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{{Infobox radio station
| name = WLON
| logo =
| city = [[Lincolnton, North Carolina]]
| area =
| branding = ''The Boss''
| frequency = 1050 [[kHz]]
| translator = 107.5 W298CK (Lincolnton)
| airdate = [[1953 in radio|1953]]
| format = [[Oldies]]
| power = 1,000 [[watt]]s day<br>231 [[watt]]s night
| class = D
| facility_id = 62366
| coordinates = {{coord|35|29|28.00|N|81|16|3.00|W|region:US-NC_type:landmark}}
| callsign_meaning =
| former_callsigns =
| affiliations = [[North Carolina News Network]]
| owner = Lanny Ford
| licensee = Sports Talk Guys, LLC
| sister_stations =
| webcast =
| website = [http://www.ktcbroadcasting.com/wlon-107.5fm-1050am-lincolnton.html The Boss 1050 Website]
| licensing_authority= [[Federal Communications Commission|FCC]]
}}

'''WLON''' (1050 [[AM broadcasting|AM]]) is a [[radio station]] broadcasting an [[oldies]] format and serving the [[Lincolnton, North Carolina]] area, and is owned and operated by Lanny Ford, through licensee Sports Talk Guys, LLC. WLON is also the home of [[Lincoln County, North Carolina|Lincoln County]] football every Friday night, [[Atlanta Braves]] baseball, [[Clemson University|Clemson]] and [[Duke University|Duke]] and [[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill|UNC]] [[Tar Heel]]s college basketball and football. WLON also carries Charlotte Hornets basketball, Carolina Panthers football, the ACC and NCAA basketball tournaments.

==History==
Frank Hall of [[Lake Wylie, South Carolina|Lake Wylie]], Tommy Hunter of [[Belmont, North Carolina|Belmont]] and Jeff and Vivian Nichols of Lincolnton owned the 34-year-old WLON, the only radio station in [[Lincoln County, North Carolina|Lincoln County]]. Jeff Nichols was general manager. The format was [[adult contemporary]]/[[oldies]]. Larry Seagle had been news director for 18 years. Tim Biggerstaff had been a DJ for about 10 years.

On April 1, 1993, [[Cherryville, North Carolina|Cherryville]]-based KTC Broadcasting Inc. took over WLON in a lease agreement. KTC was buying the station but would operate it under a lease agreement until the [[Federal Communications Commission]] approved the sale. WLON would join The Piedmont Superstations Radio Network of [[WCSL (AM)|WCSL]] in Cherryville, [[WGNC (AM)|WGNC]] in [[Gastonia, North Carolina|Gastonia]] and WOHS (730 AM) in [[Shelby, North Carolina|Shelby]], which [[simulcast]] most of their programming. The change would mean 24-hour broadcasts on WLON for the first time. Tim Biggerstaff would remain as morning DJ, and his show would be heard on all four KTC stations. News for the entire area would be expanded. The four stations aired UNC football and basketball, Atlanta Braves baseball, [[Dallas Cowboys]] and [[Washington Redskins]] [[National Football League|NFL]] football, and [[CBS]] coverage of such events as The [[World Series]] and The [[Super Bowl]].

The four stations added the NFL [[Carolina Panthers]] when the team began playing in 1995. They also aired games of the [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] [[Charlotte Hornets]].<ref>David Poole, "Sports Finds Many Homes on Dial", ''The Charlotte Observer'', October 4, 1995</ref>

[[Image:WLON logo.png|200px|thumb|left|Previous logo]]Late in 1999, the four stations changed from [[country music]] to "super oldies." Biggerstaff, the program director, said country had moved away from its traditional sound. Lillie White remained as midday host, and Andy Foster was afternoon host. Local and sports remained important, and the stations aired the [[One-on-One]] sports radio network at night.<ref>Sharon E. White, "Up-Tempo Oldies Push Country Aside at 4 Stations in Regional AM Network", ''The Charlotte Observer'', December 5, 1999.</ref>

In 2004, Biggerstaff was still hosting his show on WCSL and WLON despite diabetes-related health problems.<ref name=depriest>Joe DePriest, "New Friend Offers Gift for Ailing DJ", ''The Charlotte Observer'', April 14, 2004.</ref> Later, he moved to Lincolnton-based Hometown Radio's Shelby operation. On [[WOHS|WADA]], he played [[classic country]] music and hosted a "[[Tradio|Swap Shop]]" show on WGNC and WOHS. By this time, he had experienced a [[kidney transplantation|kidney transplant]] and two [[pancreas transplantation|pancreas transplants]].<ref>Joe DePriest, "DJ's Listeners Friends in Need and in Deed", ''The Charlotte Observer'', June 7, 2007.</ref>

WLON played a mixture of 1960s, 1970s and some 1980s oldies music, as well as [[Christian contemporary music|Christian contemporary]] and [[beach music]] on Sundays.

WLON now plays Beach and Oldies along with the sports.

Effective December 1, 2014, Calvin Hastings repurchased WLON and WCSL from HRN Broadcasting for $240,000, through his licensee KTC Broadcasting, Inc.

On August 8, 2016, WLON changed their format to oldies, branded as "The Boss".

Effective May 16, 2022, KTC Broadcasting sold WLON and translator W298CK to Lanny Ford's Sports Talk Guys, LLC for $275,000.

==Previous logo==
[[File:WLON BigOcountry1050 logo.jpg|200px]]

==References==
<References/>

==External links==
{{AM station data|62366|WLON}}
*{{FCC-LMS-Facility|201356|W298CK}}
*{{FXL|W298CK}}

{{Oldies Radio Stations in North Carolina}}

[[Category:Radio stations in North Carolina|LON]]
[[Category:Lincoln County, North Carolina|LON]]

WLON - Revision history

imported>Ser Amantio di Nicolao: /* top */ add {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}