AM Technical Profile: WPPT

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Frequency:
1230
Format:
Gospel
Transmitter Location:
[map] [street view]
Power (ERP):
Day: 1 kW
Night: 1 kW
Antenna:
1 tower
Other Information:
[FCC]
[Radio-Locator]
[Wikipedia]
Silent
License deleted 04-06-2012
History:
Put on the air in Talladega as WHTB-AM around 1945, on 1230 kHz with 250 watts, by the Voice of Talladega, Inc. The station was affiliated with the Mutual Broadcasting network from 1945 until at least 1949.  WHTB put an FM on as early as 1953, on 97.1 MHz, with 9.1 kw, which later moved to Sylacauga and changed frequencies to 98.3 MHz.  In 1959 this station was bought by the same group that owned WETU in Wetumpka and WRFS in Alexander City.  James and Charles Whatley (as Radio Alabama, Inc. for this station) of Alexander City had a hand in each of these stations to some degree or another.  Under their ownership the calls changed to WNUZ in the early 60's.
.
The station was sold in 1997 to Birmingham Christian Radio, who put on a gospel format.  The mid-2000s saw multiple periods of being silent, culminating in the loss of the transmitter when the antenna was struck by lightning.  The station may have resumed broadcasting right as their permit to stay off air expired in August 2009, but it's unclear how consistently they were on air after that.  The station appears to have fallen silent again 2010, and it's unclear if it ever came back on.  The calls changed to WPPT in March, 2012 and the record was finally deleted by the FCC one month later.