WJLG
WJLG (900 AM) was a radio station broadcasting a sports radio format. Licensed to Savannah, Georgia, United States, the station served the Savannah area. The station was last owned by Cumulus Media and featured programming from Fox Sports Radio and Premiere Radio Networks.[1] Its studios were located on Television Circle in Savannah; its transmitter was located east of historic downtown at the interchange of President Street and Harry S. Truman Parkway.
 | |
| City | Savannah, Georgia |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Savannah, Georgia |
| Frequency | 900 kHz |
| Branding | AM 900 The Ticket |
| Slogan | Savannah's Sports Station! |
| Programming | |
| Format | Defunct (was Sports) |
| Affiliations | Fox Sports Radio Premiere Radio Networks |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Cumulus Media (Cumulus Licensing LLC) |
| WBMQ, WEAS-FM, WIXV, WJCL-FM | |
| History | |
First air date | 1950 (as WJIV) |
Last air date | October 13, 2020 (for license) October 18, 2020 (for transmitter) |
Former call signs | WJIV (1950-1962) WEAS (1962-1983 and 1987-1998) WWJD (1983-1987) WJLG (1987-2020) |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 71365 |
| Class | D |
| Power | 4,350 watts day 152 watts night |
Transmitter coordinates | 32°4′29.00″N 81°4′17.00″W |
History
The station went on the air as WJIV in 1950 as an R&B station. Upon changing to a country music format, the station changed its call sign to WEAS in 1962, with 5,000 watts daytime (when co-owned station WEAS in Decatur, Georgia took the new call WGUN (Decatur is the home of two colleges, Emery and Agnes Scott, hence the WEAS call)) from a transmitter on Hutchinson Island in the Savannah River; then changed call sign again to WWJD on October 24, 1983. On June 28, 1987, the station changed its call sign to WEAS; then on October 26, 1998 to WJLG.[2] WJIV and WSAV were involved in a long-running battle for television channel 3 in Savannah. It appeared that the Rivers' family political connections would have the license granted to WJIV, but, in the end, WSAV won out and became Savannah's second TV station (after WTOC-TV). In 1961, the antenna was damaged in a storm and for several years had a weak signal. A new tower, to also support the new WEAS-FM antenna, improved coverage. A relocation of the transmitter, to allow for development of a hotel and golf course, caused the station to reduce power from 5,000 watts to 4,350 watts.
WJLG's transmitter was damaged by a lightning storm in July 2020, resulting in a temporary power reduction to 200 watts; sister station WBMQ (the former WSAV), which operated from the same site, was forced off the air entirely. That October 9, Cumulus elected to return the stations' licenses to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) instead of making repairs; the surrender also invalidated a construction permit for an FM translator station, W289CL (105.7), to relay WJLG.[3] The station's license was cancelled on October 13, 2020.
References
- "WJLG Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
- "WJLG Call Sign History". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
- Venta, Lance (October 14, 2020). "Cumulus Surrenders Pair Of Savannah AMs". RadioInsight. Retrieved October 14, 2020.