WBTJ

WLEE-FM

106.5 started broadcasting in the 1950s as WLEE-FM, simulcasting then sister WLEE-AM's successful Top 40 format. This was an "assigned frequency' during a period that the FCC was assigning FM frequencies to AM stations to promote use of the then little used FM band.

WRFK

Shortly thereafter, WLEE-AM did not see the need for an FM sister station, and donated the FM frequency to Union Theological Seminary. In May 1957, using the 106.5 frequency donated by WLEE, and the former studio and tower of WRNL (who had moved to a new location), the seminary signed on WRFK with a non-commercial classical and fine arts format.^[6]

The call letters were the initials of the force behind the Seminary's efforts to start a radio station, Robert Fitzsgerald Kirtpatrick. He operated the audio visual department operating a tape duplication service and sending tapes recorded at the Seminary all over the country. The station, in the late 50's and early 60's, had a very limited operating schedule, usually signing on at approximately 4 p.m. and off again about midnight most every operational day, with the exception of broadcasting some church services at other times. The staff consisted of mostly volunteers who signed up to operate the station for normally one night a week. It was a good way for high school age folks to get experience in radio at the time, and many did. Kirtpatrick lived across the street from the campus and kept good tabs on "his baby". The early studios were in the basement of one of the large campus buildings facing Chamberlayne Avenue. During the early years, engineering services were "traded out" with an engineer who lived at the transmitter site in the old WRNL studios. Later, when they became involved with PBS and had a paid staff, the studios were occupied by the station itself.

In 1971, EZ Communications, the new owners of WFMV, Richmond's only classical music station, decided to switch to a more profitable format. Amid protests from WFMV's listener base, EZ Communications ultimately agreed to donate WFMV's library to WRFK. This enabled WRFK to significantly increase its operating hours and upgrade its schedule. Later in 1971, WRFK became Richmond's NPR member station.

The seminary discovered that their charter did not allow them to operate a radio station, and decided to sell it. A deal was made with the local Federated Arts Council to buy the station and preserve the format, but a larger offer for the increasingly valuable commercial frequency came from a commercial radio operator shortly thereafter and the seminary decided to go with the larger offer.^[7][8] This caused controversy which resulted in several stories appearing in the local papers about the possible loss of the fine arts/NPR format format.^[9] Though the efforts of the public support groups and some interested businessmen and congressmen who wanted the format preserved, Commonwealth Public Broadcasting, owners of local public TV stations WCVE-TV and WCVW, won a noncommercial license, WCVE-FM, originally at 101.1.^{[10] [11]}

On May 6, 1988, WRFK signed off and WCVE-FM temporarily signed on at 101.1, bringing most of the old WRFK staff, music library and most of their programming to the station.^[12][13][14]

WVMX

106.5 was sold by the Seminary to Daytona Broadcasting. Daytona moved the station's transmitter from a 300' tower to a much taller 1200' tower near Powhatan County that had once been used by defunct TV station WVRN. On July 28, 1988, 106.5 signed back on as a standard commercial station WVMX, "Mix 106.5", with a Rock 40 format.^[15][16] By 1989, seeing competition from WRVQ, WMXB, and WRXL the station flipped formats to Heavy metal and became "MX106.5". This lasted a month, and on July 19th, the station flipped to Oldies as WVGO.^[17]

WVGO

In 1991, Daytona sold the station to Benchmark Communications, with local partners John Crowley and Guy Spiller. On August 1st, WVGO flipped to a AAA format, staffed mostly by former employees of crosstown Heritage rocker WRXL, which was looked upon by the former staffers as too commercial and restrictive.^[18][19] During its short life, the WVGO staff included Nick Perry, Jim Hatcher, Tara Hunter, Dal Hunter, Steve Forrest, Paul Shugrue, Dave Weaver, Mike Hsu, Meg Brulatour, Blake Smith, Kevin Matthews, Mad Dog and others. At first, the format was a freeform-type format more akin to a college station with jocks being allowed freedom on the air and to bring in their own records, and aired many specialty programs.

In August 1995, a new competitor arrived when 104.7 WBZU (also known as "The Buzz") signed on.^[20] In response, Benchmark brought in a new Program Director who dumped all specialty programming, and the format unofficially evolved into a more alternative format.

Howard Stern

Another move was to bring in the syndicated Howard Stern morning show in October 1995.^[21] The Stern show did not garner the expected high ratings, only reaching 10th place overall.^[22] The Stern show also generated local controversy (primarily from local grocer Ukrop's), causing WVGO to lose advertising. A complaint to the FCC about a Stern bit eventually brought Benchmark an FCC fine. In spring 1996, Benchmark sold WVGO and sister Classic rock WLEE-FM to the owners of WBZU. ABS Communications, owned by local music and radio entrepreneur Kenny Brown, dropped Stern due to poor ratings, and on July 24, 1996, shut down WVGO and moved WBZU to 106.5 (and moved the WVGO calls to the now vacated 104.7 frequency and flipped it to oldies).^{[23][24][25][26]}

WRCL

In 1998, ABS was merged with SFX Broadcasting.^[27] On September 2, 1998, new management decided to dump the alternative format, citing low revenues. They stunted with 24 hours of construction sound effects and later stunted with soft rock music and TV theme songs. Two days later, they switched to oldies as "Cool 106.5", and changed its call letters to WRCL the following month.^[28][29] WRCL's owners SFX went through a series of mergers, first as Capstar, then AMFM. In the fall of 2000, AMFM merged with Clear Channel, which would be renamed iHeartMedia in 2014.

WBTJ

On June 11, 2001, at 5 p.m., the station flipped to Urban as "106.5 the Beat" and changed call letters to WBTJ.^[30] (This was the second time that the "Beat" moniker had been used in the market, the first being WBBT from 1999 to 2000.)

On November 1, 2017, iHeartMedia announced that WBTJ, along with all of their sister stations in Richmond and Chattanooga, would be sold to Entercom due to that company's merger with CBS Radio.^[31] The sale was completed on December 19, 2017.^[32]