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WTAR

WTAR (850 AM) is a commercial radio station licensedtoNorfolk, Virginia, and serving the Hampton Roads (Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Newport News) radio market.^[2] WTAR is owned and operated by Sinclair Telecable, Inc. It broadcasts an adult album alternative format as "96.5 The Coast".^[3] WTAR's studios and offices are on Waterside Drive in Norfolk.^[4]

The transmitter site is off Track Lane in Smithfield, Virginia.^[5] WTAR uses a directional antenna at all times. It runs at 50,000 watts by day, the highest power permitted by the Federal Communications Commission for AM stations. It provides at least secondary coverage to most of southeastern Virginia, as far as Richmond. At night, to reduce interference to other stations on 850 AM, mainly Class A KOAinDenver, WTAR reduces power to 25,000 watt. concentrating the signal in Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Hampton and Newport News.

WTAR programming is also heard on HD Radio over 106.1 WUSH-HD2 and on FM translator station W243DJ at 96.5 MHz in Norfolk and W243EK at 96.5 MHz in Hampton.^[6]

The station, originally WCAV, began broadcasting in 1952, transmitting on 860 kHz.

In 1954, owners of another Norfolk radio station, WRAP on 1050 kHz, acquired WCAV, moving it to 850 kHz and changing its call letters to WRAP and adopting a black-oriented format. On this new frequency, WRAP programming could broadcast around the clock. The daytime power was increased to 5,000 watts and the nighttime power to 1,000 watts.^[7] WRAP was programmed to Norfolk's African-American community. Its call sign used the word "RAP", an African-American English word for "talk" or "discussion." (It would be several decades before "rap" began referring to a musical style.) An advertisement in the 1957 edition of Broadcasting Yearbook, using the descriptions of the era, said "Survey figures show the most Negroes in the Norfolk area listen most to WRAP." It added that WRAP was "the only all-Negro station in Norfolk."

In 1987, WNIS on AM 1350 was acquired by local cable TV company Clinton Cablevision (later Sinclair Telecable).^[8] The new owner flipped the format to talk. A swap was made with AM 1350, which moved the WNIS call sign to this station, and transferred the WRAP call letters, with its associated black-oriented format, to AM 1350.^[9]

WNIS, meaning "News and Information Station", picked up programming from ABC Talkradio, NBC Talknet and the Mutual Broadcasting System's Larry King Show.

On July 15, 1997, WNIS and its sister station on AM 790, WTAR, exchanged call letters, with AM 790 becoming WNIS, while WTAR was moved to 850 kHz.^[10][11] 850 has the stronger signal, broadcasting at 50,000 watts by day, the highest power authorized for AM stations by the Federal Communications Commission. At night it runs 25,000 watts, while 790 kHz transmits 5,000 watts day and night. Both stations had talk formats.

WTAR flipped from talk radio to an all-sports format on February 5, 2006.^[12] On September 15, 2017, WTAR began simulcasting on WUSH-HD2 and FM translator station W243DJ at 96.5 MHz in Norfolk.^[6] The move allows WTAR listeners to hear the station on either AM or FM, although the FM translator signal is limited to Norfolk and surrounding communities due to its low power of 120 watts.^[13] The station also signed on another low-powered FM translator, W243EK in Hampton (on the same frequency of W243DJ), to improve its nighttime signal on the Lower Peninsula and the HRBT's AM/FM rebroadcast system.

On September 1, 2022, WTAR dropped its sports format and began stunting with a loop of Justin Timberlake's "SexyBack" (as well as construction sound effects). (However, on September 3, WTAR broke from the stunt to air a University of Virginia football game against Richmond; the 96.5 translators remained on the stunt during that time.) On September 6, WTAR and its translators flipped to hot adult contemporary, branded as "96.5 Lucy FM", modeled after its sister station in Austin, Texas. The 850 AM signal continues to break away from "Lucy FM" programming for the University of Virginia broadcasts.^[14]

Until September 1, 2022, the station aired a sports radio format, carrying the Fox Sports Radio Network most of the day, with a local afternoon drive time show. The syndicated Dan Patrick Show was heard in late mornings. WTAR was part of the Washington Commanders Radio Network.

On March 20, 2023, WTAR flipped to adult album alternative, branded as "96.5 The Coast". The flip returns the "Coast" branding to the market for the first time since WKOC's flip in 2003.^[15]

• Facility details for Facility ID 60472 (WTAR) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
• WTARinNielsen Audio's AM station database
• FCC History Cards for WTAR (covering 1947-1981 as WCAV / WRAP)
• Facility details for Facility ID 203167 (W243EK) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
• W243EK at FCCdata.org