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WBVA was a commercial radio station licensed to serve Bayside, Virginia, at 1450 AM, and serviced parts of the Hampton Roads region. The station broadcast from 1998 to 2018, ceasing operations when owner Birach Broadcasting Corporation voluntarily turned their license back to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for cancellation. The license surrender had followed an investigation by the commission into a decade of limited operations for it and co-owned WVAB (1550 AM).

History

On January 22, 2018, the FCC designated WBVA and WVAB's license renewals for a hearing. According to the commission's records, WBVA operated for a total of 120 days in the two license terms between April 1, 2008, and November 30, 2017, and was silent for the remaining period of over nine years. When WBVA did operate, in order to avoid automatic deletion of its license after one continuous year of silence, it was at 30 watts from a temporary transmitter site at the western edge of Virginia Beach, Virginia. The FCC estimated that WBVA covered ten percent of its licensed service area from that site.

Since Birach Broadcasting acquired the stations in 2008 after their tower was destroyed, it has continually claimed that it has been unable to get zoning approval for a new tower for both stations. The full board of five commissioners would have determined whether renewing WBVA and WVAB's licenses would serve the public interest.

Before the FCC came to a decision, Birach attempted to donate WBVA's license and audio equipment – but not any transmission equipment or facilities – to two different nonprofits. When both donations fell through, Birach surrendered the WBVA license on September 7, 2018. The FCC cancelled the station's license on September 10, 2018.

References

1. Broadcasting Yearbook 2010 (PDF). ProQuest, LLC/Reed Publishing (Nederland), B.V. 2010. p. D-573. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
2. ^ Trent, John C. "Re: Surrender of Radio Station License WBVA (AM) Bayside, VA (Fac Id. 84068)". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
3. "Call Sign History". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
4. "Arbitron Station Information Profiles". Nielsen Audio/Nielsen Holdings. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
5. "WBVA Facility Record". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
6. "Hearing Designation Order" (PDF). Federal Communications Commission.
7. "FCC's Silent Station Crackdown Targets Virginia AMs". Insideradio.com.
8. ^ "DWBVA Facility Data". FCCData.
9. "Re: Donation of Radio Stations". FCC CDBS.
10. "License Cancelled". Federal Communications Commission Licensing and Management System. September 10, 2018. Retrieved November 24, 2024.

External links

• FCC Station Search Details: DWBVA(Facility ID:84068)

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• 1999 establishments in Virginia
• Radio stations established in 1999
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• 2018 disestablishments in Virginia
• Defunct radio stations in the United States
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