The WBMS Programming Lineup

You can also stream WBMS online here.

Thanks for listening to the All New WBMS 101.1 FM and AM 1460 in Brockton. Radio has had a long history in Brockton. We take you back to around Thanksgiving of 1946.

WBET signed on the air on Wednesday, November 27th, 1946 from the City of Brockton. The station was owned by The Brockton Publishing Company, with studios located at 60 Main Street, inside the headquarters of “The Enterprise” newspaper. The original frequency was 9-90 kilocycles, and the station operated in the daytime only, but by 1952 would move to its’ present location of 14-60 kilocycles.

1948 saw the addition of an FM simulcast service with WBET-FM at 97.7. When WBET-AM would sign off at sundown, WBET-FM provided service through the nighttime hours.

One of the earliest personalities at WBET was Arthur “Doc” Jones. He was brought over from the former WBKA in 1952 and hosted the morning drive show into the mid to late 70’s.

William “Bill” Hess took over mornings on WBET in the late 70’s and hosted until 1983. Currently, Bill is now the program director for WMAL in Washington D.C.

In 1976, WBET-FM ended its simulcasts of the AM station and began broadcasting a TOP 40 format. A year later, its call letters were changed to WCAV. In 1982, the station switched to a country music format.

Big changes would come in 1997 when the Brockton Enterprise would sell its’ two radio stations to Joe Gallagher and K-J-I Broadcasting. Two years later in 1999; WCAV was sold and the station was moved out of Brockton. But WBET-AM would continue to serve Brockton and the Metro South with local news, talk, sports and a variety of programs. The station was promoted as “Full Service Radio for Metro South”.

Charlie Bergeron hosted the morning show on AM-1460 for 21 years from 1983 until 2004. He was an integral part of the station and became the program director, general manager and play-by-play announcer for high school sports. In 2004, frequent fill-in host and longtime WBET employee, Steve Mason became the successor to Bergeron. You can now hear Charlie Bergeron anchoring the news on WBZ Radio.

Bill Alex hosted Newsline, a popular Brockton-area morning news and talk program weekday mornings from 9 to 11 during the 1990s. Bill was also a reporter and anchor for the station.

Ron Van Dam would become the successor to Alex’s program in 2001.

The station was purchased in 2006 by the Business Talk Radio Network based out of Greenwich Connecticut. Shortly after, on December 12, 2006, the station changed its call sign to WXBR.

In 2009, Kevin Tocci would take over hosting duties in mornings on AM-1460. The show’s name would be changed to “The Metro South Morning News”.

Jim Larkin was one of the longest-tenured personalities at WBET and WXBR. He hosted Sounds of the Emerald Isle, an Irish music and comedy show, Sunday afternoons from 1982 to 2012.

The station was put up for sale and on May 18th, 2012, the Federal Communications Commission approved the sale of WXBR to Azure Media based in Miami Gardens, Florida. Azure Media would construct new studios and move the station to 250 Belmont Street in Brockton. After the move, Kevin Tocci would head to WATD-FM.

Then on July 7, 2014, Azure Media announced that it would be ending WXBR’s in-house broadcasts and local Brockton programming and change the station’s format to ethnic Haitian Creole with the studios moving to Randolph.

Less than a year later, in 2015, the Marshfield Broadcasting Company and owner Ed Perry entered into an agreement to purchase WXBR from Azure Media. AM-1460 would have FM service added at 101.1 FM with the call letters changed to WBMS for We’re Brockton Metro South.

While the faces and names may have changed; the mission hasn’t: 101.1 FM and AM-1460 WBMS, a proud history of service and commitment to the community.

We’re currently simulcasting our sister station, 95.9 FM WATD. WBMS will be the place for Brockton and Metro South High School Sports and coverage of local issues and politics.

Celebrating the return of local radio to the City of Champions: This is the Voice of Brockton and Metro South: 101.1 FM and AM 1460: WBMS. We’re Brockton / Metro South.