WPTF Radio
U.S. right
Background
WPTF traces its origins to 1924, when it signed on as WFBQ, a 50-watt station in the Raleigh area. In 1927, the Durham Life Insurance Company purchased the station, moved it to 680 kHz, and rebranded it WPTF — the initials standing for the company's slogan, 'We Protect The Family.' Durham Life owned the station for nearly 65 years, during which it grew to 50,000 watts (the maximum allowed for AM stations) and became one of the most powerful signals in the Carolinas. In 1991, Durham Life exited broadcasting and sold its stations to Donald Curtis, who formed Curtis Media Group and retained WPTF as its flagship. Under Curtis Media, the station shifted to an all-news and then news/talk format, and today syndicates Fox News Radio programming for most of its weekday schedule, including The Brian Kilmeade Show and Fox Across America with Jimmy Failla — both of which carry a clear conservative editorial orientation. Weekend programming adds some centrist content such as CBS News Weekend Roundup and Jill on Money. Curtis Media Group now owns roughly 60 radio signals across North Carolina, making it a dominant presence in state-level commercial broadcasting, with WPTF serving as its main news/talk outlet and a flagship for the UNC Tar Heel Sports Network.
Sources
- WPTF – Wikipedia
- WPTF Station History | FM 92.9 / AM 680 WPTF
- WPTF | Curtis Media Group
- Shows/Podcasts | FM 92.9 / AM 680 WPTF
- Don Curtis and the Curtis Media Group – NC History
- Fox News Radio
- How Don Curtis built a statewide radio powerhouse – Business North Carolina
Profile compiled 2026-07-07; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.