Local radio station FM 98.3/1150 AM WGBR will celebrate its 85th birthday on Wednesday. 

WGBR went on the air in 1939 as a 250-watt AM station in Goldsboro, initially broadcasting on 1370 AM. The frequency changed to 1400 AM in 1941, before transitioning to 1150 AM in the 1950s. 

Vassie Balkcum, who was inducted into the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters in 2004, was heard on WGBR for many years. 

WGBR transitioned from a news-talk format to classic hits, and rebranded as “Goldsboro’s Greatest Hits.” Through the years, WGBR has provided Wayne County with local news, weather, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill football and basketball, and live coverage of high school football. 

WGBR is home to “Farrow in the Morning,” which airs Monday through Friday mornings with on-air personality Jeff Farrow.