page_title: WBEL (AM)
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: WBEL (AM) / History
caption_attribution_description: English: 1380 AM ESPN logo
context_page_description: WBEL is a 90s hits radio station in South Beloit, Illinois with studios in Janesville, Wisconsin. Established in 1948, the station is owned by Big Radio. Its programming is simulcast on translator stations W222AU in Beloit, Wisconsin and W255CZ in Janesville.
context_section_description: WBEL was signed on in 1948 by pioneer broadcaster and engineer Russ Salter. The station originally focused primarily on the local Beloit, Wisconsin area, with an adult standards format and talk programming. In August 1998, the station made the switch to a sports radio format affiliated with ESPN Radio, changed its call letters to WTJK, "The Jock" and began marketing itself to the Janesville and Rockford, Illinois areas. In 2001, Shelly Salter, CEO of Salter Broadcasting Company (SBC) and daughter of Russ Salter, sold the station to Good Karma Broadcasting.  WTJK became the first ESPN Radio station for Good Karma Broadcasting.
  In January 2014, Good Karma announced that it would sell WTJK and sister station WWHG (105.9 FM) to Scott Thompson's Big Radio; as part of the deal, the new owners began operating the stations through a local marketing agreement on February 1. Big Radio announced that it would decrease WTJK's ESPN Radio programming and add more local news; on April 14, 2014, the station converted to a talk radio format, featuring local programming (including drive time simulcasts with sister station WEKZ-FM) from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m.; ESPN Radio programming continued to be carried during nights and weekends. The sale was completed on May 12, 2014 at a purchase price of $1.45 million. On October 13, 2014, the call letters were changed back to WBEL.
  On May 1, 2017, WBEL changed their format from news/talk to oldies. On October 9, 2017, WBEL changed their format from oldies to 90's hits, branded as "The Beat 92.3/98.9" (simulcast on translators W222AU 92.3 FM Beloit and W255CZ 98.9 FM Janesville).
caption: WTJK's logo as ESPN 1380
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