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WLES

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WLES
Broadcast areaMetro Richmond
Frequency590 kHz
BrandingTruth Radio 590
Programming
FormatChristian Talk
Ownership
Owner
  • Stuart Epperson
  • (Truth Broadcasting Corporation)
WTRU, WDRU, WCRU, KUTR
History
First air date
September 28, 1959 (1959-09-28), in Lawrenceville
Former frequencies
580 kHz (1959–2014)
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID72504
ClassD
Power1,000 Watts daytime
58 Watts nighttime
Transmitter coordinates
37°30′52.0″N 77°30′28.0″W / 37.514444°N 77.507778°W / 37.514444; -77.507778
Translator(s)97.7 W249CI (Bellwood, Virginia)
Links
Public license information
WebcastWLES Webstream
Websitetruthnetwork.com

WLES (590 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Bon Air, Virginia, United States, serving the Greater Richmond Region. WLES is owned and operated by Stuart Epperson, through licensee Truth Broadcasting Corporation.[2] It airs a Christian radio format as part of "The Truth Network", originating in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.Programming is also heard on FM translator station W249CI at 97.7 MHz.

WLES began as a daytime-only radio station in Lawrenceville in September 1959. It primarily broadcast a country music format. The station was moved into the Richmond area in the 2010s.

History

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WLES began broadcasting on 580 kHz from Lawrenceville, near the Virginia-North Carolina border, on September 28, 1959.[3] It was a 500-watt, daytime-only outlet.[4] The station was founded by Harry A. Epperson Sr. and was sold to Elton N. Doyle and William C. Link in 1966.[5] Doyle became mayor of Lawrenceville in 1970; he sold his interest in the station in 1980, with Link becoming the sole owner,[4] and remained mayor another decade.[6]

Link sold WLES and WHFD (105.5 FM) to Willis Broadcasting Corporation in 1999. At that time, both stations broadcast country music.[7] Within a year, Willis opted to retain the FM outlet and sold the AM station to Chesapeake-Portsmouth Broadcasting Corporation, owned by Nancy Epperson.[8] By 2005, the station was airing an oldies format.[9]

Chesapeake-Portsmouth Broadcasting filed a request in July 2007 to transfer the license of WLES to Truth Broadcasting, headed by Nancy's son Stu Epperson, Jr.,[10] but withdrew the request in August 2007.[11] Subsequently, a construction permit request was filed to conduct a frequency swap with nearby station WLVA, which is owned by Truth Broadcasting and operated on the adjacent frequency of 590 kHz; the frequency change would also see WLVA move from Lawrenceville to Bon Air, a suburb of Richmond.[12] The swap was completed in 2011. The station was issued a license to operate on 590 kHz on March 28, 2014.

Effective May 21, 2019, Chesapeake-Portsmouth Broadcasting sold WLES to Truth Broadcasting Corporation for $75,000; Truth was already providing its programming.[13]

Translator

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In addition to the main station, WLES is relayed by an FM translator.[14] The translator was acquired from another Epperson company, Delmarva Educational Association, for $100,000 in 2022 but was broadcasting WLES beforehand.[15]

Call sign Frequency City of license FID ERP (W) HAAT Class FCC info
W249CI 97.7 FM Bellwood, Virginia 143583 240 131 m (430 ft) D LMS

References

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  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WLES". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ "WLES Facility Record". Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  3. ^ "Lawrenceville Radio Station Begins Broadcasts". The Progress-Index. September 29, 1959. p. 11. Retrieved September 27, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b "History Cards for WLES". Federal Communications Commission.
  5. ^ "Privity issue faces Epperson family". November 15, 1965. p. 91. ProQuest 1014498365.
  6. ^ Stallsmith, Pamela (July 25, 1993). "Era in Lawrenceville will end Aug. 31: Town manager (and former mayor) to retire". Richmond Times-Dispatch. p. C3. Retrieved September 27, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Changing Hands". Broadcasting & Cable. March 22, 1999. p. 46. ProQuest 1014775079.
  8. ^ "Changing Hands". Broadcasting & Cable. January 10, 2000. p. 64. ProQuest 1014784968.
  9. ^ "WLES(AM)". Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook. 2005. p. D-537.
  10. ^ "VARTV.com | News Archives - July & August 2007". www.vartv.com. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
  11. ^ "Archived". Archived from the original on April 24, 2023. Retrieved June 3, 2023.[dead link]
  12. ^ "CDBS Print".
  13. ^ Venta, Lance (March 22, 2019). "Station Sales Week Of 3/22". RadioInsight.
  14. ^ "W249CI Facility Record". Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  15. ^ Venta, Lance (July 29, 2022). "Station Sales Week Of 7/29: Civic Media Continues Rapid Wisconsin Growth". RadioInsight.
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