WEEP (1400 AM) is a radio station formerly licensed to serve Virginia, Minnesota. The FCC license, most recently held by Full Armor Ministries, Inc., expired on August 1, 2005. The station last aired a Religious radio format. The station began broadcasting in 1936, with a power of 250 watts.^[1] It was the ninth oldest station in Minnesota.^[1]

The station was purchased in 1951 by Frank P. Befera, a pioneer in Minnesota broadcasting.^[3][4] The station remained in the Befera family (dba Virginia Broadcasting Company) until it was sold to Full Armor Ministries of Eveleth, Minnesota, for a reported sale price of $52,000.^[5] The deal closed on October 1, 2000, gained FCC approval on February 13, 2001, and transfer was consummated on April 1, 2001.^[1][6]

The station was assigned the WEEP call letters by the Federal Communications Commission on March 7, 2001.^[2] The call letters were deleted from the FCC database on June 27, 2006, although the station is officially listed as "licensed and silent."^[7]

The station has been silent since a transmitter failure in December 2002.^[8] The tower, lacking basic maintenance, was described as "rusting away" during an August 2005 visit by radio journalist Scott Fybush.^[9]

Efforts to sell the station to the city of Virginia were complicated and ultimately thwarted by licensee Full Armor Ministries' failure to file a timely license renewal. In January 2008, the FCC denied a petition for reconsideration from the (now former) licensee and the city.^[10][11]

In 2008, the City of Virginia gave permission to a local firm to dismantle the former studio building and radio tower. The building was moved and the tower taken down. Today, only a small grove of trees marks the area where the radio station was located. The city is hoping that the site will eventually be used for future economic endeavors.