HISTORY OF WEST VIRGINIA BROADCASTING

History of WRRL, Rainelle

Information for this page was contributed by Clarke Ingram. The page was created on Dec. 23, 2013.

April 18, 1973. FCC granted request by R-B Company Inc. for waiver of rules and accepted application for CP for new AM on 1130 khz with 1 kw-D at Rainelle.

July 18, 1973. R-B Co. granted 1130 khz, 1 kw-D. Address: 507 Main St., Rainelle, 25962. Estimated construction cost $26,500; first-year operating cost $43,200; revenue $60,000. Principals: Bruce Glenn Barker, Virgil W. Graves, Owen G. Shinn and Darrell K. Cales (each 25%). Mr. Barker has newspaper interests in Beckley. Mr. Graves is sales manager for WVAR(AM) Richwood. Dr. Cales and Mr. Shinn own Rainelle construction company. Dr. Cales is Rainelle dentist.

September 10, 1973. Broadcasting reports that R-B Co. applied for the call letters WRRL.

October 22, 1973. Broadcasting reports the WRRL call letters were granted.

Feb. 1, 1974. The Beckley Post-Herald reports:

A new radio station WRRL has opened at 501 Main St. in Rainelle. Shown at the control board is Ron Phillips, announcer. In the background is Glen Barker, manager. The station is owned by Rainelle Broadcasting Company, Inc., and is located on the radio dial at 1130 kilocycles. Another announcer is Larry Hellems and Mrs. Freda Cales of Rupert is secretary-receptionist. Virgil Groves, formerly of Richwood, is sales manager. The station will be on the air from sunrise to sunset with news broadcast five minutes before the hour and headlines on the half-hour, including weather, sports and time. The station will feature middle of the road music, diversified. The station will serve the community clubs, police, fire departments, local news and UPI wire news.

February 4, 1974. The FCC authorized program operation for WRRL.

June 6, 1974. The FCC granted WRRL a license to cover, specifying the transmitter location as Simms Mountain Road, Rainelle.

May 13, 1975. R-B Co. petitioned the FCC to assign FM channel 244A (96.7 MHz) to Rainelle.

October 7, 1975. In response to the request by R-B Co, the FCC proposed adding channel 244A (96.7 MHz) at Rainelle.

February 3, 1976. The FCC officially assigned FM channel 244A (96.7 MHz) to Rainelle.

May 17, 1976. R-B Co. applied for 96.7 mhz, 1.2 kw, HAAT 440 ft. Address: c/o Glenn Barker, 501 Main St., Rainelle, 25962. Estimated construction cost $31,671; first-year operating cost $8,000; revenue $40,000. Proposed format: C&W, MOR. Principals: Bruce Glenn Barker (41.7 %), Darrell K. Cales (49.3 %) and Jerry Pennington (9%). Mr. Cales is dentist with real estate interests. Mr. Pennington is student.

November 29, 1976. Broadcasting reports that R-B Co. applied for the call letters WRRL-FM. At this point, they held a CP for 96.7.

January 10, 1977. Broadcasting reports that the WRRL-FM call letters were granted.

February 11, 1977. The FCC authorized program operation for WRRL-FM.

May 2, 1977. Broadcasting reports that the FCC granted WRRL-FM a license to cover.

November 21, 1990. The FCC substituted channel 237A (95.3 MHz) for channel 244A (96.7 MHz) at Rainelle and modified the license of WRRL-FM accordingly, effective January 25, 1991. (This change apparently was made at WRRL-FM's request, to permit a power increase.)

December 6, 1991. R-B Co. applied for license to change channel of WRRL-FM to 237A (95.3 MHz) and to increase ERP. (This indicates a delay in WRRL-FM's frequency switch, reasons unknown.)

April 23, 1992. The FCC granted WRRL-FM's application to move to channel 237A (95.3 MHz) and to increase ERP to 3.1 kw.

March 21, 1995. Application filed with FCC to sell WRRL-AM-FM. Purchased by Faith Broadcasting Corp. (Tommy Holbrook, president and 20% voting stockholder) from R-B Co. Inc. (Darrell Cales, president) for $200,000. Buyer and seller have no other broadcast interests. WRRL(AM) has gospel format on 1130 khz with 1 kw-D. WRRL-FM has AOR format on 95.3 mhz with 3.1 kw and antenna 460 ft.

June 9, 1995. WRRL-FM changes its call letters to WRLB.

Jan. 15, 2001. Broadcasting reports the proposed sale of WRRL to Faith Mountain Communications for $60,000.

July 30, 2010. The sale of WRRL from Faith Mountain Communications, Inc. to Shilo Communications, Inc. is consummated.

Oct. 23, 2011. WRRL goes dark for technical reasons and requests STA from the FCC to remain silent for 180 days, which is granted in January 2012.

June 26, 2012. WRRL requests extension of STA to remain silent, which is granted in August 2012.

Oct. 9, 2012. WRRL briefly resumes operations.

Oct. 31, 2012. WRRL notifies the FCC that it has again gone dark due to severe storm damage.

Sept 4, 2013. WRRL again resumes operations. Main studio is now located at 823 South SewelI Street in Rainelle.

Dec. 2013. The FCC web site indicates that WRLB is still owned by Faith Communications, the previous owner of WRRL. Radio Greenbrier (WRON) has not yet completed its purchase of the station and has filed a number of "extension of consummation" requests.

2018. In 2018, WRRL was operating on 1130 kHz. Translator W299CF, “107.7 The River,” was licensed to Fayetteville. Translator W242BD, on 96.3 MHz, was licensed to Lewisburg. WRLB-FM, a Class B1 station on 95.3 MHz, was licensed to Rainelle.