WBCM-LP

WBCM-LP is a classic country, bluegrass, and Americana-formatted broadcast radio station. Licensed to Bristol, Virginia, the station serves the twin cities of Bristol in Virginia and in Tennessee. The Birthplace of Country Music Museum owns and operates WBCM-LP.

WBCM-LP
Broadcast areaBristol, Virginia
Bristol, Tennessee
Frequency100.1 FM MHz
BrandingWBCM Radio Bristol
Programming
FormatClassic Country
Bluegrass
Americana[1]
Ownership
Owner
History
First air date
August 8, 2015[3]
Call sign meaning
W Birthplace (of) Country Music
Technical information
Facility ID193386
ClassL1
Power64 watts
HAAT38 meters (125 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
36°35′45.0″N 82°9′42.0″W
Links
WebcastWBCM-LP Webstream
WebsiteWBCM-LP Online

The station, a working exhibit inside of the museum, went on the air for the first time in August 2015. The planning for the station dates back to late 2013. Programming includes live concerts held at the museum and the revival of "Farm and Fun Time". The latter program, a live and local radio music show, aired on Bristol's WCYB from the 1940s to the 1960s.

History

Construction

The Birthplace of Country Music Museum applied for a construction permit to start a new low-power radio station, as part of the FCC's October 18, 2013, LPFM filing window.[4][5] The application was granted and the construction permit issued on March 13, 2014.[6] The station was to originally launch on 103.5 FM.[5][7]

The company proposed, in its original application, that the station would "produce content that looks back at recording and radio technologies' impact on the world" along with "early country music, and current trends in roots and traditional music".[8] It was also proposed that the station would "broadcast archival recordings of a variety of influential sources".[8] The station would broadcast from inside The Birthplace of Country Music museum, located in Bristol, Virginia.[9] Using vintage restored broadcasting equipment, the station would be a working exhibit inside the museum.[9][10] The station's antenna would be placed on the WOPI tower, located on Delaney Street in Bristol, Virginia.[10][11]

On April 14, 2014, the station received its call sign, WBCM-LP.[12] The museum opened to the public on August 2, 2014.[13][14] In March 2015, Tony Lawson, founder of Knoxville, Tennessee, radio station WDVX, was hired by the museum as station manager.[15][16] He was tasked to "create a radio station and media center for the museum".[15][17] Lawson had been consulting with The Birthplace of Country Music prior to being hired.[15]

The Birthplace of Country Music received an email on May 27, 2015, voicing concern about WBCM-LP's potential interference with full-power station WIMZ-FM.[18][19] WIMZ-FM, licensed to Knoxville, Tennessee, also broadcasting on 103.5 FM, can be heard in the Bristol area.[20] The Birthplace of Country Music requested a new frequency for WBCM-LP, on June 10, 2015, out "of an overabundance of caution and to eliminate potential interference" to WIMZ-FM.[19] On June 18, 2015, the frequency of the station was changed from 103.5 to 100.1 FM.[19]

Launch

WBCM-LP began operations, with "program testing", on August 8, 2015.[3] Six days later, the station was issued a License to Cover, allowing it to begin official operations.[21][22] The official launch of the station took place at 4:00pm on August 27, 2015.[23][24] A "launch event", held at The Birthplace of Country Music museum, included studio tours, a live concert broadcast on WBCM-LP, and a reception.[25][26] Two online music streams and a mobile app, as well as the station's livestream, were also launched on the same day.[24][27]

The museum plans to include the broadcast of numerous live concerts in the future.[27][28]

Programming and Reception

In addition to live concerts,[28] WBCM-LP will air a revival of the Radio program "Farm and Fun Time".[10][29] "Farm and Fun Time" aired on WCYB Radio (now WZAP) during the 1940s through the 1960s.[30][31] Each edition of the program is broadcast live from The Birthplace of Country Music museum.[32]

While focused on serving Bristol in Virginia and in Tennessee, the signal of WBCM-LP can be heard up to 30 miles away.[33][34]

See also

References
  1. "Arbitron Station Information Profiles". Nielsen Audio/Nielsen Holdings. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  2. "WBCM-LP Facility Record". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  3. "WBCM LP Radio Bristol is now program testing on..." Facebook/The Birthplace of Country Music. August 8, 2015. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  4. "October 18, 2013 Public Notice" (PDF). Federal Communications Commission, audio division. October 18, 2013. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  5. Fybush, Scott (2013). "Full 2013 LPFM Application List". Fybush Media. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  6. "Application for Construction Permit for a Low Power FM Broadcast Station". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. March 13, 2014. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  7. "WBCM-103.5 FM to broadcast from Country Museum". WCYB-TV/Bonten Media Group. May 26, 2015. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  8. "Legal Qualifications, Background and Educational Objectives". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  9. "WBCM – Radio Bristol". The Birthplace of Country Music. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  10. McGee, David (May 26, 2015). "Listen Up! WBCM radio will soon highlight Bristol's roots". Bristol Herald Courier. Bristol, Virginia: Berkshire Hathaway. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  11. "Discussion of Engineering Exhibit(s) – Exhibit(s) 11.1 to 11.4". Munn-Reese, Inc./Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  12. "Call Sign History". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  13. Cooper, Peter (August 4, 2014). "Bristol opens Birthplace of Country Music Museum". The Tennessean/WBIR-TV. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  14. Coy, Brian; Logan, Caroline (August 2, 2014). "Governor McAuliffe announces grand opening of Birthplace of Country Music Museum". Office of the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  15. Bledsoe, Wayne (March 13, 2015). "WDVX founder Tony Lawson to leave the station for new station in Bristol". Knoxville News Sentinel. Knoxville, Tennessee: Journal Media Group. Archived from the original on 2015-03-18. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  16. Everett, Matthew (March 16, 2015). "WDVX Co-Founder Tony Lawson Heads to Bristol for a New Start". The Knoxville Mercury. Knoxville, Tennessee: Knoxville History Project. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  17. "WBCM". WJHL-TV/Media General. June 9, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  18. "WIMZ(FM) Listener Email Interference Complaint". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  19. "Application for Construction Permit for a Low Power FM Broadcast Station". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. May 27, 2015. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  20. "60 dBu Service Contour for WIMZ-FM, 103.5 MHz, Knoxville, TN". Bing Maps/Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  21. "Application Search Details". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. August 14, 2015. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  22. "Application for a Low Power FM Broadcast Station License". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. August 12, 2015. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  23. Cohen, Lenny (August 27, 2015). "It's the birth of the Birthplace of Country Music's radio station". WCYB-TV/Bonten Media Group. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  24. "Birthplace Of Country Music Museum To Launch WBCM Radio Bristol". All Access Music Group. August 26, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  25. "Limited free seating available to public for launch of new radio station at Birthplace of Country Music Museum". Kingsport Times-News. Kingsport, Tennessee: Kingsport Publishing Corporation/Sandusky Newspapers, Inc. August 20, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  26. Neikirk, Earl (August 27, 2015). "WBCM goes live from Birthplace of Country Music Museum". Bristol Herald Courier. Bristol, Virginia: Berkshire Hathaway. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  27. Lawless, John (August 27, 2015). "WBCM radio launches this afternoon". Bluegrass Today. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  28. McGee, David (August 28, 2015). "New BCM radio station goes on air". Bristol Herald Courier. Bristol, Virginia: Berkshire Hathaway. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
  29. "Farm & Fun Time Returns During Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion". CyberGrass/Bluegrass Music News Network. September 19, 2015. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  30. Thompson, Richard (September 24, 2007). "Bristol honors radio history". Bluegrass Today. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  31. Soslow, Robin (January 10, 2014). "Mountain music majesty in the southern Appalachians". The Dallas Morning News. Dallas, Texas: A. H. Belo. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  32. "Programming". The Birthplace of Country Music. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  33. "60 dBu Service Contour for WBCM-LP, 100.1 MHz, Bristol, VA". Bing Maps/Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  34. Menconi, David (September 26, 2015). "Bristol – Where country and roots music all began". The News & Observer. Raleigh, North Carolina: The McClatchy Company. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
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