WNBH (1340 AM) is a New Bedford, Massachusetts radio station, owned by Hall Communications and currently broadcasting a classic hits format. The station's branding refers to its FM translator station, W267CY. The station is also carried on the HD2 sub-channel of sister station WCTK. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) records list WNBH's first license date as January 9, 1924. However, the station has generally traced its founding to May 1921, when one of WNBH's original owners, Irving Vermilya, began making broadcasts over an amateur radio station. Programming The longest-running program on WNBH is The Happy Bible Hour, presented by "People's Christian Church" of New Bedford. It began in the fall of 1927 with the Rev. Russell W. Baldwin. Pastor Baldwin hosted the program until his death in 1978. The Rev. Ellsworth B. McAfee continued the program until his death in 2008. Since that time, Pastor Ardyth Bednarz has hosted the program, which has also been broadcast on New Bedford station WBSM (1420 AM). It is also believed to be one of the longest-running religious radio programs in the United States. WNBH broadcasts local high school football and boys basketball games for New Bedford High School, Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational-Technical High School, Fairhaven High School, Dartmouth High School, Bishop Stang High School and Old Rochester Regional High School. The station also broadcasts girls basketball state tournament games for these schools. Ed Perreira and Mark Enwright announce the games. Perreira also hosts the public affairs program Up Front on Sunday mornings. Translator History Origin WNBH's founder was Irving Vermilya, a Marconi company employee who called himself "Amateur Number One" and was one of the earliest and best known amateur radio operators. Following World War One, he was issued a standard amateur radio license for a station located at his home at 24 Allen Street in Marion, Massachusetts, with the call sign 1HAA. In the spring of 1921, Vermilya's station was upgraded to a Special Amateur license, with the new call sign of 1ZE. In May 1922 the Slocum & Kilburn company of New Bedford, where Vermilya managed the radio department, was issued a license for a new broadcasting station with the sequentially assigned call letters WDAU. The station's transmitter was constructed by Vermilya and Fred Stock. WDAU eventually went silent and was deleted on November 18, 1924. WNBH publicity has commonly traced the station's history to broadcasts conducted by Vermilya beginning in