WABB

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**WABB (AM)**

Broadcast area	Mobile, Alabama
Branding	NewsTalk 1480 WABB
Slogan	Mobile's News/Talk Leader
First air date	June 19, 1948
Frequency	1480 kHz
Format	News/Talk
ERP	5000 watts
Class	B
Callsign meaning	"Alabama's Best Broadcasters"
Owner	Dittman Broadcasting (WABB-FM, Inc.)

**WABB-FM**

Broadcast area	Mobile, Alabama
Branding	97.5 WABB
Slogan	The #1 Hit Music Station
First air date	February 5, 1973
Frequency	97.5 MHz
Format	Contemporary Hit Radio
ERP	100,000 watts
Class	C
Callsign meaning	"Alabama's Best Broadcasters"
Owner	Dittman Broadcasting (WABB-FM, Inc.)
Website	www.wabb.com

WABB is the call sign for both the heritage Top 40 radio station and a news/talk station. Both have been owned by Dittman Broadcasting since 1959. WABB has been broadcasting at 1480 kHz since June 19, 1948, when it was originally owned by the Mobile Register under call letters meaning "Alabama's Best Broadcasters" and had a country music format at one point. WABB had an FM simulcast from the very beginning, starting with 107.9 MHz and later 102.1 MHz until it was discontinued in the 1950s. Shortly after owner Bernie Dittman moved to Mobile from his native Ohio to join his father J.W. at the station, Top-40 music became the new format. WABB 97.5 FM signed on for the first time on February 5, 1973 with the song Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again by Bob Dylan. WMOB had ended plans for an FM companion, thus allowing the construction permit to be sold to WABB. WABB-FM was originally a simulcast of its sister station before moving toward the format of album oriented rock. When WABB-FM made the move to its current contemporary hit radio format back in 1984, the AM station continued to play Top-40 music for the time being. But eventually, the economics of AM radio in the United States meant a move away from music and the station adopted a talk radio format. WABB's longtime owner, president, and general manager Bernie Dittman died on October 25, 2006 after suffering from a stroke the previous week. Dittman's daughter Betsey succeeded him after relocating to Mobile from Chicago, Illinois.

WABB's logo and slogan during the 1960s

WABB serves the Mobile and Gulf Coast areas, while its AM sister station features a line-up of primarily nationally syndicated talk programming. Some of the personalities on WABB-AM include local hosts such as Ron Fraiser, national hosts Neal Boortz, Bill O'Reilly, Clark Howard, Sean Hannity, and Joey Reynolds for the night owls. WABB-AM is also the radio home of Mobile's minor league baseball team the Mobile BayBears. During the local morning talk show, WABB's past is often discussed along with issues facing the Gulf Coast and the world, from WALA-TV meteorologist John Edd Thompson's long relationship with the station to Fraiser's memories of working there as a disc jockey before leaving Mobile at one point. WABB currently broadcasts from midtown Mobile's Springhill Ave, its home since 1969 after leaving the former Government Street studio in downtown Mobile.

WABB-FM's former logo

WABB has always been known for it's personality driven and colorful "on-air" personalities, it's huge contests, great concerts and more. Bernie Dittman was instrumental at encouraging and bringing along unknown air talent and molding them into prime time players. In 1997 WABB celebrated, with what Dittman coined, "The Year Of 97" to coincide with the stations position on the dial. That year WABB led the way with special concerts and contests.

The WABB-FM morning show has been a consistent hit in Mobile with music, news, traffic, contests and the hilarious stunts. Thanks to Bernie Dittman and the "keeping it local" mentality WABB has been able to focus it's caring and sharing to the Gulf Coast community. With functions like the CCA, Toy's For Tot's, The Greater Gulf State Fair, and more WABB has always had it's finger on the pulse of the community and that is an attribute that Bernie Dittman always stressed to his entire staff.

With the ever changing world of radio, WABB has maintained itself at the top and should continue to hold that value to all audiences for even more generations.

[edit] WABB Personalities, Past and Present

Ron "Hot Ron" Anthony
Tim Camp
Howie Castle
Evan Chance
Lee Chesnut
John Christopher
Crash Connors
Wayne Coy
M.G. "Dan" Daniels
Dan Diamond
Ken Dowe
Bill Evans
Ted Ferguson
Ryan "Pablo" Foster
Ron Fraiser
"Mama" Karen Frazier
Leslie Fram
Paul Fuller
"Lil' Joe" Gaston
Geronimo
Dave Griffith
Mel Hall
Jay Hastings
Dusty Hayes
Uncle Henry
Scott Innes
Lillian Jackson
Dick Kent
Jerry King
Randy Lane
Dylan
Cherish Lombard
Matt McCoy
Dayna Foxx
Jammer
Jonathan
Lance
Daniel Shane McBryde
AJ McKay
David Page
Kris Pierce
Frank Roberts
Kathy Richardson
Scott Shannon
Dennis Wayne "HoundDog" Stacy
Jim Taber
Tim Livingston
Charlie Matkin
Trey Matthews
Gary Mitchell
Dot Moore
Scott O'Brien
Chris Smith
Jon St. John
Johnny Williams

The current line up on WABB-FM (97.5) is:

5:30AM-10:00AM        The Morning Guys
10:00AM-3:00PM        Mena
3:00PM-7:00PM         Jammer
7:00PM-Midnight       Jonathan
Midnight-5:30AM       TJ

The current weekday line up on WABB-AM (1480) is:

6:05AM-9:00AM    WABB Morning Show 
9:05AM-11:00AM   The Neal Boortz Show  
11:05AM-1:00PM   The Radio Factor with Bill O'Reilly  
1:05PM-2:00PM    The Clark Howard Show (2nd Hour)
2:05PM-5:00PM    The Sean Hannity Show
5:05PM-7:00PM    The Mark Levin Show
7:05PM-9:00PM    The Laura Ingraham Show 
9:05PM-12:00AM   The Jerry Doyle Show
12:05AM-4:00AM   The Joey Reynolds Show (live)
4:05AM-5:00AM    The Joey Reynolds Show (repeat) 
5:05AM-5:30AM    NBC First Light 
5:30AM-6:00AM    WALA-TV Newscast (simulcast)

[edit] External links

Radio stations serving the Mobile / Pensacola / Gulfport area (Arbitron #90)

Mobile

By FM frequency: 88.5 | 89.1 | 89.5 | 90.3 | 91.3 | 92.1 | 92.9 | 93.7 | 94.1 | 94.9 | 96.1 | 97.5 | 98.3 | 98.7 | 99.1 | 99.9 | 100.7 | 101.5 | 102.7 | 103.1 | 104.1 | 104.9 | 105.5 | 106.5 | 107.3 | 107.9

By AM frequency: 660 | 710 | 840 | 900 | 960 | 1220 | 1270 | 1360 | 1410 | 1480