WMFD (630 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station in Wilmington, North Carolina. It is owned by the Capitol Broadcasting Company and broadcasts a sports format, primarily from ESPN Radio. The radio studios and offices are on North Kerr Avenue in Wilmington.[2]
| Broadcast area | New Hanover County, Brunswick County and Pender County |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 630 kHz |
| Branding | ESPN Wilmington |
| Programming | |
| Format | Sports |
| Affiliations | ESPN Radio Charlotte Hornets North Carolina Tar Heels UNC Wilmington Seahawks Sports USA Radio Network Westwood One |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Capitol Broadcasting Company |
| WAZO, WILT, WKXB, WRMR | |
| History | |
First air date | September 15, 1935 |
Former frequencies | 1370 kHz (1935–1941) 1400 kHz (1941–1949) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 61701 |
| Class | B |
| Power | 800 watts day 1,000 watts night |
Transmitter coordinates | 34°16′19″N 77°58′28″W / 34.27194°N 77.97444°W |
| Translator(s) | 101.7 W269DF (Wilmington) |
| Repeater(s) | 99.9 WKXB-HD3 (Boiling Spring Lakes) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | espnwilmington.com |
By day, WMFD’s power is 800 watts; at night it slightly increases its power to 1,000 watts. A directional antenna with a two-tower array is used during the day and three-tower array at night to protect other stations on 630 AM from interference. The transmitter is off Sampson Street in Navassa, North Carolina.[3] Programming is simulcast on 250-watt FM translator W269DF at 101.7 MHz.[4] WMFD is also heard on the HD Radio digital subchannel of co-owned 99.9 WKXB-HD3.
History
editWMFD signed on the air on September 15, 1935. It is Wilmington's oldest, though not its first, radio station. It has retained its original call sign throughout its history.[5]
In 1954, the station launched WMFD-TV Channel 6, Wilmington's first TV station, now WECT.
In May 1996, Community Broadcasting sold radio stations WMFD, WUOY, and WBMS to a new company called Ocean Broadcasting. As a talk station, WMFD added Dr. Laura Schlessinger and The Fabulous Sports Babe, as well as CNN Headline News part of the time.[6] In 1999, WMFD was airing Don Imus' morning show from New York City.[7]
In 2000, WMFD changed to sports radio and added the minor-league baseball team Wilmington Waves.[8]
In July 2004, NextMedia Group purchased WRQR, WAZO, and WMFD from Ocean Broadcasting, and WKXB and WSFM from Sea-Comm Inc.[9]
In July 2008, Capitol Broadcasting announced its purchase of NextMedia's Wilmington stations.[10]
Translator
editIn addition to the main station, WMFD is relayed by FM translator W269DF 101.7 to widen its broadcast area. This station rebroadcast WLTT prior to 2014.
| Call sign | Frequency | City of license | FID | ERP (W) | Class | FCC info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W269DF | 101.7 FM | Wilmington, North Carolina | 144958 | 250 | D | LMS |
References
edit- ^ "Facility Technical Data for WMFD". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ ESPNwilmington.com/station-information
- ^ Radio-Locator.com/WMFD
- ^ Radio-Locator.com/W269DF
- ^ "AM Query Results: First license date" (FCC.gov).
- ^ Kristina Bartlett, "WUOY-FM, WMFD-AM AND WBMS-AM / Stations Sold to Ocean Broadcasting; New Company Purchases 3 Wilmington Radio Stations," Star-News, May 17, 1996.
- ^ Toby Eddings, "Imus on a local station? Not yet," The Sun News, Jan. 14, 1999.
- ^ Chuck Carree, "Waves Baseball; Sports Station to Carry All Games," Star-News, November 16, 2000.
- ^ Bonnie Eksten, "Ocean Broadcasting, Sea-Comm Stations Sold to NextMedia - New Owner to Operate Locally," Star-News, July 14, 2004.
- ^ "Capitol Broadcasting acquires seven radio stations in deals worth nearly $13M". www.wral.com. 16 July 2008. Retrieved 2024-10-19.
External links
edit- Official Website
- ESPN Wilmington WMFD 101.7FM AM630 Facebook page
- Facility details for Facility ID 61701 (WMFD) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- WMFD in Nielsen Audio's AM station database
- Facility details for Facility ID 144958 (W269DF) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- W269DF at FCCdata.org
- FCC History Cards for WMFD (covering 1934-1981)