WPTF (680 AM) is a commercial radio station broadcasting a news/talk radio format. Licensed to Raleigh, North Carolina, the station serves the Research Triangle area. It is owned by the Curtis Media Group, with studios on Highwoods Boulevard near Interstate 440 in Raleigh.
WPTF's transmitter site is a three-tower array off East Chatham Street, near Maynard Road NE, in Cary, North Carolina."WPTF-AM 680 kHz Raleigh, North Carolina" (Radio-Locator.com) Along with WBT in Charlotte, WPTF is one of two North Carolina AM stations powered at the maximum 50,000 watts. However, WBT is a Class A clear-channel station and has more protections from other stations than WPTF, which is classified as Class B. WPTF's daytime signal is non-directional from a single tower. It switches to a directional signal at night from two towers to avoid interference to other stations on 680 kHz. Even with this restriction, at night WPTF can be heard across much of the Southeastern United States with a good radio.
WPTF is relayed by four FM translators: W225DF (92.9 MHz, Raleigh), W251CA (98.1 MHz, Rolesville), W253CY (98.3 MHz, Cary) and W298DB (107.5 MHz, Smithfield)."FM Translator Primary Station Notification Application", submitted September 6, 2024, granted November 13, 2024.
Programming Weekday programs on WPTF include local news blocks in morning and afternoon drive times. Three nationally syndicated talk programs are on the weekday line up: The Brian Kilmeade Show, Fox Across America with Jimmy Failla and Red Eye Radio. WPTF's local news coverage is supplemented by the CBS Radio Network, AP Radio and the co-owned North Carolina News Network.
Weekends feature shows on health, money, gardening and home improvement, some of which are paid brokered programming. Long-time staple "The Weekend Gardener", hosted by Mike Raley and Ann Clapp, is heard for three hours on Saturday mornings. Syndicated weekend programs include The Kim Komando Show, Eye on Travel with Peter Greenberg, CBS News Weekend Roundup, Jill on Money with Jill Schlesenger and Face The Nation.
WPTF is the Raleigh/Durham affiliate of the University of North Carolina Tar Heel Sports Network, sharing flagship status with WCHL in Chapel Hill. WPTF carries Tar Heels football and men's basketball games, along with the coaches' shows for both sports and the weekly "Primetime In The ACC" show.
History Founding
WPTF was first licensed on October 25, 1924, as WFBQ with 50 watts on 1190 kHz, to the Wynne Radio Company, owned by William Avera Wynne, at 226 Fayetteville Street in Raleigh."New Stations", Radio Service Bulletin, November 1, 1924, page 3. However, earlier that month the company had announced it was broadcasting World's Series reports,"World Series Will Be Broadcasted By Wynne", Raleigh News and Observer, October 4, 1924, page 9. Listed station wavelength is 250 meters (1200 kHz). and later advertised that "We built and operated said Station long before we received the license" for WFBQ."Wynne Radio Co." (advertisement), Raleigh News and Observer, May 25, 1941, page 12. The original call letters were randomly assigned from a sequential roster of available call signs. WFBQ was the second Raleigh radio station, following the short-lived WLAC, which was licensed to the North Carolina State College from August 31, 1922, to October 29, 1923."North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Engineering of the University of North Carolina" entry, Education's Own Stations, S. E. Frost, Jr., 1937, page 258.
William Wynne had long been a local technical leader. In 1899, he established the Raleigh Telephone Company, and prior to World War One built a radio receiver used to pick up nightly time signals broadcast by NAA in Arlington, Virginia, to accurately set the timepieces at the Jolly-Wynne Jewelry Store. In 1922, at the age of 55, Wynne sold his telephone company and opened the radio equipment store."String Telephone 60 Years Ago Started Will Wynne on Communications Career", Raleigh News and Observer, September 26, 1937, third section, page 9. As of June 30, 1924, he held a license for amateur station 4RU, located at 323 Hillsboro Street in Raleigh."Fourth District", Amateur Radio Stations of the United States, June 30, 1924, edition, page 96. The "4" in 4RU's call sign specified that the station was located in the fourth Radio Inspection district. The fact that "R" falls in the range A-W indicated that the station was operating under a standard amateur station license.
In 1922, there was rapidly increasing interest by the general public in the recently introduced innovation of radio broadcasting. However, in 1924, there were no local Raleigh radio stations, so listeners were limited to nighttime reception of distant stations, which required more expensive equipment. The establishment of WFBQ provided Wynne Radio Company customers an additional, local, programming source, that could be picked up during daytime hours by less expensive receivers. WFBQ offices and broadcasting facilities were located in the Boone Building next to the Wake County Courthouse.
On August 15, 1925, the call letters were changed to WRCO, for Wynne Radio Company."Wynne Radio Co." (advertisement), Raleigh News and Observer, August 16, 1925, Sport section, page 6."Alterations and corrections", Radio Service Bulletin, September 1, 1925, page 7. Operations were moved to the Sir Walter Hotel, with the station's transmitting antenna strung between two towers constructed on the roof."Sir Walter Hotel and Antenna of Radio Station W.P.T.F., Raleigh, N.C." (postcard) The following year the power was increased to 250 watts. In June 1927, the station was assigned to 1380 kHz."Broadcasting Stations by Wave Lengths" (effective June 15, 1927), Radio Service Bulletin, May 31, 1927, page 14.
Durham Life Insurance
In the summer of 1927, WRCO was purchased by the Durham Life Insurance Company, which moved the station to 720 kHz, now with 500 watts, and changed the callsign to WPTF,"WPTF Solves Upkeep Problem" by George L. Sutherland, Jr., Radio Digest, October 1928, pages 45-46."Alterations and corrections", Radio Service Bulletin, August 31, 1927, page 6. reflecting the new owner's motto of "We Protect The Family". New equipment was purchased and the operations were moved to the basement of the old Durham Life building. Following a series of test transmissions, WPTF made its formal debut on November 14, 1927."Raleigh's New Radio Station Goes on Air With Civic Club Program Monday Night", Raleigh News and Observer, November 13, 1927, Third (radio) section, page 1. On December 1, 1927, the station moved to 550 kHz,"Seek to Improve Radio Reception" by Thomas H. Young, Raleigh News and Observer, November 20, 1927, pages 1-2."Broadcasting Stations in the United States", Radio Service Bulletin, February 29, 1928, page 16. which was followed by a power increase to 1,000 watts. William Wynne initially stayed on as station engineer, but later left, continuing to work in the radio industry, and in 1933 set up WEED, the first radio station in Greenville."Greenville Gets Radio Station", Raleigh News and Observer, June 18, 1933, page 14.
On November 11, 1928, with the implementation of the Federal Radio Commission's General Order 40, WPTF was assigned to 680 kHz. KPO in San Francisco was designated as the primary occupant of this "clear channel" frequency, so WPTF was restricted to "limited time" operation, which prohibited WPTF from operating after San Francisco sunset, unless special permission had been received to operate with reduced power for additional hours."Revised list of broadcasting stations, by frequencies, effective 3 a. m., November 11, 1928, eastern standard time", Second Annual Report of the Federal Radio Commission for the Year Ended June 30, 1928, Together With Supplemental Report for the Period From July 1, 1928, to September 30, 1928, page 201.
In the early 1930s, WPTF was a pioneer in educational radio. Students in area schools that had radios were able to listen to a daily broadcast, with topics that included "Citizenship", "Science", "Social Studies" and "Art, Music and Literature".
Although many attempts were made over the next several years, it was not until 1933 that the station was authorized to increase its power to 5,000 watts. WPTF purchased new equipment and moved its transmitter site to near Cary, North Carolina, on US Highway 1. Two towers were built, that turned out to be defective, and in June of the next year, winds from a thunderstorm collapsed one of the towers and damaged the other,"Wind Here Bends Tower to Earth", Raleigh News and Observer, June 30, 1935, page 12."Radio Tower Damages Result in Litigation", Raleigh News and Observer, September 7, 1935, page 8. requiring their replacement. These towers served as a prominent local landmark, and some nearby companies advertised their locations by noting their proximity."Sprinkle Service Station" (advertisement), Raleigh News and Observer, November 22, 1936, page 12.
Station upgrade
In June 1940, WPTF was authorized to operate unlimited hours, using a directional antenna to limit westward signals after sunset in San Francisco. A month later, the station was granted a construction permit to install new transmitter equipment and increase its power to 50,000 watts, the maximum for AM stations in the U.S."Westinghouse 50-HG Transmitters" (advertisement), Broadcasting, March 24, 1941, Supplement, page 13. A new transmission plant was constructed at the Cary transmitter site, which included replacing the two existing towers with 370-foot (113-meter) Blaw-Knox towers."WPTF", Broadcasting, January 1, 1941, page 18-B. The upgrade to 50,000 watts was delayed when a fire destroyed a new transmitter before it could go into regular service."Costly WPTF Fire", Broadcasting, March 10, 1941, page 45. On May 24, 1941, WPTF began operating with a replacement 50,000 watt transmitter. The next day, the station held an "open house" at the transmitter site, to show off "the new equipment, as modern and powerful as any in the country"."WPTF Transmitter" (advertisement), Raleigh News and Observer, May 25, 1941, page 2.
As of 1948, WPTF became an affiliate of the NBC Red Network. That year the station also received permission to install a third, taller, tower, designed to support the antenna for a new FM station.
Since the 1960s Bart Ritner went to work at WPTF in 1966, staying for 39 years. He hosted the morning show "Ask Your Neighbor", with people giving advice or recipes. His most popular show was "Open Line", an hour-long call-in-show started in 1966 and expanded to two hours in 1973. Don Curtis, whose company later bought the station called the show "one of the nation's first daily two-way talk programs". Ritner moved to news in 1980. He was the only reporter at a 1982 hostage incident at Central Prison, helping to negotiate and end the standoff. Ritner returned to "Open Line" in 1986 and moved it from evenings to afternoons.
By the 1970s, WPTF offered a "full service format with news, talk, and adult contemporary music". On July 1, 1983, WPTF began broadcasting in C-QUAM AM stereo. Bob Kwesell, whose conservative views offended a number of listeners but attracted many newcomer and increased advertising, was dropped on November 17, 1986.