WCOG (AM)

WCOG (1320 kHz) is an AM radio station broadcasting an oldies format. Licensed to Greensboro, North Carolina, United States, the station serves the Piedmont Triad area. The station is owned by Winston-Salem-Greensboro Broadcasting Co LLC. The station used to be a sports affiliate of Curtis Media Group but was sold in March 2021.

WCOG
Broadcast areaPiedmont Triad
Frequency1320 kHz
Programming
FormatOldies
AffiliationsCBS News Radio
Ownership
OwnerWinston-Salem-Greensboro Broadcasting Co
WTOB, WWBG
History
First air date
1947
Former call signs
WCOG (1947–1985)
WGLD (1985–1994)
WWWB (1994–1996)
WTCK (1996–1999) WCOG (1999-current)[1]
Call sign meaning
Wonderful City of Greensboro[2]
Technical information
Facility ID74203
ClassB
Power5,000 watts
Transmitter coordinates
36°9′1.00″N 79°54′48.00″W
Translator(s)105.3 W287GD (Greensboro)
Links
WebcastListen Live
Websitewcogradio.com

History

WCOG went on the air in 1947.[3] Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the station had a top 40 format. Dusty Dunn, Bob Dayton, Scott Derringer, John "Johnny C" Coffman and other DJs played a mix of music that might have included Led Zeppelin, Otis Redding, The Drifters and Janis Joplin.[4] Al Troxler "ruled the airwaves" from above Sky Castle Drive-In on High Point Road.[5]

While attending UNC-Chapel Hill Rick Dees worked for WCOG in 1969 and 1970 when the station was owned by Thoms Broadcasting based in Asheville, North Carolina. Dees left WCOG and worked at WTOB Winston-Salem, NC and WKIX Raleigh, when those stations were owned by Southern Broadcasting.[6]

By 1981, WCOG was a country music station.[3] In 1985, the station changed its call sign to WGLD,[1] and its format to beautiful music. A few years later, WGLD changed to satellite-delivered oldies;[7] in 1989, this gave way to an adult standards format provided by the AM Only service. In 1994, the call letters changed to WWWB,[1] and the format to talk radio; WWWB later simulcast WMFR. In 1996 the station changed again to WTCK,[1] "The Ticket", and a sports talk format. The WMFR simulcast returned two years later, after WKEW dropped its talk format for Radio Disney.[8]

In 1999, Truth Broadcasting changed the format to Christian talk and returned to using the callsign WCOG.[1] The new format included Billy Graham, Franklin Graham, Charles Stanley and James Dobson.[2] WTOB aired the same programming.[9]

On October 2, 2000, WCOG began telling listeners to switch to WTRU.[10] Late in 2000, the announcement came that Truth Broadcasting would move the Radio Disney affiliation from WKEW to WCOG.[11]

The Walt Disney Company bought WCOG in 2005, which meant more community involvement and visibility for the station.[12] Disney subsequently decided to sell its smaller-market Radio Disney stations, and took WCOG and five other stations off the air on January 22, 2010.[13][14] A sale to Curtis Media Group was announced on March 9;[15] upon taking over, Curtis relaunched the station July 15 with a return to sports talk.
In March 2021, WCOG was purchased by Winston-Salem-Greensboro Broadcasting Co LLC and converted back to music. It became its own locally owned station in June 2021 broadcasting oldies. Local news, and CBS radio news and local information has returned to WCOG-AM. WCOG added an FM translator at 105.3 in December 2021, call sign W287GD licensed to Greensboro, NC.[16]

Translator
Call signFrequencyCity of licenseERP (W)ClassFCC info
W287GD 105.3 FMGreensboro, North Carolina250DFMQ

References
  1. "Call Sign History (WCOG)". Retrieved June 10, 2010.
  2. Alexandrea Ravenelle, "New Owners Resurrect WCOG Radio," Greensboro News & Record, June 3, 1999.
  3. Broadcasting Yearbook 1981 (PDF). 1981. p. C-169. Retrieved March 9, 2010.
  4. "Triad Radio Is No Fan of Limp Bizkit," Greensboro News & Record, December 7, 2000.
  5. Britt, Grant (April 18, 2019). "Billy "Crash" Craddock to perform at High Point Theatre in High Point". News & Record. Retrieved May 9, 2019.
  6. "NAB Award Winner—Rick Dees" (PDF). Radio Journal. No. Special NAB Convention Issue. April 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 26, 2009. Retrieved March 24, 2009.
  7. Bradley Johnson, "Aiming for an Audience," Greensboro News & Record, July 20, 1987.
  8. Jeri Rowe, "WTCK to Drop Sports-Talk Format," Greensboro News & Record, July 30, 1998.
  9. "'Missionary' Finds His Field on Triad AM Radio," Greensboro News & Record, July 8, 1999.
  10. "Station Owners Ponder Format Options," Greensboro News & Record, October 5, 2000.
  11. "Dillon Fence Reunites for N.C. Performances," Greensboro News & Record, December 21, 2000.
  12. "The Walt Disney Company Takes Ownership of Local Radio Disney WCOG AM 1320". dBusiness News. July 29, 2005. Retrieved March 4, 2010.
  13. "Radio Disney Takes Six Stations Silent". All Access. January 28, 2010. Retrieved March 9, 2010.
  14. Zucker, John W (January 26, 2010). "Notification of Suspension of Operations / Request for Silent STA". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved March 9, 2010.
  15. "Curtis Media buys Greensboro "Radio Disney" affiliate WCOG (1320)". Radio-Info.com. March 9, 2010. Retrieved March 9, 2010.
  16. "Curtis Forms Triad Sports Network". Radio Ink. July 14, 2010. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
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