| Broadcast area | New Hanover County, Brunswick County and Pender County |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 630 kHz |
| Branding | ESPN Wilmington |
| Programming | |
| Format | Sports |
| Affiliations | ESPN Radio Charlotte Hornets North Carolina Tar Heels UNC Wilmington Seahawks Sports USA Radio Network Westwood One |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Capitol Broadcasting Company |
| Sister stations | WAZO, WILT, WKXB, WRMR |
| History | |
| First air date | September 15, 1935; 89 years ago (1935-09-15) |
| Former frequencies | 1370 kHz (1935–1941) 1400 kHz (1941–1949) |
| Technical information | |
| Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 61701 |
| Class | B |
| Power | 800 watts day 1,000 watts night |
| Transmitter coordinates | 34°16′19″N 77°58′28″W / 34.27194°N 77.97444°W / 34.27194; -77.97444 |
| Translator(s) | 101.7 W269DF (Wilmington) |
| Repeater(s) | 99.9 WKXB-HD3 (Boiling Spring Lakes) |
| Links | |
| Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | espnwilmington.com |
WMFD (630 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station in Wilmington, North Carolina. It is owned by the Capitol Broadcasting Company and broadcasts a sports format, primarily from ESPN Radio. The radio studios and offices are on North Kerr Avenue in Wilmington.
By day, WMFD’s power is 800 watts; at night it slightly increases its power to 1,000 watts. A directional antenna with a two-tower array is used during the day and three-tower array at night to protect other stations on 630 AM from interference. The transmitter is off Sampson Street in Navassa, North Carolina. Programming is simulcast on 250-watt FM translator W269DF at 101.7 MHz. WMFD is also heard on the HD Radio digital subchannel of co-owned 99.9 WKXB-HD3.
History
WMFD signed on the air on September 15, 1935; 89 years ago (1935-09-15). It is Wilmington's oldest, though not its first, radio station. It has retained its original call sign throughout its history.
In 1954, the station launched WMFD-TV Channel 6, Wilmington's first TV station, now WECT.
In May 1996, Community Broadcasting sold radio stations WMFD, WUOY, and WBMS to a new company called Ocean Broadcasting. As a talk station, WMFD added Dr. Laura Schlessinger and The Fabulous Sports Babe, as well as CNN Headline News part of the time. In 1999, WMFD was airing Don Imus' morning show from New York City.
In 2000, WMFD changed to sports radio and added the minor-league baseball team Wilmington Waves.
In July 2004, NextMedia Group purchased WRQR, WAZO, and WMFD from Ocean Broadcasting, and WKXB and WSFM from Sea-Comm Inc.
In July 2008, Capitol Broadcasting announced its purchase of NextMedia's Wilmington stations.
Translator
In addition to the main station, WMFD is relayed by FM translator W269DF 101.7 to widen its broadcast area. This station rebroadcast WLTT prior to 2014.
| Call sign | Frequency | City of license | FID | ERP (W) | Class | FCC info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W269DF | 101.7 FM | Wilmington, North Carolina | 144958 | 250 | D | LMS |
References
- "Facility Technical Data for WMFD". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ESPNwilmington.com/station-information
- Radio-Locator.com/WMFD
- Radio-Locator.com/W269DF
- "AM Query Results: First license date" (FCC.gov).
- Kristina Bartlett, "WUOY-FM, WMFD-AM AND WBMS-AM / Stations Sold to Ocean Broadcasting; New Company Purchases 3 Wilmington Radio Stations," Star-News, May 17, 1996.
- Toby Eddings, "Imus on a local station? Not yet," The Sun News, Jan. 14, 1999.
- Chuck Carree, "Waves Baseball; Sports Station to Carry All Games," Star-News, November 16, 2000.
- Bonnie Eksten, "Ocean Broadcasting, Sea-Comm Stations Sold to NextMedia - New Owner to Operate Locally," Star-News, July 14, 2004.
- "Capitol Broadcasting acquires seven radio stations in deals worth nearly $13M". www.wral.com. 16 July 2008. Retrieved 2024-10-19.
External links
- Official Website
- ESPN Wilmington WMFD 101.7FM AM630 Facebook page
- Facility details for Facility ID 61701 (WMFD) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- WMFD in Nielsen Audio's AM station database
- Facility details for Facility ID 144958 (W269DF) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- W269DF at FCCdata.org
- FCC History Cards for WMFD (covering 1934-1981)
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