WBCE

WBCE (1200 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a religious format, licensed to Wickliffe, Kentucky, United States. The station is owned by Wendell D. Gray.[3]

WBCE
CityWickliffe, Kentucky
Frequency1200 kHz
Programming
FormatReligious
Ownership
OwnerWendell D. Gray
History
First air date
January 3, 1981
Call sign meaning
Ballard Carlisle Entertainment[1]
We Broadcast Christ Everyday (as a religious station)[2]
Technical information
Facility ID71209
ClassD
Power1,000 watts day
Transmitter coordinates
36°58′54″N 89°4′39″W

History

WBCE was put on air by a pair of attorneys, Charles Geveden and Bill Cunningham, who under the Ballard-Carlisle Broadcasting Company put stations on air in Wickliffe and Eddyville. The station's call letters were chosen after WBCK, the first option in mind, was found to be in use in Battle Creek, Michigan;[4] the station later justified the E for "Entertainment" by the time it signed on January 3, 1981 on 1010 kHz.[1] After signing on with a country format (as well as NBC and Kentucky Network news), WBCE changed formats to gospel music on November 1, 1982, citing the glut of area stations playing country music.[5] WBCE applied to build an FM station in Wickliffe, which was approved in 1984 after the competing applicant for the frequency dropped out,[6] though it was never built. The AM station also got a boost when it moved from 1010 to 1200 kHz in 1985, increasing its power to 1,000 watts from 250, though it remained daytime-only.[7]

1986 brought with it a sale to religious ownership, when WBCE, Inc. was bought by Bibletime Ministries, an outgrowth of Faith United Church in Paducah, headed by Jim Baggett.[8] The station had been originally backed by the Small Business Administration, but when the Beal Bank bought the loan, it accelerated the payment schedule, forcing Baggett into foreclosure in 2004. Under the impression that the station's license renewal could not be filed because of the foreclosure, Baggett did not do so; the FCC renewed the license and approved the station's sale at auction to James N. Courtney at the end of 2006, but fined the station $7,000 for the late renewal.[9]

Courtney sold WBCE to Rev. Wendell D. Gray for $105,000 in 2011.[10]

References
  1. "WBCE radio to hit the air". Paducah Sun. December 30, 1980. p. 2-A. Retrieved September 22, 2019.
  2. Craig, Berry (February 5, 1986). "What's in a name...or in this case, a broadcaster's call letters". Paducah Sun. p. A2. Retrieved September 22, 2019.
  3. "WBCE Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  4. Wingfield, Steve (August 22, 1980). "Commonwealth attorneys head new radio stations". Paducah Sun. p. 2-A. Retrieved September 22, 2019.
  5. "Radio station WBCE readies for a change". Paducah Sun. October 29, 1982. p. 16. Retrieved September 22, 2019.
  6. "FCC approves Wickliffe station". Paducah Sun. Associated Press. September 12, 1984. p. 6.
  7. "Radio granted boost in power". Paducah Sun. February 7, 1985. Retrieved September 22, 2019.
  8. "Religious radio finds its niche on dial". Paducah Sun. October 12, 1986. p. D1. Retrieved September 22, 2019.
  9. WBCE: FCC DA 06-2579, "MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDERANDNOTICE OF APPARENT LIABILITY FOR FORFEITURE"
  10. "Sold: Arizona, Washington State Clusters". AllAccess. February 14, 2011. Retrieved September 22, 2019. DAVID N. COURTNEY is selling Religion WBCE-A/WICKLIFFE, KY to Rev. WENDELL D. GRAY for $105,000.
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