WTAR

WTAR
Broadcast areaHampton Roads
Frequency850 kHz
BrandingTalkRadio 96.5 & 850 WTAR
Programming
FormatTalk radio
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
  • Sinclair Communications
  • (Sinclair Telecable, Inc.)
History
First air date
1952 (1952)
Former call signs
  • WCAV (1947–1954)
  • WRAP (1954–1987)
  • WNIS (1987–1997)
Call sign meaning
derived from older WTAR; sequentially assigned
Technical information
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID60472
ClassB
Power
  • 50,000 watts (day)
  • 25,000 watts (night)
Transmitter coordinates
37°3′36.0″N 76°41′26.0″W / 37.060000°N 76.690556°W / 37.060000; -76.690556
Translator(s)See § Translators
Repeater(s)106.1 WUSH-HD2 (Poquoson)
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen live
Websitewtar.com

WTAR (850 AM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Norfolk, Virginia, United States, and serving the Hampton Roads (Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Newport News) radio market. WTAR is owned and operated by Sinclair Telecable, Inc. It broadcasts an talk radio format as "TalkRadio 96.5 & 850 WTAR". WTAR's studios and offices are on Waterside Drive in Norfolk.

The station's transmitter site is off Track Lane in Smithfield, Virginia. WTAR uses a directional antenna at all times. It runs at 50,000 watts by day, the highest power permitted by the Federal Communications Commission for AM stations. At night, to reduce interference to other stations on 850 AM, mainly Class A KOA in Denver, WTAR reduces power to 25,000 watts, concentrating the signal in Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Hampton and Newport News.

WTAR programming is also heard on HD Radio over 106.1 WUSH-HD2 and on FM translator station W243DJ at 96.5 MHz in Norfolk and W243EK at 96.5 MHz in Hampton.