WLIE

WLIE
City Islip, New York
Broadcast area New York metropolitan area
Frequency 540 kHz
First air date October 1959 (as WBIC)
Format Variety
Language(s) Spanish, English
Power 2,500 watts (day)
220 watts (night)
Class B
Facility ID 37805
Transmitter coordinates 40°45′6.00″N 73°12′50.00″W / 40.7516667°N 73.2138889°W / 40.7516667; -73.2138889
Callsign meaning W Long Island Expressway[1]
W Long Island Experts
Former callsigns WBIC (1959-1967)
WLIX (1967-1995)
WLUX (1995-2002)[2]
Owner Principle NY Holding Co., LLC
Webcast Listen Live
Website www.wlie540am.com

WLIE (540 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a Variety format and licensed to Islip, New York.

History

WLIE signed on as WBIC in October 1959.[3] Bob 'Bobaloo' Lewis, who would later gain fame as one of the “All Americans” on 77 WABC Radio in New York City, was one of the Original DJ's on WBIC.

In the early 1970s, then known as WLIX, it broadcast an automated "beautiful music" format, and on Sunday mornings an Italian-American music program hosted by Joe Rotolo. Owned at that time by marketer, former Mutual Broadcasting System chairman and would-be politician Malcolm E. Smith, Jr., it occupied a Canadian clear-channel frequency, requiring it to leave the air at sundown.

Sometime in the mid-1970s, it changed to Christian programming, still as WLIX.

In 1981, this station was featured on the NBC series Real People, which was a cross between a newsmagazine and what can now be called reality television.

In 1983, it was permitted to broadcast after dark, at reduced power.

In the mid-1990s, it was WLUX with a pop standards format.

In September 2002 the station changed call letters to WLIE and flipped formats to become a talk radio station,[4][5] Ed Tyll hosted a talk show on WLIE during this format. Then the talk format was dumped for a business talk format.[6]

Beginning in 2008, the station started airing Spanish language religious shows. It currently broadcasts a Variety Format, including Leased Air-Time and news/talk programs.[7]

References

  1. "Call Letter Origins". Radio History on the Web. Retrieved April 8, 2013.
  2. "Call Sign History". CDBS Public Access Database. FCC Media Bureau. Retrieved April 8, 2013.
  3. "Station WBIC Now On Air" (PDF). The Suffolk County News. Sayville New York. 1959-10-29. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
  4. Hinckley, David (2002-09-04). "Stern: Ousted Rivals Had It Coming". New York Daily News.
  5. Hinckley, David (2002-11-20). "WLIE Boosts Signal and Island Focus". New York Daily News.
  6. Solnik, Claude (2003-08-01). "Island Talk WLIE cuts staff to lower expenses". Long Island Business News. Archived from the original on May 22, 2011.
  7. "WLIE website". Retrieved April 8, 2013.


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