WLIB

Infobox_Radio_Station
name = WLIB


area = New York City
branding =
slogan = "Your Praise and Inspiration Station"
frequency = 1190 kHz AM
airdate = December 23, 1941
format = Urban Contemporary Gospel
owner = Inner City Broadcasting Corporation (I.C.B.C.)
licensee = Urban Radio I, LLC
erp = 10,000 watts daytime/
30,000 watts nighttime
class = B
facility_id = 28204
callsign_meaning = W LIBerty Bank Building
website = [http://www.wlib.com www.wlib.com]
sister_stations = WBLS

WLIB (1190 kHz AM) is an urban contemporary gospel radio station located in New York City and owned by Inner City Broadcasting Corporation (I.C.B.C.). Its transmitters are located in Lyndhurst, New Jersey.

Prior to picking up its current format, WLIB was the flagship station for Air America Radio, which leased air-time from the station's owner. That arrangement ended on September 1, 2006, when Air America's programming moved to WWRL. [ [http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/ent_radio/story/445270p-374953c.html www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/ent_radio/story/445270p-374953c.html] ]

History

WLIB, a former jazz station, became Black-owned in the 1970s after activists picketed the station and demanded African Americans be given a chance to purchase it. Many felt the station’s series of white owners didn't care about broadcasting with community concerns in mind. Percy Sutton, Malcolm X’s former attorney and then-Manhattan borough president, formed the Inner City Broadcasting Corporation (ICBC), backed by a group of Black investors, and purchased WLIB in 1972. The station’s first talk shows featured Betty Shabazz, wife of Malcolm X, and Dr. Carlos Russell, a noted former college professor who taught some of the Black and Latino students who later founded the Young Lords Party.

Since becoming Black-owned, the station has broadcast political, Afrocentric, and health-centered programming aimed at New York's Afro-Caribbean community. WLIB’s advocacy strength was credited with getting out the vote for David Dinkins in 1989 as he ran to become New York City’s first Black mayor. [ [http://trudbe.blog.com/1021853/ trudbe.blog.com/1021853/] ]

In 2004, the station affiliated with Air America Radio due to a lack of advertiser support and ratings during its daytime hours. The switch was controversial, with many in the community seeing the switch as replacing black activist programming with Air America's primarily white liberal on-air personalities. [ [http://newsmine.org/archive/propoganda/controls-left/air-america-displace-black-talk-ny-wlib.txt newsmine.org/archive/propoganda/controls-left/air-america-displace-black-talk-ny-wlib.txt] ] The station's nighttime power was increased to 30,000 watts in the early 2000s, in a swap with radio station WOWO in Fort Wayne, Indiana, which was also owned by Inner City Broadcasting.

From 12 a.m.–5 a.m. every night, WLIB aired a slate of local black-oriented talk programming originated by owners of the station, I.C.B.C. Holdings. Principal among the late night shows was the Global Black Experience, hosted by Imhotep Gary Byrd. Also produced by I.C.B.C. were two Sunday morning programs, featuring The Rev. Al Sharpton and Dinkins; these programs were moved to Saturday after the format change. [ [http://wlib.com/pages/143245.php wlib.com/pages/143245.php] ] Generally, from 5 a.m. onward, Air America Radio programs were carried on WLIB. However, starting in 2005, the apolitical Satellite Sisters aired instead of the Mike Malloy show on WLIB from 10 p.m. to midnight.

Air America programming left WLIB after August 31, 2006, effective with the expiration of the Air America-Inner City lease. The network's new flagship station became WWRL the next day. It was rumored that the progressive talk format would be retained using local hosts and syndicated talker Ed Schultz, under a lease agreement with Randy Michaels' company, Radioactive, LLC. [ [http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/tvstations/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002424337 www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/tvstations/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002424337] ] However, negotiations fell through, and on August 21, 2006, WLIB announced that they would switch to a gospel music format, after considering country music, oldies and even urban talk from Radio One.

External links

* [http://www.wlib.com WLIB Website]
*AMQ|WLIB
*AML|WLIB
*AMARB|WLIB

References