WGOC

WGOC is an AM radio station broadcasting in Kingsport, Tennessee, under a Business Radio format. It broadcasts on AM frequency 1320 kHz and is under ownership of Cumulus Media.

WGOC
CityKingsport, Tennessee
Broadcast areaTri-Cities, Tennessee
Frequency1320 kHz
BrandingWGOC AM 1320
SloganTri-Cities Business Radio
Programming
FormatBusiness radio
Ownership
OwnerCumulus Media
(Radio License Holding CBC, LLC)
WJCW, WKOS, WQUT, WXSM
History
First air date
1951 (as WKIN)
Former call signs
WKIN (1951-2007)
Technical information
Facility ID67671
ClassB
Power5,000 watts day
500 watts night

History

The station signed on the air in 1951 under the call letters WKIN and was soon owned by Cy Bahakel. The station was originally daytime-only and, over the years, increased its power to 5,000 watts.

In the 1960s and 1970s the station was a popular Top 40 outlet with a personality-DJ format. Some key names over the years included:

  • Bill Austin
  • Eddie Skelton
  • Joe Mills
  • Phil Roberts
  • John Selby Engineer
  • Gary Morse
  • Dick Winstead ("Richard Bailey Winstead," "Dickie-Doo")
  • Wayne Bernard ("Nard") (now known as Charlie Chase)
  • Mike Casey ("The Mighty Casey")
  • Charlie O'Day ("Good-Time Charlie")
  • Oscar Harris ("The Big O")
  • Ron Mack
  • Jonathan Lee Forrester
  • Terry Thomas
  • Ken Maness
  • Roger Lynn
  • Ric Darby
  • Reggie Jordan ("The Hit Man")
  • Jeff Taylor ("The Rocket Man," "J. Rocket")
  • Chuck Carroll ("The Funky Ol' Chuck-A-Luck")
  • Bill Meade
  • Bob Gordon ("Robert W. Gordon")
  • Mike Lee
  • TB Scott
  • Dave Miller
  • Steve Howard
  • John R. Kelly
  • Robin Hyatt
  • Gary Trudeau
  • Mark Evan McKinney
  • Tom Shannon ("Curly")
  • Steve Gilly
  • Don Dale
  • Dave Jeffries
  • Darwin Paustian
  • Dick McClellan
  • "Lonesome" Jim Edwards
  • Chuck Ness
  • "Professor" Matt Stevens
  • Fred Williams
  • Claude "Red" Kirk
  • Dave Ray
  • Joseph Reed (Jay Lee)

Nighttime service was added in 1981 with a new 4-tower directional array at the intersection of East Stone Drive and New Beason Well Road in Kingsport, and a nighttime power of 500 watts. The 5-kW daytime operation was consolidated to this site as well in about 1990.

In 1982 WKIN changed to a country format under the branding "A Great Brand Of Country." Variations of country and classic country would continue over the next couple of decades.

The WGOC call letters were on 640 AM from April 9, 1993 until Feb. 26, 2007, when the call letters were moved to what had been WKIN,[1][2] a news/talk and sports station.[3]

WGOC logo before transfer to AM 1320 frequency.

Citadel Broadcasting, which had owned WJCW and WQUT since 1977, bought WGOC and WKIN in 2000.[4] Prior to its current programming, WGOC was broadcasting a Classic Country/Bluegrass/Gospel format. Citadel merged with Cumulus Media on September 16, 2011.[5]

References
  1. http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=29513&Callsign=WXSM
  2. http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=67671&Callsign=WGOC, Retrieved on 2009-03-26.
  3. http://www.ontheradio.net/metro/Johnson_City_TN.aspx, Retrieved on 2009-03-26.
  4. http://www.jcedb.org/mags/JCBMOctober.pdf, Retrieved on 2009-03-26.
  5. "Cumulus now owns Citadel Broadcasting". Atlanta Business Journal. September 16, 2011. Retrieved September 16, 2011.


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