SPANISH FORT, Alabama — Local Christian radio stations WMOB and WTOF will officially cease broadcasting on Sunday, according to staff at the stations.
Acquired by Buddy Tucker Association Inc., the stations have been under the ownership of Tucker’s wife, Lavaughn Tucker, since his death two years ago.
“She is in her 90s and is no longer able to keep up with the expense of running the stations,” said longtime DJ Debby Day.
The stations air a Christian radio format including syndicated Christian talk and Christian ministry, plus Southern Gospel music, but both the stations’ contributors and advertisers have dropped off dramatically since the COVID-19 outbreak, Day said.
According to Wikipedia, WMOB (1360 AM) serves the Mobile metropolitan area. WMOB began broadcasting as WLIQ in 1961, owned by E.W. Jemison and Frank Conwell as Jemcon Broadcasting Company.
WLIQ became WPCY under new ownership in 1980, then WIXO and finally WMOB. Buddy Tucker Enterprises bought the station in 1991. While the station broadcast for decades from the historic Sheraton Battle House Hotel in Mobile, it has been broadcasting in the historic pink stucco building on Battleship Parkway in Spanish Fort for the last several years, Day said.
Day said, her brother, William Odom, has served as program director for station for about the last 25 years and she has worked on and off for the station during that time.
WTOF (Tower of Faith-1110 AM) has served the Bay Minette area since 1957, beginning as WBCA (Wonderful Baldwin County Alabama) under the ownership of the Southwest Alabama Broadcasting Company. Faulkner Radio acquired the station in 1958 and was owned by Faulkner University (Faulkner-Phillips Media Inc.) from 1986 to 1990.
Buddy Tucker Association Inc. acquired the station from Southern Media Communications Inc. in 2006 and was broadcasting as part of the WMOB Christian Broadcast Network, Day said.
WMOB had been simulcasting with WTOF, but because of technical difficulties, the Bay Minette station has been off the air for about three weeks, Day said. WMOB will host its last broadcast on Sunday, Nov 22, she said.