| WLES | |
| Country: | US |
| Area: | Metro Richmond |
| Branding: | Truth Radio 590 |
| Airdate: | , in Lawrenceville |
| Frequency: | 590 kHz |
| Format: | Christian Talk |
| Power: | 1,000 Watts daytime 58 Watts nighttime |
| Translator: | 97.7 W249CI (Bellwood, Virginia) |
| Class: | D |
| Facility Id: | 72504 |
| Coordinates: | 37.5144°N -77.5078°W |
| Licensing Authority: | FCC |
| Former Frequencies: | 580 kHz (1959–2014) |
| Owner: | Stuart Epperson |
| Licensee: | Truth Broadcasting Corporation |
| Sister Stations: | WTRU, WDRU, WCRU, KUTR |
| Webcast: | WLES Webstream |
| Website: | truthnetwork.com |
WLES (590 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Bon Air, Virginia, United States, serving the Greater Richmond Region. WLES is owned and operated by Stuart Epperson, through licensee Truth Broadcasting Corporation.[1] It airs a Christian radio format as part of "The Truth Network", originating in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.Programming is also heard on FM translator station W249CI at 97.7 MHz.
WLES began as a daytime-only radio station in Lawrenceville in September 1959. It primarily broadcast a country music format. The station was moved into the Richmond area in the 2010s.
WLES began broadcasting on 580 kHz from Lawrenceville, near the Virginia-North Carolina border, on September 28, 1959.[2] It was a 500-watt, daytime-only outlet.[3] The station was founded by Harry A. Epperson Sr. and was sold to Elton N. Doyle and William C. Link in 1966.[4] Doyle became mayor of Lawrenceville in 1970; he sold his interest in the station in 1980, with Link becoming the sole owner, and remained mayor another decade.[5]
Link sold WLES and WHFD (105.5 FM) to Willis Broadcasting Corporation in 1999. At that time, both stations broadcast country music.[6] Within a year, Willis opted to retain the FM outlet and sold the AM station to Chesapeake-Portsmouth Broadcasting Corporation, owned by Nancy Epperson.[7] By 2005, the station was airing an oldies format.[8]
Chesapeake-Portsmouth Broadcasting filed a request in July 2007 to transfer the license of WLES to Truth Broadcasting, headed by Nancy's son Stu Epperson, Jr.,[9] but withdrew the request in August 2007.[10] Subsequently, a construction permit request was filed to conduct a frequency swap with nearby station WLVA, which is owned by Truth Broadcasting and operated on the adjacent frequency of 590 kHz; the frequency change would also see WLVA move from Lawrenceville to Bon Air, a suburb of Richmond.[11] The swap was completed in 2011. The station was issued a license to operate on 590 kHz on March 28, 2014.
Effective May 21, 2019, Chesapeake-Portsmouth Broadcasting sold WLES to Truth Broadcasting Corporation for $75,000; Truth was already providing its programming.[12]
In addition to the main station, WLES is relayed by an FM translator.[13] The translator was acquired from another Epperson company, Delmarva Educational Association, for $100,000 in 2022 but was broadcasting WLES beforehand.[14]