The 900 Gold WATV branded as V-94.9″ is a broadcasting service licensed to serve Birmingham, Alabama, USA. Besides transmitting on 900 AM, it also broadcasts on W235BS 94.9 FM, its FM translator. Owned by Courtney French, WATV airs urban AC music format with disco, soul, early hip-hop from the 70’s-to-date, and R&B being its forte. Public problems pertinent to the African American population are also discussed on different shows. The service streams online and is also present on social media networking sites. In addition to airing music, the channel is a local platform for advertising, events, and local happenings.
History of 900 Gold WATV:
WATV first went on air in 1946 with the call sign WKAX. The FCC assigned its current call letters in 1958. Besides being an affiliate of CBS (Columbia Broadcasting Service), it was not only a talk radio but also supported the middle of the Road music format. Before this, the station was known with the call letters WLBS which operated only during the daytime hours owing to the restriction imposed by the FCC. In 1976, after the death of WENN’s owner, WENN was purchased by A. G. Gaston, a native businessman who at once sacked the station manager, Joe Lackey. WENN’s deejays left the station for good in protest.
Lackey started working at WATV and helped the station in recruiting all radio personalities who had been working on WENN. Lackey, assisted by ex-WENN jokies, promptly switched the station’s programming from talk and MOR music to disco and soul music.
Eventually, WATV rose to the heights to be regarded as the top AC station in Birmingham in spite of limited hours of operation from dawn to dusk only and comparatively feeble signal. In 1994, WATV stopped airing urban AC and started playing Urban Gold from ABC Radio Networks; consequently, the station’s studios shifted to 3025 Ensley Avenue. In 2002, the Rev. Dr. Erksine Faush and Shelley Stewart who have been longtime on-air personalities in Birmingham’s market sold WATV to MCL/MCM-INC, a subordinate company of Sheridan Broadcasting.
Technical Details:
WATV is a class D AM service transmitting an analog signal on 900 frequency. In the daylight, the station operates with 845 watts while during night hours, it broadcasts with the reduced power of 158 watts. With a non-directional antenna mode, the service operates for unlimited hours. In local areas, WATV’s predicted listening range is 20 miles, whereas, in distant areas, it goes as far as 40 miles.
Programming:
The Weekday’s broadcast includes:
The V Morning Praise with Mrs. V from 5 AM – 6 AM
Home Team Morning Show from 6:00 AM-10:00 AM
The V Spot from 10:00 AM- 12:00 PM
Jay Barker Show from 12:00 PM- 2:00 PM
Chris Coleman Radio Network from 2:00 PM-6:00 PM
T Carson’s Neighborhood from 6:00 PM-10:00 PM
The weekend programming includes:
Curtis Bell Blues Party from 10 AM – 2 PM
The Ron Marshall Praise Experience from 6 am – 10 (Sunday)
Contact Details:
Website: https://myv949.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/watv949
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/V94.9FM/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/v94.9fm/
Address: 3025 Ensley Avenue, Birmingham, AL 35208
Phone: 205-780-2014
Request Line: 205-994-8949[/expand]