Preserve the Historic WBT 1110 AM Transmitter Site
The Issue
For more than a century, WBT has been part of the story of Charlotte, the Carolinas, and American broadcasting. Since signing on in 1922, generations have turned to WBT for breaking news, severe weather coverage, election results, sports, entertainment, and a familiar voice during times of crisis.
Today, WBT's legacy continues on 107.9 FM, serving listeners across the Charlotte region.
But another important part of that legacy has an uncertain future.
The historic WBT 1110 AM transmitter property at 9201 Nations Ford Road in Charlotte is being offered for sale. The site includes three distinctive Blaw-Knox towers, the historic transmitter building, a Cold War-era fallout shelter, and other pieces of nearly a century of broadcasting history.
The property being for sale doesn't necessarily mean those historic structures will be lost. This petition isn't about stopping a sale or redevelopment. It isn't about bringing WBT's regular programming back to 1110 AM, and it isn't about challenging anyone's property or contractual rights.
It's about making sure the history of this place isn't overlooked as decisions are made about what comes next.
Why this place matters
For generations, WBT's 50,000-watt AM signal has reached listeners throughout the Carolinas and far beyond, especially at night. Over the years, reception has been reported from Canada to Cuba.
Long before smartphones, streaming, or the internet, radio was one of the main ways people stayed connected to the world around them. WBT brought listeners news, severe weather information, sports, entertainment, and reassurance during major events and times of crisis.
Nations Ford Road is a physical connection to that history.
The towers, transmitter building, fallout shelter, and other features that remain tell a story about the development of radio, the growth of Charlotte, and the role broadcasting has played in American life.
This isn't just radio history.
It's Charlotte history. It's Carolina history. It's American broadcasting history.
Why I started this petition
When I learned that the Nations Ford Road property was being offered for sale, I started wondering what could happen to all of that history.
So I started asking questions.
I reached out to preservation organizations, elected officials, broadcasters, community leaders, and others who might be able to help. Eventually, that effort led to this petition.
I've never expected to decide what happens with privately held property, and I'm not trying to stand in the way of development. I simply wanted preservation to be part of the conversation while there was still an opportunity to consider it.
That conversation is now happening.
Conversations are underway
On Tuesday, July 28, 2026, I met at Radio One's offices in Charlotte with Caroline Beasley, Chief Executive Officer of Beasley Media Group; Heidi Raphael, Chief Communications Officer of Beasley Media Group; and Marsha Landess, Vice President and General Manager of Radio One Charlotte.
Following that meeting, I released this statement:
I had the opportunity to meet in person with Caroline Beasley, Chief Executive Officer of Beasley Media Group; Heidi Raphael, Chief Communications Officer of Beasley Media Group; and Marsha Landess, Vice President and General Manager of Radio One Charlotte, to discuss the future of WBT's historic transmitter site.
I sincerely appreciate them taking the time to meet with me and have an open, respectful conversation about the site's significance and the importance of preserving and commemorating WBT's history.
During our meeting, it was shared that everyone is on the same page as it relates to some type of documentation or preservation of 1110 WBT AM history. It was also explained that the companies have been discussing these possibilities internally for several months and that those discussions will continue as they gather more information. No final decisions have been made.
My goal has always been simple: to make sure this conversation happened. I'm encouraged that these conversations are taking place and appreciate the willingness of everyone involved to have an open dialogue.
I came away from that meeting encouraged. The important thing is that the history of the site is being discussed and possibilities are being considered.
What about ownership?
One thing I've learned along the way is that ownership of the Nations Ford Road site is more complicated than I originally understood.
The public records and documents I've reviewed show multiple ownership, property, use, and contractual interests involving the land and the structures on it. There may also be more than one party with a legal or financial interest in what ultimately happens to the property.
I'm not going to speculate about who legally owns each part of the site or try to settle questions that belong to the parties involved and their legal representatives.
That's not what this petition is about.
For this effort, the question is much simpler: can everyone with an interest in the site's future work together to determine what can reasonably be preserved, reused, documented, or permanently commemorated?
More than 1,600 people have spoken
The response to this effort has gone well beyond what I expected.
As of August 15, 2026, 1,602 people have signed the petition.
Change.org also reports 13,172 petition views, 789 shares, and 81 people who have contributed a total of $1,208 toward promoting the petition.
To be clear, that money doesn't come to me and it isn't part of a preservation fund. Change.org handles those contributions to promote the petition on its platform.
I haven't been constantly pushing the petition or repeatedly asking people to sign. I've focused on sharing the history, answering questions, and keeping people informed about the preservation effort.
Still, people keep finding it. They keep sharing it. And they keep putting their names behind it.
More than 1,600 people have now said this history is worth considering.
That means a lot.
The story is getting attention
The preservation effort has also received coverage from local and broadcasting media, bringing the story of Nations Ford Road to people who may never have known what was there or why it matters.
I appreciate the reporters and broadcasters who have taken the time to tell the story and help bring attention to this piece of Charlotte and broadcasting history.
Where things stand
No final decisions have been announced about what will ultimately happen with the historic structures at Nations Ford Road.
And when I talk about preservation, I don't mean putting a fence around the property and freezing everything exactly as it is today.
There are other possibilities.
Maybe some of the historic structures can be preserved or given a new purpose. Maybe important equipment and artifacts can be saved. Perhaps the site can be thoroughly documented or its history permanently recognized through a marker or exhibit. The answer could be some combination of those ideas or something none of us has thought of yet.
I would love to see as much of the historic site preserved as reasonably possible. I also understand there are practical, financial, engineering, regulatory, contractual, and legal realities involved.
The petition isn't supposed to make those decisions.
It's about making sure history has a seat at the table while those decisions are being made.
I'm hopeful that Radio One, Beasley Media Group, the parties with ownership, contractual, or other legal interests in the property, preservation organizations, local government, historians, broadcasters, and the community can continue talking and find an outcome that respects both progress and history.
There are no villains in this story.
I'm not interested in assigning blame or choosing sides. The radio industry has changed. Charlotte has changed. Properties change hands and sometimes find new purposes.
That's reality.
But right now, we have an opportunity to ask what is worth saving while there's still time to ask the question.
What I'm asking
That's really what this entire effort comes down to.
As the Nations Ford Road property moves toward its next chapter, let's take a serious look at what can reasonably be preserved, reused, documented, or permanently commemorated before anything historically significant is lost.
WBT doesn't need to be saved.
Its history deserves to be preserved.
Whatever ultimately happens at Nations Ford Road, I hope future generations will still be able to understand what happened there, why it mattered, and the role this place played in connecting Charlotte and the Carolinas for generations.
Because this story is bigger than radio.
It's Charlotte history.
It's Carolina history.
It's American broadcasting history.
1,614
The Issue
For more than a century, WBT has been part of the story of Charlotte, the Carolinas, and American broadcasting. Since signing on in 1922, generations have turned to WBT for breaking news, severe weather coverage, election results, sports, entertainment, and a familiar voice during times of crisis.
Today, WBT's legacy continues on 107.9 FM, serving listeners across the Charlotte region.
But another important part of that legacy has an uncertain future.
The historic WBT 1110 AM transmitter property at 9201 Nations Ford Road in Charlotte is being offered for sale. The site includes three distinctive Blaw-Knox towers, the historic transmitter building, a Cold War-era fallout shelter, and other pieces of nearly a century of broadcasting history.
The property being for sale doesn't necessarily mean those historic structures will be lost. This petition isn't about stopping a sale or redevelopment. It isn't about bringing WBT's regular programming back to 1110 AM, and it isn't about challenging anyone's property or contractual rights.
It's about making sure the history of this place isn't overlooked as decisions are made about what comes next.
Why this place matters
For generations, WBT's 50,000-watt AM signal has reached listeners throughout the Carolinas and far beyond, especially at night. Over the years, reception has been reported from Canada to Cuba.
Long before smartphones, streaming, or the internet, radio was one of the main ways people stayed connected to the world around them. WBT brought listeners news, severe weather information, sports, entertainment, and reassurance during major events and times of crisis.
Nations Ford Road is a physical connection to that history.
The towers, transmitter building, fallout shelter, and other features that remain tell a story about the development of radio, the growth of Charlotte, and the role broadcasting has played in American life.
This isn't just radio history.
It's Charlotte history. It's Carolina history. It's American broadcasting history.
Why I started this petition
When I learned that the Nations Ford Road property was being offered for sale, I started wondering what could happen to all of that history.
So I started asking questions.
I reached out to preservation organizations, elected officials, broadcasters, community leaders, and others who might be able to help. Eventually, that effort led to this petition.
I've never expected to decide what happens with privately held property, and I'm not trying to stand in the way of development. I simply wanted preservation to be part of the conversation while there was still an opportunity to consider it.
That conversation is now happening.
Conversations are underway
On Tuesday, July 28, 2026, I met at Radio One's offices in Charlotte with Caroline Beasley, Chief Executive Officer of Beasley Media Group; Heidi Raphael, Chief Communications Officer of Beasley Media Group; and Marsha Landess, Vice President and General Manager of Radio One Charlotte.
Following that meeting, I released this statement:
I had the opportunity to meet in person with Caroline Beasley, Chief Executive Officer of Beasley Media Group; Heidi Raphael, Chief Communications Officer of Beasley Media Group; and Marsha Landess, Vice President and General Manager of Radio One Charlotte, to discuss the future of WBT's historic transmitter site.
I sincerely appreciate them taking the time to meet with me and have an open, respectful conversation about the site's significance and the importance of preserving and commemorating WBT's history.
During our meeting, it was shared that everyone is on the same page as it relates to some type of documentation or preservation of 1110 WBT AM history. It was also explained that the companies have been discussing these possibilities internally for several months and that those discussions will continue as they gather more information. No final decisions have been made.
My goal has always been simple: to make sure this conversation happened. I'm encouraged that these conversations are taking place and appreciate the willingness of everyone involved to have an open dialogue.
I came away from that meeting encouraged. The important thing is that the history of the site is being discussed and possibilities are being considered.
What about ownership?
One thing I've learned along the way is that ownership of the Nations Ford Road site is more complicated than I originally understood.
The public records and documents I've reviewed show multiple ownership, property, use, and contractual interests involving the land and the structures on it. There may also be more than one party with a legal or financial interest in what ultimately happens to the property.
I'm not going to speculate about who legally owns each part of the site or try to settle questions that belong to the parties involved and their legal representatives.
That's not what this petition is about.
For this effort, the question is much simpler: can everyone with an interest in the site's future work together to determine what can reasonably be preserved, reused, documented, or permanently commemorated?
More than 1,600 people have spoken
The response to this effort has gone well beyond what I expected.
As of August 15, 2026, 1,602 people have signed the petition.
Change.org also reports 13,172 petition views, 789 shares, and 81 people who have contributed a total of $1,208 toward promoting the petition.
To be clear, that money doesn't come to me and it isn't part of a preservation fund. Change.org handles those contributions to promote the petition on its platform.
I haven't been constantly pushing the petition or repeatedly asking people to sign. I've focused on sharing the history, answering questions, and keeping people informed about the preservation effort.
Still, people keep finding it. They keep sharing it. And they keep putting their names behind it.
More than 1,600 people have now said this history is worth considering.
That means a lot.
The story is getting attention
The preservation effort has also received coverage from local and broadcasting media, bringing the story of Nations Ford Road to people who may never have known what was there or why it matters.
I appreciate the reporters and broadcasters who have taken the time to tell the story and help bring attention to this piece of Charlotte and broadcasting history.
Where things stand
No final decisions have been announced about what will ultimately happen with the historic structures at Nations Ford Road.
And when I talk about preservation, I don't mean putting a fence around the property and freezing everything exactly as it is today.
There are other possibilities.
Maybe some of the historic structures can be preserved or given a new purpose. Maybe important equipment and artifacts can be saved. Perhaps the site can be thoroughly documented or its history permanently recognized through a marker or exhibit. The answer could be some combination of those ideas or something none of us has thought of yet.
I would love to see as much of the historic site preserved as reasonably possible. I also understand there are practical, financial, engineering, regulatory, contractual, and legal realities involved.
The petition isn't supposed to make those decisions.
It's about making sure history has a seat at the table while those decisions are being made.
I'm hopeful that Radio One, Beasley Media Group, the parties with ownership, contractual, or other legal interests in the property, preservation organizations, local government, historians, broadcasters, and the community can continue talking and find an outcome that respects both progress and history.
There are no villains in this story.
I'm not interested in assigning blame or choosing sides. The radio industry has changed. Charlotte has changed. Properties change hands and sometimes find new purposes.
That's reality.
But right now, we have an opportunity to ask what is worth saving while there's still time to ask the question.
What I'm asking
That's really what this entire effort comes down to.
As the Nations Ford Road property moves toward its next chapter, let's take a serious look at what can reasonably be preserved, reused, documented, or permanently commemorated before anything historically significant is lost.
WBT doesn't need to be saved.
Its history deserves to be preserved.
Whatever ultimately happens at Nations Ford Road, I hope future generations will still be able to understand what happened there, why it mattered, and the role this place played in connecting Charlotte and the Carolinas for generations.
Because this story is bigger than radio.
It's Charlotte history.
It's Carolina history.
It's American broadcasting history.
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Petition created on July 1, 2026