WAGG

Last updated

WAGG
Broadcast area Greater Birmingham
Frequency 610 kHz
BrandingWAGG 610 AM
Programming
Format Urban gospel
Ownership
Owner
WBHJ, WBHK, WBPT, WENN, WPYA, WZZK-FM
History
First air date
1926;98 years ago (1926)
Former call signs
  • WKBC (1926-1932)
  • WSGN (1932-1985)
  • WZZK (1985-1998)
  • WEZN (1998-1999)
[1]
Former frequencies
1310 kHz (1926-1941)
Call sign meaning
Alabama's Gospel Giant or A.G. Gaston (former owner)
Technical information [2]
Licensing authority
 FCC
Facility ID 48717
Class B
Power
  • 5,000 watts (day)
  • 610 watts (night)
Transmitter coordinates
 33°29′39″N86°52′21″W / 33.49417°N 86.87250°W / 33.49417; -86.87250
Repeater(s) 95.7-3  WBHJ-HD2 (Midfield)
Links
Public license information
Webcast Listen Live
Website 610wagg.com

WAGG (610 AM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Birmingham, Alabama. It is owned by SummitMedia and broadcasts an urban gospel radio format that targets Birmingham's African-American community. [3] The studios and offices are in the Cahaba neighborhood in Southeast Birmingham, along with six other stations owned by SummitMedia.

Contents

The station was assigned the WAGG call sign by the Federal Communications Commission on January 15, 1999. [1] It broadcasts at 5,000 watts by day, reducing power to 610 watts at night to avoid interfering with other stations on AM 610. [4] It uses a non-directional antenna at all times. The transmitter is off Avenue W, near Birmingham International Raceway. [5]

History of AM 610

Some generations ago, the 610 AM frequency was home to Birmingham's third oldest radio station. That station began in 1926 as WKBC, broadcasting at 1310 AM. The original owner of the station was a local furniture company. In 1932, the station was sold to The Birmingham News , and the call sign was changed to WSGN.

Throughout the 1940s, WSGN was an affiliate of the NBC Blue Network, the forerunner of the current ABC Network. Late in 1955, WSGN became the first station in Birmingham to adopt a Top 40 format.

As listeners switched to FM radio for current and recent hits, WSGN made a change. In February 1984, the station became known as "Real Music 610", playing adult standards and big band music. This continued until April 26, 1985, when the owners sold the station and it became the AM simulcast partner of country music station WZZK-FM (104.7). After 53 years, the call letters of WSGN were changed to WZZK. This simulcast continued until 1998, when 610 AM returned to big band and adult standards with the new call sign WEZN.

WAGG history

WAGG has been an urban gospel station since 1982. Before then, the call letters were WENN.

In 1998, Cox Radio, who already owned WZZK-FM, WODL-FM (now WBPT) and WEZN, bought WAGG, WBHJ and WBHK. One year later, WEZN and WAGG swapped dial positions in order for WAGG to take advantage of the superior signal on 610 AM.

On July 20, 2012, Cox Radio, Inc. announced the sale of WAGG and 22 other stations to Summit Media LLC for $66.25 million. The sale was consummated on May 3, 2013. [6] [7]

On October 3, 2014, WAGG began simulcasting on FM translator W271BN (102.1 FM), after sister station WENN (1320 AM) temporarily went silent. [8]

On March 14, 2016, WAGG switched FM translators from W271BN (which switched to a simulcast of soft adult contemporary-formatted WENN) to W261BX (100.1 FM). [9]

Related Research Articles

WVCW is a non-commercial FM radio station licensed to Wilmington, Delaware. Owned by VCY America, the station serves the Delaware Valley, including Philadelphia. The WVCW transmitter is located 8 miles north of downtown Wilmington on Bellows Drive, less than 1/4 mile from the Pennsylvania state line. Besides a standard analog transmission, WVCW broadcasts over HD Radio. The station is best known for its 67-year legacy as WJBR and WJBR-FM, a Delaware-targeted adult contemporary station, which was consistently rated as one of the top stations in the Wilmington area, even amidst competition from Philadelphia stations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WZTI</span> Radio station in Greenfield, Wisconsin

WZTI is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Greenfield, Wisconsin, and serving the Milwaukee metropolitan area. It airs an oldies radio format, featuring hits from the 1960s and 70s, known as "Fonz FM" It is owned by the Milwaukee Radio Alliance, a partnership between Times-Shamrock Communications and All-Pro Broadcasting, along with sister stations 102.1 WLUM-FM and 93.3 WLDB. Its studios are on Good Hope Road in Menomonee Falls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WBHM</span> Public radio station in Birmingham, Alabama, United States

WBHM is a non-commercial public FM radio station in Birmingham, Alabama. The station is licensed to the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where it maintains its radio studios on 11th Street South. WBHM features programming from National Public Radio, American Public Media and Public Radio Exchange. On weekdays, it carries news and information programming, with classical music heard late nights, seven days a week. Weekend programming includes public radio shows such as Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, On The Media, The Moth Radio Hour and Travel with Rick Steves, as well as Bluegrass music and New Age music.

WBPT is a classic rock music-formatted radio station licensed to Homewood, Alabama, that serves the Birmingham and central Alabama area. The station was assigned the WBPT call letters by the Federal Communications Commission on October 17, 2001. From October 2005 to December 20, 2022, it used the branding "106.9 the Eagle". The station is owned by SummitMedia, along with six other stations in the cluster, and all share studios in the Cahaba neighborhood in far southeast Birmingham. Its transmitter is located atop Red Mountain in Birmingham.

WPYA is an American radio station licensed to Gardendale, a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, United States. It is owned by SummitMedia. It airs a Top 40 (CHR) format. It shares studios with six other sister stations in the Cahaba neighborhood in far southeast Birmingham, and the transmitter is based atop Red Mountain.

WERC is a commercial radio station licensed to Birmingham, Alabama. It is owned by iHeartMedia and it simulcasts a talk radio format with sister station WERC-FM. The studios and offices are in Beacon Ridge Tower on First Avenue South in Birmingham, off Interstate 65.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WAPI (AM)</span> Radio station in Birmingham, Alabama

WAPI is a commercial AM radio station in Birmingham, Alabama. It is owned by Cumulus Media and carries a news/talk format, simulcast with FM sister station 99.5 WZRR. The radio studios and offices are on Goodwin Crest Drive in Homewood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WZZK-FM</span> Radio station in Birmingham, Alabama

WZZK-FM is a country music-formatted radio station licensed to Birmingham that serves northern and central Alabama. As of January 3, 2007, WZZK-FM is the flagship station of the Rick and Bubba radio network. It was the first FM station in Birmingham to switch to country music, and throughout much of the 1980s and 1990s was the top-rated radio station in Birmingham. The station is owned by SummitMedia alongside six other stations, and all share studios in the Cahaba neighborhood in far southeastern Birmingham. Its transmitter is located atop Red Mountain in Birmingham.

WYDE is a commercial AM radio station. The station is owned by the Crawford Broadcasting Company and airs a Southern Gospel radio format with some Christian talk and teaching programs. It is simulcast with WYDE-FM 92.5 MHz in Cordova.

WBBF is a commercial AM radio station in Buffalo, New York. It airs a top 40 (CHR) radio format and is owned by Cumulus Media. The studios and offices are on James E. Casey Drive in Buffalo.

WENN is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Birmingham, Alabama. It simulcasts the urban contemporary gospel radio format heard on co-owned WAGG. It is owned by SummitMedia, which also owns six other Birmingham stations, and all share studios and offices in the Cahaba neighborhood in southeast Birmingham, but is not related to the fictional radio WENN in the American Movie Classics sitcom Remember WENN, which ran from 1996 to 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WJLD</span> Radio station in Fairfield, Alabama

WJLD is a radio station licensed to Fairfield, Alabama, that serves most of the Birmingham metropolitan area. The station offers talk and music programming targeted towards African-American listeners, including a mixture of locally originated talk programming and urban oldies music. The station is owned by Richardson Broadcasting Corporation, a company based in Birmingham. Richardson Broadcasting Corporation also owns WAYE 1220 AM in Birmingham, Alabama and has construction permits for low power television stations in Dothan, Montgomery and Selma Alabama. The station's studios and transmitter are located separately in Southwest Birmingham.

WFMV is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Cayce, South Carolina, and serving the Columbia metropolitan area. It is owned by Glory Communications and broadcasts an urban gospel radio format.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WEZN-FM</span> Radio station in Bridgeport, Connecticut

WEZN-FM is a commercial radio station, licensed to Bridgeport, Connecticut, and serving Southern Connecticut. The station is owned by Connoisseur Media and it airs a hot adult contemporary radio format. The WEZN studios are located on Wheelers Farms Road in Milford, and its transmitter is on Green Haven Road in Trumbull.

KZTS is a commercial radio station in Little Rock, Arkansas. The station is owned by Salem Media Group, and broadcasts a gospel music radio format.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WAYE</span> Radio station in Birmingham, Alabama

WAYE is a radio station broadcasting a Regional Mexican format. Licensed to Birmingham, Alabama, United States, the station serves the Birmingham market. The station is currently owned by Dulce and Maria Rivera, through licensee Rivera Communications, LLC, and features programing from Westwood One.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WFXO (AM)</span> Radio station in Alexander City, Alabama

WFXO is a radio station licensed to serve Alexander City, Alabama, United States. The station is owned by Marble City Media LLC and simulcasts on FM translator W242CP (96.3). It is branded as "KiX 96.3", with a country format.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WXJC (AM)</span> Radio station in Birmingham, Alabama

WXJC is an AM radio station licensed to serve Birmingham, Alabama. The station is licensed to Kimtron, Inc., and is owned by Crawford Broadcasting Company. It airs a Southern Gospel music and Talk radio format.

WKFI is a commercial radio station licensed to Wilmington, Ohio, and serving the eastern suburbs of the Dayton metropolitan area. The station is owned by Town And Country Broadcasting, Inc. It is simulcast with co-owned WBZI 1500 AM in Xenia, broadcasting a classic country radio format, known as "Real Roots Radio." News updates are provided by Fox News Radio and the Ohio News Network.

WERC-FM is a commercial radio station licensed to Hoover, Alabama, and serving Greater Birmingham. It is owned by iHeartMedia and it simulcasts a talk radio format with sister station WERC 960 AM. The studios and offices are in Beacon Ridge Tower on First Avenue South in Birmingham, off Interstate 65.

References

  1. 1 2 "Call Sign History". FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database.
  2. ↑ "Facility Technical Data for WAGG". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  3. ↑ "WAGG 610 AM and 100.1 FM". OnlineRadioBox.com. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  4. ↑ FCC.gov/WAGG
  5. ↑ "WAGG-AM 610 kHz - Birmingham, AL". radio-locator.com.
  6. ↑ "Cox Puts Clusters Up For Sale". July 20, 2012.
  7. ↑ "Cox Sells Stations In Six Markets To Two Groups". May 6, 2013.
  8. ↑ "102.1 Y'all Birmingham Goes To Heaven". October 3, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Easy & WAGG Move In Birmingham As Summit Launches 97.3 Play". March 14, 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.