNC aired the Panthers if there was no conflict).
Late in 1999, the four stations changed from 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...
to "super oldies." Biggerstaff, the program director, said country had moved away from its traditional sound. Lillie White remained as midday host, and Andy Foster was afternoon host. Local and sports remained important, and the stations aired the One-on-One sports radio network at night .
In 2004, Biggerstaff was still hosting his show on WCSL and WLON despite diabetes-related health problems. Later he moved to Lincolnton-based Hometown Radio's Shelby operation. On WADA
WOHS
WZGV-AM "ESPN 730" is a Sports talk radio station, affiliated with ESPN Radio. Licensed to Cramerton, North Carolina and owned by HRN Broadcasting, the station broadcasts to the Charlotte, North Carolina area.-History of WOHS:...
he played classic country
Classic country
Classic country is a music radio format that specializes in playing mainstream country hits from past decades.This genre generally follows one of two formats: those specializing in hits from the 1920s through the early 1970s, and focus primarily on innovators and artists from country music's Golden...
music and hosted a "Swap Shop
Tradio
Tradio is the name given to a type of talk radio show format where listeners call in to buy or sell items. The concept of is analogous to classified ads in local newspapers....
" show on WGNC and WOHS. By this time he had experienced a kidney transplant
Kidney transplantation
Kidney transplantation or renal transplantation is the organ transplant of a kidney into a patient with end-stage renal disease. Kidney transplantation is typically classified as deceased-donor or living-donor transplantation depending on the source of the donor organ...
and two pancreas transplants
Pancreas transplantation
A pancreas transplant is an organ transplant that involves implanting a healthy pancreas into a person who usually has diabetes. Because the pancreas is a vital organ, performing functions necessary in the digestion process, the recipient's native pancreas is left in place, and the donated...
.