WLNK-FM (100.9 FM) is a hot adult contemporary music station serving the Charlotte, North Carolina, metropolitan area, licensed to Indian Trail. The station is currently owned and operated by Urban One. The station's studios are located in Southwest Charlotte near Carowinds, and the transmitter site is in Matthews near the intersection of NC 51 and Monroe Road.
| |
Broadcast area | Metrolina |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 100.9 MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | Mix 100.9 / 99.3 |
| Programming | |
| Format | Hot adult contemporary |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| WBT, WBT-FM, WFNZ-FM, WMXG, WOSF, WPZS | |
| History | |
First air date | February 1, 1958 |
Former call signs |
|
Call sign meaning | Link (former meaning on radio station that previously used letters) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| 52553 | |
| Class | A |
| ERP | 5,200 watts |
| HAAT | 107 meters (351 ft) |
| Repeaters | |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live |
| Website | mixcharlotte |
History
editThe station began broadcasting at 5:30 a.m. on February 1, 1958 as WABZ-FM, acting largely as the FM simulcast of WABZ. It was the first FM station to serve Albemarle, North Carolina and surrounding Stanly County.
Ted Bell hosted "Saturday Night Music Machine" while at WABZ-FM, interviewing Neil Sedaka, Debbie Reynolds, Freddie Cannon, George Burns,[2] Phil Everly, Teresa Brewer, Tiny Tim, and Gene McDaniels. The show, which Bell hosted until 1982, featured stars such as Bobby Rydell and Chubby Checker. Johnny Olson of The Price Is Right recorded station IDs for WABZ-FM at Bell's behest.[citation needed]
On December 28, 1993, Bill and Susi Norman, owners of WZKY and WXLX, bought WABZ-FM from Piedmont Crescent Communications through their company Jenni Communications, Inc.[3]
"Inspiration 100.9" played "Southern Gospel Music of today, yesterday and all the favorites", along with the Trading Post, local sports and ministry programs. Johnny Caudle hosted the morning show from 1995 until 2000.[4]
In 2004, WABZ moved to its current city of license and changed its letters and format, giving grade A signal quality to the Charlotte area.[citation needed] Radio One, Inc. announced on November 16 that it had purchased WPZS for $11.5 million and moved it to the company's Charlotte facilities. The company already operated WPZS under an LMA earlier in the month, changing the format to Urban contemporary gospel.[5]
On August 31, 2011, Radio One announced its intention to sell off their Charlotte stations to Davis Broadcasting,[6] but in April 2012, the deal fell through and Radio One decided to keep the stations.[7]
On September 13, 2012, at Midnight, WPZS began simulcasting sister WQNC. WQNC and WPZS also swapped call letters on the same day.[8][9][10] The two stations provided a strong combined signal with 60 percent overlap. The simulcast ended on August 14, 2015, with 100.9 reverting to the callsign WPZS.
WPZS carried the syndicated Yolanda Adams Morning Show.[11]
On December 11, 2025, multiple stations in the Charlotte area changed formats and call letters. This included moving the call sign and hot adult contemporary format, previously at 107.9 FM, to this station, which became WLNK-FM. ln addition, this station's "Praise" format and WPZS call letters were moved to 610 AM, its translator W273DA at 102.5 FM, and also the HD-2 channel of WOSF.[12]
On January 24, 2026, WLNK-FM applied for a power increase which would change the station from Class A to Class C3 and a change in the city of license to Weddington, North Carolina.[13]
Bible Broadcasting Network is buying WLNK for $4.2 million.[14]
References
edit- ↑ "Facility Technical Data for WLNK-FM". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ↑ Bendin, Dariel (March 12, 2009). "Talking With Ted Bell". Alternatives News Magazine. Archived from the original on January 29, 2010. Retrieved April 29, 2010.
- ↑ Jo Anne B. Efird, "All in the Radio Family", Stanly News and Press, January 23, 1994.
- ↑ "Radio Station WABZ-FM no longer exists as WABZ, 100.9FM in Albemarle". wspc.com. Archived from the original on April 19, 2011. Retrieved April 29, 2010..
- ↑ "Radio One Completes Acquisition of WPZS-FM -- Formerly Known as WABZ-FM; Station Serves the Charlotte, NC Market". Business Wire. November 16, 2004. Retrieved August 20, 2009.[dead link]
- ↑ "Davis Broadcasting to Purchase WQNC and WPZS".
- ↑ "Battle on way for urban radio" from The Charlotte Observer (August 17, 2012)
- ↑ "Praise Charlotte Takes Over 92.7". September 13, 2012. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
- ↑ "Call Sign History (WQNC)". Retrieved October 30, 2012.
- ↑ "Call Sign History (WPZS)". Retrieved October 30, 2012.
- ↑ "Praise Charlotte Takes over 92.7". September 13, 2012.
- ↑ Venta, Lance (December 4, 2025). "Radio One Confirms Four Station Charlotte Format Shuffle As WBT Moves To 107.9". Radioinsight. Retrieved December 5, 2025.
- ↑ Anderson Associates, Broadcast Engineering Consultants. "WLNK-FM # 52553 License Change to Weddington, NC" (Report). Federal Communications Commission. Attachment "WLNK-FM TECHNICAL REPORT-012326.pdf". Retrieved February 21, 2026.
- ↑ Venta, Lance (March 30, 2026). "Radio One Sells Mix Charlotte Duo To Pair Of Christian Operators". Radioinsight. Retrieved April 2, 2026.
External links
edit- Official website
- Facility details for Facility ID 52553 (WLNK-FM) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- WLNK-FM in Nielsen Audio's FM station database