WLIB

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WLIB

Broadcast area	New York City
Slogan	"Your Praise and Inspiration Station"
Frequency	1190 (kHz)
Format	gospel music
ERP	10,000 watts Daytime/ 30,000 watts Nighttime
Owner	Inner City Broadcasting
Website	www.wlib.com

WLIB (1190 AM) is a gospel music radio station located in New York City and owned by Inner City Broadcasting.

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.[1]

[edit] 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 the late 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.[2]

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.[3]. 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 12AM-5AM 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. are two Sunday morning programs, featuring The Rev. Al Sharpton and David Dinkins. [4] Generally, from 5AM 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 10PM 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.[5] 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.

[edit] External links

• Query the FCC's AM station database for WLIB