For more than a century, WBT-AM 1110 has been part of the fabric of Charlotte and the Carolinas. Since signing on in 1922, the station has informed, entertained, and connected generations of listeners. Its powerful 50,000-watt signal has carried breaking news, severe weather coverage, sports, election results, and emergency information across North Carolina, South Carolina, and much of the eastern United States.

Today, the future of an important part of that history is uncertain.

The property that houses WBT's historic transmitter site on Nations Ford Road has been placed on the market. While no one knows what the future holds for the property, one thing is certain: once historic structures are demolished, they cannot be replaced.

This petition is not intended to stop the sale of the property or prevent future development. It is not an effort to tell a private property owner what to do with its land.

Instead, we respectfully ask Urban One, any future owner of the property, Mecklenburg County, preservation organizations, and community leaders to work together to preserve, honor, or permanently commemorate the most historically significant parts of the WBT transmitter site before irreversible changes are made.

Possible ways to accomplish that include:

• Preserving the historic transmitter building, an idea already expressed by Mecklenburg County Historic Landmarks Director Stewart Gray.

• Evaluating the property for local historic landmark designation where appropriate.

• Preserving one or more of the iconic Blaw-Knox towers if feasible.

• Incorporating historic elements of the site into any future redevelopment.

• Installing a permanent historical marker or interpretive display that tells the story of WBT and Charlotte broadcasting.

• Creating a public memorial or exhibit recognizing the site's importance to broadcasting history.

• Thoroughly documenting the site through photographs, oral histories, engineering records, and archival materials before significant changes occur.

This effort has already received public support from longtime Charlotte broadcasters John Hancock, Sheri Lynch, and Arroe Collins, who believe the historic significance of the site deserves recognition and preservation.

Charlotte has lost too many historic places without meaningful efforts to preserve what made them special. The WBT transmitter site is more than a collection of towers and buildings. It is a place where broadcasting history was made. For generations, it served listeners during hurricanes, ice storms, elections, wars, and moments that shaped our communities. It stands as a reminder of how radio connected the Carolinas long before the internet or smartphones existed.

Even if every part of the site cannot be saved, future generations deserve the opportunity to see, understand, and remember what stood there, why it mattered, and the role it played in the history of Charlotte and American broadcasting.

By signing this petition, you are not opposing progress. You are asking that history be given a place alongside it.

Please sign, share, and help preserve the legacy of WBT for generations to come.

Note: Change.org may ask for a contribution after you sign. This is optional and goes to Change.org—not to me or this campaign. You can skip it and your signature will still count.