City Glen Allen, Virginia Branding Big 98.5 Frequency 98.5 MHz | Broadcast area Central Virginia Slogan Richmond's New Country First air date 2013 | |
W253BI is a Country formatted broadcast translator licensed to Glen Allen, Virginia, serving Central Virginia. W253BI is owned and operated by iHeartMedia.
History
In April 2013, Clear Channel Communications (now iHeartRadio) completed construction of the 98.5 FM translator in Glen Allen, VA. It was originally listed as a translator for WRVQ, which was later modified to use WTVR-FM.
On May 5, 2014, the station signed on as a simulcast of iHeartRadio's WRVA, using the branding "NewsRadio 1140 & 98.5 FM", and technically relaying WTVR-HD2. The simulcast ended on July 23, 2015 at 3pm, after the end of that day's Rush Limbaugh show. The station then began stunting with construction noises, with liners telling WRVA listeners to move to 1140 AM, and to listen the following Monday, the 27th, at 9AM for something new on 98.5. At that time, 98.5 flipped to country as "Big 98.5", launching with 10,000 songs in a row. The first song on Big was "Kick the Dust Up" by Luke Bryan. As a translator is not legally permitted to originate its own programming, by U.S. Federal Communications Commission regulation, W253BI is relaying WRXL-HD2.