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WTNT (730 kHz) is a Spanish hits AM radio station licensed to Alexandria, Virginia and serving the Washington metro area. WTNT is owned and operated by Metro Radio. 730 kHz is a Canadian and Mexican clear-channel frequency.

The station flipped formats to a Spanish music and talk format dubbed "La Capital" on December 1, 2013.

History

WTNT signed on as WPIK December 10, 1945. For many years this station operated as the AM side to country station WXRA 105.9 FM, and for another period as WPKX "Kix Country". For a time 730 simulcast 105.9's next incarnation, classic rock, as WCXR. For a short while in the mid-1980s, the station featured a soul oldies format. It was also WRMR with a nostalgia format for a very short while (not to be confused with the Cleveland, Ohio, market WRMR). In 1987, it took the call letters WCPT, and became WBZS in May 1995.

The station was owned by Metropolitan Broadcasting until 1989, Westinghouse Broadcasting from 1989 to 1993, and Viacom from 1993 to 1997. In July 1990, WCPT adopted a simulcast of CNN Headline News. From May 1995 to April 1999, WBZS offered a business news brokered financial advice format.

Then, Mega Communications bought the station and installed a Mexican/tropical music format as "Radio Capital", which it simulcast with its co-owned WBZS-FM (92.7 FM, Prince Frederick, Maryland) and WBPS (94.3 FM, Warrenton, Virginia). Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder bought all three stations in 2006. The new three-station network ran a new sports radio formart as "Triple X ESPN Radio". The WXTR calls were installed at this point; the call letters were used in the past on different stations in the Washington area on two different stations (at 104.1 FM and 820 AM). In 2008, Snyder bought his network's primary competitor, WTEM (980 AM), and WXTR switched to ESPN Deportes Radio.

On October 10, 2010, WXTR switched to a pop and soul oldies format. Radio Business Report quoted station management as saying the station would fill "a void in the marketplace". However, this change lasted only several days, as Red Zebra announced that WXTR would be sold off to Metro Radio that October 18. The WTNT call letters were moved from the 570 kHz facility, which changed to the WSPZ call letters, and picked up WTNT's previous talk format, which was dropped for sports talk in early September.

On December 1, 2013, WTNT changed their format from talk to Spanish AC, branded as "La Capital".

It eventually rebranded to "La Mega Capital" and moved towards a more Spanish contemporary format.

Translators

In addition to the main station, WTNT has two FM translators to widen its broadcast area.

References

1. "Facility Technical Data for WTNT". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
2. "WTNT Facility Record". Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
3. "WTNT La Capital". 730wtnt.com. November 24, 2013.
4. "FCC History Card - Facility ID 70036" (PDF).
5. "Call letters" (PDF). Broadcasting. April 18, 1983. p. 118.
6. "Call letters" (PDF). Broadcasting. February 10, 1986. p. 88.
7. "Call letters" (PDF). Broadcasting. No. August 30, 1982. p. 102.
8. "Call letters" (PDF). Broadcasting. April 30, 1986. p. 173.
9. Clabaugh, Jeff (January 20, 2006). "Snyder buys three Washington radio stations". Washington Business Journal.
10. Hughes, Dave (June 4, 2008). "Snyder To Buy WTEM & Two Talkers From Clear Channel". DCRTV.
11. "WXTR-AM DC flips from ESPN Deportes to Oldies". rbr.com. October 12, 2010.
12. "D.C.'s new conservative talk "WTNT" is at 730 AM, thanks to a sale". Radio-Info.com. October 18, 2010.
13. "WTNT Washington Flips to Spanish AC".

External links

• Official website
• Facility details for Facility ID 70036 (WTNT) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
• WTNT in Nielsen Audio's AM station database

• Radio stations in Virginia
• Contemporary hit radio stations in the United States
• Spanish-language radio stations in the United States
• Radio stations established in 1945
• 1945 establishments in Virginia
• Westinghouse Broadcasting