WBZ-FM

WBZ-FM
Broadcast areaGreater Boston
Frequency98.5 MHz (HD Radio)
Branding98-5 The Sports Hub
Programming
FormatSports radio
SubchannelsHD2: "Hubcast" (Sports radio)
NetworkFox Sports Radio
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
WBOS, WBQT, WKLB-FM, WRCA, WROR-FM
History
First air date
October 1948; 76 years ago (1948-10)
Former call signs
  • WNAC-FM (1948–57)
  • WRKO-FM (1957–68)
  • WROR (1968–91)
  • WBMX (1991–2009)
Call sign meaning
from former sister station WBZ (AM)
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID1901
ClassB
ERP9,000 watts
HAAT349 meters (1,145 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
42°18′27.3″N 71°13′25.1″W / 42.307583°N 71.223639°W / 42.307583; -71.223639 (WBZ-FM)
Links
Public license information
Webcast
Website985thesportshub.com

WBZ-FM (98.5 FM) is a commercial sports radio station licensed to Boston, Massachusetts, serving Greater Boston and much of surrounding New England. Owned by the Beasley Broadcast Group, WBZ-FM is the Boston affiliate for Fox Sports Radio; the flagship station for the New England Patriots, Boston Bruins, Boston Celtics, and New England Revolution radio networks; and the radio home of Fred Toettcher, Scott Zolak, Mike Felger, Tony Massarotti, and Bob Socci. The WBZ-FM studios are located in Waltham, while the station transmitter resides in the Boston suburb of Newton. In addition to a standard analog transmission, WBZ-FM broadcasts over two HD Radio channels, and is available online.

Despite the call sign, WBZ-FM has no connection to either WBZ-TV or WBZ: WBZ-TV owner Paramount Global holds the trademark for "WBZ"[2] and has licensed the rights to the WBZ call letters to Beasley under a long-term agreement that followed CBS Corporation's divestiture of CBS Radio, WBZ-FM's previous owner, to Audacy.[3]

  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WBZ-FM". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ "WBZ Trademark of CBS Mass Media Corp. - Registration Number 2463746 - Serial Number 76033841". trademarks.justia.com. Justia Trademarks. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  3. ^ "Exhibit 2.8 - Execution Version: Trademark License Agreement (TV Station Brands) by and between CBS Broadcasting Inc. CBS Mass Media Corporation and CBS Radio Inc., and certain subsidiaries of CBS Radio Inc". www.sec.gov. November 16, 2017. Retrieved February 27, 2020.