WLLQ

WLLQ is a daytime only AM radio station licensed to Chapel Hill, North Carolina on 1530 kHz. The station is part of the regional Mexican music network called La Grande.

WLLQ
CityChapel Hill, North Carolina
Frequency1530 kHz
BrandingLa Grande
Programming
FormatRegional Mexican
Ownership
OwnerEstuardo Valdemar Rodriguez and Leonor Rodriguez
WRTG WREV WSRP WLLN
History
First air date
1973 (as WRBX)
Former call signs
WRBX (1973-1986)
WRTP (1986-2005)
Technical information
Facility ID9068
ClassD
Power10,000 watts daytime only
Transmitter coordinates
35°58′07″N 79°00′10″W
Links
WebcastListen live
Websitelagrandenc.com

History

WLLQ debuted in 1973 as WRBX, a jazz-formatted station under the ownership of Stuart Epperson, now the head of national Christian broadcaster Salem Communications. WRBX's studios were located on Chapel Hill's West Rosemary Street, and the daytime-only station had 5,000 watts of power.

As the jazz format lost listeners to competitors on the FM dial, WRBX moved towards an inspirational Christian format. By 1978, WRBX had gone Southern gospel, increased its power to 10,000 watts and moved to studios on Durham-Chapel Hill Boulevard (US 15/501) near present-day New Hope Commons Shopping Center.

In 1979, Epperson sold WRBX to Hugh Johnston, who changed the station to a country format. The country format continued until 1985, when WRBX was sold to L. L "Buddy" Leathers' Carolina Christian Communications, and the inspirational Christian format was reinstated. The station's studios were moved into Leathers' repair shop, and the call letters changed to WRTP.

The inspirational format soon became a contemporary Christian one. Carolina Christian Communications expanded WRTP to a simulcast with Garner-based WRTG, 1000 AM, in 1994 and to Mebane-based WGSB, 1060 AM in 1995. Between these three stations the full Triangle region was covered, but only during daylight hours, as all three were licensed only for daytime operation.

In October 2004, WRTP, WRTG and WGSB were all purchased by Estuardo Valdemar Rodriguez and Leonor Rodriguez, owners of WLLN in Lillington, for $1.1 million. On February 3, 2005, WRTP and its two sister AM stations ceased broadcasting the "His Radio WRTP" Christian format on AM,[1] and after a day off-air, the three stations resumed broadcasting, now with a regional Mexican format formerly heard on WFTK. AM 1530 also changed its call letters from WRTP to WLLQ.

The La Grande network later added stations, while WGSB's license was cancelled by the Federal Communications Commission on March 12, 2019, due to the station having been silent since January 13, 2017.

References
  1. The original Christian format now airs over WRTP-FM, WCCE-FM, and a number of FM translators 24 hours a day throughout central and eastern North Carolina.
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