A pair of AM stations have thrown in the towel.

2B Productions states that “We are just tired of pouring money into a dark hole” in regards to Classic Country 1490 WSTP Salisbury NC. The station went dark at midnight on August 30 with no intent to return. General Manager Buddy Poole commented that the 1kW signal was not enough to cover outside the Salisbury city limits and after “much expense and engineering consultation has learned it can’t increase the station’s coverage area”. 2B will continue to operate Standards 1280 WSAT in Salisbury and are in the process of moving a translator for the station.

The situation is a little more fluid in Cumberland KY where Country 1280 WCPM went dark on Wednesday evening with little insight into why. Owner/GM Susan Bibb-Burton wrote on Facebook that “I’m looking at this as being temporary. There are so many situations at the station that have prompted me to do this, situations that I hope that can be resolved soon. If this happens, WCPM can return and hopefully continue to bring back the local radio that you all remember and still depend on.”

Salisbury radio station WSTP-AM 1490 will sign off the air tonight, August 30th, at midnight. The station was sold to the Catawba College Foundation through 2B Productions LLC in August of 2014.

According to station general manager Buddy Poole, 2B Productions has tried to improve the signal but after “much expense and engineering consultation has learned it can’t increase the station’s coverage area.” Poole said the station was designed to cover Salisbury with a 2 millivolt signal and does not have good coverage outside of the city limits in Rowan County.

“We are just tired of pouring money into a dark hole,” Poole shared. He noted that only six AM stations have been sold since 2006 in the Charlotte ADI. WSAT, WSTP and WTIX in Concord of three of those six AM stations and all are owned by 2B Productions.

WSAT, WSTP and WTIX were all originally purchased with the intent of offering an expanded platform for Catawba College students majoring in Business or Communication Arts and hoping to pursue media-related careers.

Along with Poole, Bill Graham of Salisbury, a Catawba College trustee and 1983 alumnus, has been the driving force behind the Catawba Foundation’s acquisition of the stations. The intent was for profits from the operation of the stations SAT and WSTP will be donated to Catawba College through the Catawba Foundation.

The Catawba Foundation acquired WSAT in early May of 2014, WSTP in August of 2014, and WTIX in December of 2015.