WTOB (AM)
| City | Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Piedmont Triad |
| Branding | Classic Hits WTOB |
| Frequency | 980 kHz |
| First air date | October 28, 1950 (as WAAA) |
| Format | Classic hits |
| Power | 1,300 watts day 49 watts night |
| Class | D |
| Facility ID | 40996 |
| Transmitter coordinates | 36°6′40.00″N 80°14′36.00″W / 36.1111111°N 80.2433333°W |
| Former callsigns | WAAA (1950-2006) WTIX (2006-2009) WEGO (2009-2016) |
| Affiliations | Wake Forest University Demon Deacons Sports Radio Network |
| Owner | Richard Miller, Robert Scarborough and Richard Parker (Southern Broadcast Media LLC) |
| Sister stations | WBRF-FM, WPAQ |
WTOB (980 AM, "Classic Hits WTOB") is a radio station licensed to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA, which serves the Piedmont Triad area. The station is currently owned by Richard Miller and Robert Scarborough, through licensee Southern Broadcast Media LLC. and airs a classic hits format.
WAAA was owned by white businessman Roger Page when it first began broadcasting in 1950. This was rare at this time in the Deep South that a white owner would own and an operate a mainly black radio station.
On the afternoon of October 28, 1950, Larry L. Williams, an African-American, signed on WAAA. The first program broadcast was a football game between Morgan State University and A & T State University. The game was announced from the stadium by Togo West, Sr. (principal of Atkins High School) while Larry L. Williams conducted station operations.
On the morning of October 29, 1950, Williams signed on WAAA for the first full day of broadcasting as the second radio station in the state (after WGIV in 1947) specifically targeting an African American audience. WAAA was believed to be the third black radio station in the United States, preceded by WDIA in Memphis and WERD in Atlanta. WAAA was also the first black-owned station in North Carolina.
Prior to becoming the General Manager of WAAA, Larry L. Williams gave play-by-play action of the Winston-Salem State University football and basketball games; becoming known as the "Voice of the Rams." Larry L. Williams went on to become General Manager of radio stations in Alabama, South Carolina, and Charlotte, NC. He returned to his home in Asheville, North Carolina in 2002 to become General Manager of WOXL-FM. Larry L. Williams, a pioneer in radio, retired in 2008 at the age of 90.
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