WVBE-FM
WVBE-FM is an Urban Adult Contemporary formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Lynchburg, Virginia, serving Metro Lynchburg. WVBE-FM is owned and operated by Mel Wheeler, Inc.. and is simulcast on WVBB 97.7 FM in Elliston-Lafayette, Virginia. A simulcast was offered on 610 AM in Roanoke, Virginia until 2016 when it flipped to sports.
History
WVBE-FM 100.1 began its history in 1948 as WWOD-FM, originally at 940 watts. It had a sister station on 1390, WWOD, now WKPA. WWOD-AM was the second station to go on in Lynchburg after WLVA-AM. WWOD-FM was religious until it became WKZZ on May 12, 1979 and carried a country format until April 1, 1984, when it became a locally programmed CHR format until 1991.
On November 21, 1991, the station was purchased by Aylett Coleman of Roanoke and began a simulcast with CHR formatted WXLK "K92" in Roanoke to provide an improved signal in Lynchburg and took the call sign WLYK, which stood for "Lynchburg's K92." The following year, WLYK boosted power, going from a Class A to Class C3 station. The stations were later sold a few years after Coleman's death to Mel Wheeler Inc.
WPLY (AM)
WPLY is a Sports Radio formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Roanoke, Virginia, serving Southwest Virginia the New River Valley. WPLY is owned and operated by Mel Wheeler, Inc.
History
WPLY launched with the callsign WSLS just before noon on October 1, 1940. For over 50 years, the station would carry a Country format. At one time, the now defunct Roy H. Park Broadcasting had owned WSLS-AM-FM-TV, but sold the radio stations because Park also owned a newspaper in Roanoke. After the purchase, the AM became WSLC at midnight on August 1, 1972, but stayed Country, and the FM became Rock WSLQ). Only the TV station still carries the original WSLS letters. At noon on May 25, 2000, the station began simulcasting it new sister station, the former easy listening turned classic rock station WPVR, which was flipped to Country as WSLC-FM, after being purchased by Mel Wheeler Inc. This continued until March 13, 2002, when WSLC was flipped to new calls as WVBE, simulcasting co-owned WVBE-FM Lynchburg, and brought R&B music full time to Roanoke.
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