WWAC (1020 AM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Ocean City, New Jersey, and serving the Atlantic City area of the Jersey Shore. It is owned by Enrico S. Brancadora, broadcasting a country music radio format. WWAC is co-owned with WIBG-FM, a classic hits station licensed to Avalon, New Jersey.
| Broadcast area | Atlantic City–Jersey Shore |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 1020 kHz |
| Branding | Hot Country 101 |
| Programming | |
| Format | Country music |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Enrico S. Brancadora |
| History | |
First air date | June 12, 1964 |
Former call signs |
|
Former frequencies | 1520 kHz (1964–198?) |
Call sign meaning | Atlantic City |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 19617 |
| Class | D |
| Power |
|
| Translator(s) |
|
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live |
| Website | www |
By day, WWAC is powered at 1,900 watts, non-directional.[2] WWAC's signal reaches from Toms River to Cape May. Because 1020 AM is a clear channel frequency reserved for 50,000 watt Class A station KDKA in Pittsburgh, WWAC must go off the air at night to avoid interference. During critical hours, WWAC is powered at 680 watts.
Programming is also heard on several FM translators around the clock: W250AK 97.9 Mhz in Rio Grande, W267BP 101.3 MHz in Pleasantville, and W270DV 101.9 MHz in Palermo.
History
editThe station signed on the air on June 12, 1964.[3] The original call sign was WSLT and the original frequency was 1520 kHz. The studios were on Asbury Avenue and the original owner was Salt-Tee Radio.
The call sign was changed to WIBG in 1978 after the call sign went out of use in Philadelphia.[4] The station broadcast with various formats over the years including middle of the road (MOR), Top 40, oldies and country music. In the early 1980s, WIBG lost the lease on its transmitter site in Somers Point and went off the air for a time. A replacement site in Cape May County was eventually located. The station built a new tower site and returned to the air, changing its frequency to 1020 kHz in the process. The revived WIBG aired Spanish-language programming and tourist information before adopting a Christian radio format.
On November 19, 2008, WIBG joined Radiolicious and began streaming on the iPhone and iPod Touch.[5]
In October 2011, the station changed to a talk radio format. In May 2013, WIBG dropped its syndicated talk programs and began programming music on weekdays, with some local talk shows and religious broadcasts continuing to be broadcast on weekends, along with "Wibbage Gold" oldies. On June 3, 2013, the format changed to Spanish hits "En Vivo 1020".[6]
In January 2017, the station changed its moniker to "La Mega 101.3", referring to the dial position of its primary FM translator. The call sign was switched to WWAC on April 7, 2021.
On August 12, 2023, WWAC dropped its simulcast of La Mega in favor of "Wibbage Gold" oldies, while retaining its long-form Saturday talk programs. However, this would turn out to be a placeholder, as the station would end up stunting on August 31 with a loop of "Last Night" by Morgan Wallen, with bumpers between playings consisting solely of sounds of a cat running away, a nod towards new rival WPUR, branded as "Cat Country". This lead into a flip to country music as "Hot Country 101" the following day.[7]
Translators
editProgramming is also heard on several FM translators around the clock: W250AK 97.9 Mhz in Rio Grande, W267BP 101.3 MHz in Pleasantville, and W270DV 101.9 MHz in Palermo.
| Call sign | Frequency | City of license | FID | ERP (W) | HAAT | Transmitter coordinates | FCC info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W250AK | 97.9 FM | Rio Grande, New Jersey | 141479 | 38 | 81 m (266 ft) | 39°0′32.4″N 74°52′11.6″W / 39.009000°N 74.869889°W | LMS |
| W267BP | 101.3 FM | Pleasantville, New Jersey | 142147 | 250 | 84 m (276 ft) | 39°22′35.8″N 74°33′42.2″W / 39.376611°N 74.561722°W | LMS |
| W270DV | 101.9 FM | Palermo, New Jersey | 200731 | 250 | 84 m (276 ft) | 39°13′45.0″N 74°40′53.0″W / 39.229167°N 74.681389°W | LMS |
References
edit- ^ "Facility Technical Data for WWAC". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ "WWAC-AM 1020 kHz - Ocean City/Somers Point, NJ". radio-locator.com.
- ^ "WSLT" (PDF). Broadcasting Yearbook. 1970. p. B-129 – via worldradiohistory.com.
- ^ FCC History Cards for WWAC
- ^ Careless, James (November 28, 2008). "Radiolicious Brings AM FM Radio to iPhones". rwonline.com. Archived from the original on January 23, 2009.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "WIBG Goes En Vivo". radioinsight.com. June 4, 2013.
- ^ "Hot Country 101 Debuts In South Jersey". radioinsight.com. September 1, 2023.
External links
edit- Official website
- Facility details for Facility ID 19617 (WWAC) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- WWAC in Nielsen Audio's AM station database
- FCC History Cards for WWAC
- FM translators
- Facility details for Facility ID 142147 (W267BP) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- W267BP at FCCdata.org
- Facility details for Facility ID 200731 (W270DV) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- W270DV at FCCdata.org