WELB

For Western Education and Library Board (WELB), see Education in Northern Ireland.
WELB
Frequency1350 kHz
Programming
FormatSouthern Gospel
Ownership
OwnerRhett S. Snellgrove
History
First air date
November 16, 1958 (1958-11-16)
Last air date
April 15, 2022 (2022-04-15)
Call sign meaning
Elba
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID19142
ClassD
Power
  • 1,000 watts (day)
  • 44 watts (night)
Transmitter coordinates
31°27′10″N 86°04′00″W / 31.45278°N 86.06667°W / 31.45278; -86.06667
Links
Public license information

WELB (1350 AM) was a radio station licensed to serve the community of Elba, Alabama, United States. The station operated from 1958 to 2022 and was last owned by Rhett S. Snellgrove, airing a Southern Gospel music format.[2]

WELB began broadcasting on November 16, 1958. It was owned by Howard Parrish Jr., associated with station WOZK in Ozark, and began as a 1,000-watt, daytime-only outlet.[3] Less than a year later, it was sold to Jim Dowdy and Jim Wilson.[4][5] Ivy Jackson King Jr. and Frances King, of Opp, acquired WELB in 1964.[6][5]

William "Doug" Holderfield purchased WELB in 1969;[5] he ran the station through 2008, until selling to Rhett Snellgrove for $60,000.[7] Derek Snellgrove had worked at the station since the age of 15. Holderfield, in addition to WELB, started WZTZ (later WVVL) in 1986; he was the longtime voice of Elba High School football.[8] At the time of the sale, the station had a format of country and gospel music.[7] The Federal Communications Commission cancelled the station’s license on February 9, 2024,[9] as WELB had been silent since at least April 15, 2022.[10]

  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WELB". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ "Station Information Profile". Arbitron.
  3. ^ "Radio Station Starts Daily Programs Here". The Elba Clipper. Elba, Alabama. November 20, 1958. p. 1. Retrieved March 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Station WELB Radio Sale Is Confirmed". The Elba Clipper. Elba, Alabama. October 8, 1959. p. 1. Retrieved March 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ a b c "WELB history cards" (PDF). CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  6. ^ "WELB Radio Sold To Opp's Jack King". The Elba Clipper. Elba, Alabama. March 26, 1964. p. 1. Retrieved March 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ a b "Deals - 5/26/2008". Broadcasting & Cable. 2008-05-26.
  8. ^ Wise, Jeremy (May 31, 2017). "Voice of the Elba Tigers: Longtime radio station owner dies". The Enterprise Ledger. Enterprise, Alabama. pp. 1A, 5A. Retrieved March 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "License Cancelled". Federal Communications Commission Licensing and Management System. February 9, 2024. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  10. ^ Shuldiner, Albert (February 9, 2024). "In re: WELB(AM), Elba, AL … Notification of License Cancellation" (PDF). Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved February 9, 2024.