WGGC

WGGC (95.1 FM) is a radio station broadcasting a country music format. It is licensed to Bowling Green, Kentucky, United States, and serves the Bowling Green area of south-central and west-central Kentucky. The station is currently owned by Heritage Communications, Inc.[3]

WGGC-FM
CityBowling Green, Kentucky
Broadcast areaBowling Green
and surrounding areas
Frequency95.1 MHz
BrandingGoober 95.1
SloganTHE Country Station!
Programming
FormatCountry
AffiliationsUK IMG Sports Network
Ownership
OwnerHeritage Communications, Inc.
WLCK, WQXE, WULF, WVLE
History
First air date
June 23, 1961 [1][2]
Former call signs
WPRX (1989-1993)
Call sign meaning
W Giant Goober of Country
Technical information
Facility ID27007
ClassC0
Power100,000 Watts
HAAT967 feet (295 m)
Transmitter coordinates
36°54′43″N 86°11′21″W
Links
WebsiteWGGC.com

Its transmitter is located in northern Allen County on Kentucky Route 101 near the Warren/Allen County line. Its broadcasting studio is located at 1727 US 31W Bypass in Bowling Green.[4]

History

The station's application history dates back to 1959-60, when the call letters were going to be WKAY-FM to match with WKAY-AM, but the WGGC call letters were assigned by the FCC in July 1960.[5] Originally licensed to and located in Glasgow, Kentucky, the station first signed on the air in 1961 under ownership of Glasgow Broadcasting Company (now Heritage Communications, Inc.), which also owned WKAY-AM radio (now WCLU-AM). At the time of its inception, WGGC was the first FM radio station ever to sign on in south central Kentucky as all other FM signals came from either Nashville, Louisville, Central City, or Owensboro. Both WGGC and WKAY shared studios at 510 Happy Valley Road in Glasgow (Kentucky Route 351, now Kentucky State Route 90), which was demolished in November 2014 to make room for a new drug store.[2] During the first two decades of WGGC's existence, the station began as an almost-full-time simulcast of WKAY until the late 1960s. By 1970, the station was broadcasting a religious format,[6] and later a gospel music, and eventually began broadcasting their country music format in 1975-76.[7]

In 1988, WGGC's signal origination was moved to its present transmitting site in Allen County.[2] At one point in 1989, the station's callsign was changed to WPRX,[8][9] but reverted to the WGGC callsign in either 1992 or 1993, and until 2002, it was known on air as "Country 95."

From 1988 through the mid-1990s, both WGGC and WCLU (AM) was under ownership of Royse Radio, Inc. While the ownership of both WCLU and WCLU-FM remained in the hands of Royse Radio, WGGC was sold to Heritage Communications in October 1997.[1] Then at some point in the mid-2000s, WGGC moved its broadcasting license to Bowling Green, where the station's broadcast facilities are currently located. From 2002 until 2010, the station was branded as "95.1 WGGC." It began branding itself as "Dolby Digital 95.1" in late 2010.

WGGC has often been involved in community service; most recently in June 2014, when the station, in conjunction with the southern Kentucky chapter of United Way, hosted a radio-thon to raise money for country music superstar Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.[10] It became an annual event beginning in 2015. On February 4, 2020, WGGC was awarded the United Way Media Partner Advocacy Award, for its "United Way Wednesdays" segments in 2019, on Big Rick In The Morning.

Programming and format

WGGC broadcasts a country music format, therefore competing with three other country formatted stations in the same market: WBVR-FM 96.7, Cave City-licensed WHHT 103.7, and Glasgow-based WLYE-FM 94.1 for ratings. WGGC also competes with out-of-market country stations like WSM-AM, WSM-FM, WKDF and WSIX-FM in Nashville, along with WBKR in Owensboro for the allegiances of the local listener due to Bowling Green's close proximity to both nearby cities. In fact, both cities can pick up at least Grade B coverage of the station thanks to WGGC's 100,000 watts of power and its tower height of 967 feet (295 m), thereby covering many areas in west-central Kentucky, northern middle Tennessee, and a small sliver of southern Indiana.[11]

WGGC hosts include: Krysta;[12] and Greg Almond.[13] Syndicated shows from Westwood One include The Big Time with Whitney Allen and The Lia Show.[14]

In addition to country music, WGGC has also been the longtime local home for Kentucky Wildcats football and men's basketball games from the UK Sports Radio Network by JMI Sports.

Nominations & Awards

In 2020, former morning host "Big Rick" Daniels was nominated for the 55th Academy of Country Music Awards for On-Air Personality of the Year – Small Market.,[15] and for the 54th Country Music Association Awards for Small Market Personality of the Year.[16]

References
  1. 2010 Broadcasting Yearbook, page D-237
  2. Overstreet, Melinda J. (November 21, 2014). "Ely Drugs plans new location, will take over spot where radio stations once were". Glasgow Daily Times. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
  3. "WGGC Call Sign History" United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division
  4. http://www.wggc.com/contactus.html
  5. Changing Hands. Broadcasting, August 1, 1960, page 96.
  6. 1974 Broadcasting Yearbook, page B-82
  7. Elving, Bruce F. (1976). FM Atlas, Fourth Edition, page 61
  8. Changing Hands. Broadcasting, June 19, 1989, page 72.
  9. "WGGC Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division
  10. "Hometown Hero: Goober 95.1 WGGC - WBKO | Bowling Green, KY". WBKO-TV (June 27, 2014). Retrieved April 14, 2015.
  11. Advertising. WGGC.com. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
  12. https://www.wggc.com/shows/krysta-with-a-k-10am-3pm/
  13. https://www.wggc.com/shows/greg-almond/
  14. https://www.wggc.com
  15. https://www.acmcountry.com/radio-awards
  16. https://www.cmaworld.com/cma-announces-nominees-for-the-54th-annual-cma-awards/
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