WPLY (AM)
WPLI is a commercial radio station licensed to Roanoke, Virginia, United States, and serving Southwest Virginia and the New River Valley. Prior to going silent on September 30, 2025, WPLI simulcast a sports format with WPLY (1390 AM) in Lynchburg. Both stations are owned by Mel Wheeler, Inc.
WPLI's transmitter is at the end of Newman Drive in Salem. Programming is also relayed on low-power FM translator W266CY at 101.1 MHz in Roanoke.
History
Just before noon on October 1, 1940, the station signed on as WSLS. WSLS was an affiliate of the NBC Blue Network, which later became ABC. A partner FM station, WSLS-FM, launched in 1947, largely simulcasting the AM station. WSLS-TV followed five years later on Channel 10.As network programming moved from radio to television, WSLS switched to a full service, Country music format. In 1969, Park Communications purchased WSLS-AM-FM-TV. Due to FCC ownership restrictions, Park kept the television station and sold the radio stations to Bass Brothers Telecasters. As the stations could no longer share a call sign after the purchase, the AM became WSLC at midnight on August 1, 1972, keeping its country sound. The FM switched to album-oriented rock and briefly became WSLC-FM before settling on current call sign WSLQ. Only the TV station still carries the original call letters. Mel Wheeler purchased the two stations in 1976.
At noon on May 25, 2000, WSLC began simulcasting with its new sister station 94.9 WSLC-FM, formerly easy listening turned classic rock station WPVR, after that station was purchased by Mel Wheeler Inc. This continued until March 13, 2002, when the country format moved full-time to WSLC-FM. 610 WSLC was flipped to new call letters as WVBE, simulcasting co-owned 100.1 WVBE-FM Lynchburg, and brought urban adult contemporary and R&B music full-time to Roanoke.
On January 20, 2016, the station dropped its Urban AC format for sports talk with the new call sign WPLY. The station became an affiliate of Fox Sports Radio.
On September 30, 2025, WPLY ceased operations. Its sports format continues on WXLK's HD3 subchannel and translator W266CY 101.1 FM Roanoke. WPLY and WPLI concurrently swapped call letters, while Mel Wheeler Inc. explored the possibility of selling off or donating the 1390 AM facility.