SALISBURY — Buddy Poole is inviting any listener of WSAT to come and celebrate the last Christmas at the location the radio station has been in for approximately 75 years. The station will be moving to a location on Dorsett Drive, off of Statesville Boulevard, from its current location on Jake Alexander Boulevard.

Poole said that the radio’s coverage will not be affected by the move, as the company has already moved the F.M. station to a radio tower in Granite Quarry. The A.M. station transmitters for 1490 and 1280 will be returning to the old WSTP tower, so long as the Federal Communications Commission approves the move.

The towers behind the current location were built in 1947, and the station officially began to broadcast in early 1948. On that day, the dedication of the program aired a message from Gov. Robert Cherry and conversations with various community leaders such as Salisbury City Schools Superintendent J. H. Knox, Rowan County Schools Superintendent Charles C. Erwin, Salisbury Mayor S. Holmes Plexico and retiring PTA President Julian Robertson.

The station was founded in the 1940s by Charles Wentz. At the time it served as only the second station in the city. Eventually, the station was taken over by Wentz’s son-in-law, Harry Welch Sr., and the station would be run by the Welch family for over 50 years. Charles Welch, Harry’s son, would sell the station in 2002 to Poole, who would in turn sell it to local lawyer Bill Graham and his company, 2B Productions.

The Welch family, through their company Mid-Carolina Broadcasting Company, still owns the land that the radio station sits on, and Graham said that the station has been renting the building ever since the Welches sold. Now, Graham says that they plan to do something different with the property.

“Times change and the owner wants to do something different now with the land. It’s a great location, I just hope they turn it into something good,” said Graham.

The 75-year-old broadcasting towers have aired the voices of Howard Platt, Russ McIntyre, David Whisenant, Grady Cole, Poole himself and many others throughout the history of the station. Poole said that when the radio station moves to the Dorset Drive location sometime in December or January, the towers will be taken down on their way out.

“I don’t want to leave. We’ve been here a long time, there’s a lot of history in here but nothing stays the same forever,” said Poole.

Charlotte-based real estate firm MPV Properties has the 10.6-acre property listed for sale for $1,650,000 for retail, office, manufacturing, warehouse, distribution or other usages.