Welcome to B95: Country Hits from Yesterday and Today

New Owners and Management

Liberty Radio Network purchased Camden radio station WRJB 95.9 on Thursday, April 25. In addition to new owners, the station underwent a change in management when Liberty Radio brought in Pamela Mirabella to manage the entire operation. She hit the ground running on the day after the closing paperwork was signed.

Not a stranger to the media business, Mirabella, a well-known face in Benton County and surrounding areas, was the former Editor-in-chief of The Camden Chronicle.

“I was pleasantly surprised when I received a phone call earlier this year from prospective buyers of WRJB. I was asked to represent the new owners and help usher in a new era for the local radio station,” Mirabella explained. “Many prayers went into the decision because my husband, Steven, manages a large carbon black plant in the Texas panhandle. We were not sure how that would fit into our day-to-day lives, me living 13 hours away. So, we started praying about it, and leaning on God, we decided it was time to start transitioning back home since our children and grandchild live close by.”

In addition to management changes and a station facelift, WRJB will install updated equipment that has already been ordered. Mirabella said those updates should take place late summer. Other changes already underway included the format change to country music on June 1. However, management realizes not everyone is a country fan, and because of that, Liberty Radio has introduced an APP for smart devices that has all genres of music that can be played across many music steaming services and car radios. “Whether you like old time rock-n-roll, or southern gospel, there is a link to all types of music that can be streamed straight from our APP, on Apple or Google devices and Alexa systems,” Mirabella explained.

“We are also going to have a strong social media presence where we cover local events and re-introduce familiar faces. I am going to take my love for this community, not only to the airwaves, but onto our YouTube channel and social media pages. I thrive out in the community and that is the same excitement that I will bring to the radio station,” Mirabella said.

Mirabella had stints on the radio, prior to her departure from Magic Valley Publishing three years ago. She treasures the moments spent with former Radio Station Manager Ron Lane as some of her fondest memories. She smiled while remembering, “Ron would always say with a sweet smile, ‘Kid, forget the newspaper business and get into radio.’ Wouldn’t he love this all coming to fruition?”

Lane, who became affiliated with the former WFWL 1220-AM in the late 50’s, when he phoned in school news from a phone at Big Sandy High School, worked in all areas of radio. He went on to manage both WFWL and WRJB until his retirement in December 2021. Sadly, Lane passed away in March 2023. Mirabella said, “One cannot think of Camden radio without thinking of Ron Lane.”

Another name that goes hand-in-hand with the local radio station is Bobby “Flash” Melton. Mirabella said he will be an integral part of WRJB’s success, as they move forward. “Flash and I are a bit of a package deal,” she smiled. “We work so well together and make a successful team. After all, Flash has been doing this since 1978. There is no one better, in my eyes.”

Folks will not see a multitude of immediate changes due to Federal Communications Commission regulations that require former owner Community Broadcasting Systems to retain the license until all information can be transferred. Mirabella concluded, “As soon as we can get all the paperwork squared away, we will make WRJB something folks can be proud of to turn on whether it be at work or on the drive home. Once they get home, they can then check us out on social media and YouTube and see how many local faces they can spot, or take us on vacation by using our APP. We are here for our community…we don’t exist without them.”

WRJB B95’s role in the community

B95 will be taking a more active role in the community with plans to spotlight local schools, sports, and community groups. Bobby “Flash” Melton and Pamela Mirabella excel in covering local events and will keep listeners informed of news, special events and regional highlights.

Longtime local radio personality “Flash” will continue to broadcast local sports and live events, in addition to his weekly Saturday morning show “Operation 7570.” Flash needs no introduction to most local listeners, having a long history broadcasting Camden Lions football, as well as baseball, softball, and basketball. Flash graduated as a communications major from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and worked as a dispatcher for the Camden Police Dept. and eventually as City Clerk for the City of Camden. Flash has been a staple at the station since the 1970’s and is synonymous with radio in the entire region. His connection with the community is second to none and he will continue covering sports and other special events.

Noah Brown, in addition to his on-air responsibilities, also works in production and is a major contributor to the succesful brand new WRJB format. Brown is a passionate music collector, baseball card enthusiast, and dedicated family man who joined WRJB Radio in May of 2023. Born in California, Noah relocated to Star, Texas at the age of seven. His diverse background, unique interests, and deep ties to the community make him an exciting addition to the B95 team.

Listeners are encouraged to tune in to 95.9 on their FM dials, or listen live online from anywhere in the world at www.wrjbradio.com or on the brand new LIBERTY RADIO APP, downloadable on Google and Apple devices. 

History of WRJB

WFWL-AM 1220 went on the air in September 1956 from the Lockhart Motel on Highway 70 East in Camden, TN. At the time, there were only a few radio stations in the area and it was a big deal for a small town to have a radio station. The programming consisted of country, pop, and gospel music; and national, regional, and local news.

Freeland stressed that a radio station should always be a “reflection of its community” in terms of its format. In other words: the music, news, programs, and involvement in community events, should be dictated by the listeners rather than the owner’s personal preference. He pioneered things like Man at the Fair, Cancer Crusade Radio Auction, and the Treasure Hunt promotion that had listeners digging up the countryside searching for hidden treasures. Clues for the treasure hunt were broadcast daily. This was one of the most successful promotions.

Some of the individuals heard on WFWL included John Latham, Jim Freeland, John Lashlee, Will Luther, Ricky Fite, Gene Presson, Charlie Banks, Russell Gallimore, Ron Lane, Reid Bell, Charlie Baylor, Jim Hart, Terry Hudson, Bobby “Flash” Melton, Terry Hendrix, Randy Lane, and many others. John Latham was the engineer that built WFWL, and one of the station’s owners (the L in the call letters stood for Latham, while the F stood for Freeland). 

WFWL had three groups of owners from 1956-1985. Mike Freeland and John Latham were the founders and own the station from 1956-1977, Ron Lane and two Union City absentee owners from 1977-1984, and Ray Smith and John Latham from 1985-1994. WFWL was then moved into the same building as WRJB at 117 Vicksburg Avenue. In 1994, a group consisting of Larry Melton, Stanley Melton, and Ron Lane, purchased both WRJB and WFWL. With this change, Ron Lane became general manager. John Latham continued to work in sales until his death a few years later. Ownership changed again in 2008 when the Community Broadcasting Company was acquired into the Media Group of Magic Valley Publishing of Camden, Tennessee.

WFWL improved its coverage and audio quality with the addition of an FM translator in 2012. This made it possible for WFWL’s AM signal to be simultaneously broadcast on 99.7 FM. WFWL became known as The Catfish 99.7 FM/1220 AM. 

In the summer of 1976, a new radio station was born in Camden: WRJB Super 98. The 3,000-watt FM station went on the air featuring adult contemporary music 24-hours a day. WRJB was owned by Ray Smith and John Latham, with Latham managing the station. It quickly became one of the most popular stations in West Tennessee. WRJB featured live sports broadcasts of Tennessee Volunteers football and basketball, and local sports coverage of Camden and Hollow Rock-Bruceton sports. Live announcers manned the mic around the clock, including “Crazy” Larry Nunnery, Gary Powley, Darrell Lynn, Kyle Dewberry, Charlie Baylor, Will Luther, David Poehlein, Buddy Smothers, and Bobby “Flash” Melton just to name a few. WRJB also covered many news events like the train wreck and the chemical explosion in Waverly. John Latham did live reports for days from the scene. 

WRJB obtained permission from the FCC in 2006 to increase power from 3,000 to 6,000 watts. The station was then required to change the frequency from 98.3 to 95.9.

WRJB was purchased in April 25, 2024 by Liberty Radio of Camden and is expanding to include 99.7 later this year.