WESC-FM
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Broadcast area | Upstate South Carolina |
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Frequency | 92.5MHz(HD Radio) |
Branding | 92.5 WESC |
Programming | |
Format | Classic country |
Affiliations | |
Ownership | |
Owner |
|
WESC,WGVL,WMYI,WSSL-FM,WROO | |
History | |
First air date | March1948 |
Call signmeaning | Easley, Seneca, Clemson (original communities served) |
Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
Facility ID | 4679 |
Class | C |
ERP | 100,000watts |
HAAT | 610 meters (2,000 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 35°08′16.4″N82°36′30.4″W/ 35.137889°N 82.608444°W |
Repeater(s) | 660WESC(Greenville) |
Links | |
Public license information | |
Webcast | Listen Live |
Website | wescfm.iheart.com |
WESC-FM(92.5MHz) is acommercialradio stationinGreenville, South Carolina,serving theUpstateregion, including Greenville,SpartanburgandAnderson, South Carolina,as well asAsheville, North Carolina.It airs aclassic countryradio formatand is owned byiHeartMedia, Inc.The station goes by the name "92.5 WESC" and its slogan is "Carolina's Best Country And Your All-Time Favorites". iHeart owns three country stations in themarket:WSSL-FM100.5 has a contemporary country format, whileWESC660 AM and WESC-FM 92.5simulcastclassic country hits.
Thestudiosand offices are on North Main Street in downtown Greenville.[2]Thetransmitteris along theNorth Carolina/South Carolinaborder, off YMCA Camp Road, east ofCedar Mountain, North Carolina.[3]WESC-FM broadcasts usingHD Radio.
History
[edit]Early years
[edit]WESC-FMsigned onthe air in March 1948 as the FMsister stationtoWESC660,simulcastingits country music format. In the late 1960s, WESC-FM switched tobeautiful musicwhile WESC 660 remained a country outlet. WESC-AM-FM returned to a country music simulcast in the 1980s, although there were times the AM station aired separate programming, leaning towardclassic country.
WESC-AM-FM were acquired in 1998 bySan Antonio-basedClear Channel Communications.[4]In 2014, Clear Channel changed its name toiHeartMedia.
In 2000, the simulcast was split apart. WESC-FM retained its country format, while WESC 660 was leased to the Radio Training Network, which programmed aChristian talk and teachingformat in conjunction with 89.3WLFJ-FM.Thelocal marketing agreement(LMA) ended in August 2019, after which the two stations returned to their prior simulcast.[5]
Move toward classic country
[edit]In 2001, WESC-FM adjusted its format toclassic-leaning country, in a move to separate itself from co-owned 100.5WSSL-FM,which has a more youthful country sound. Although there is overlap with WSSL-FM, WESC distinguished itself by playing more 'genuine/raw' current selections along with hits from the early 1990s and before, sometimes going back to the 1970s.
In the late 2010s, the station abandoned all current or recurrent hits and now strictly plays country music from the 1980s through the 2000s, with an occasional 1970s or earlier and song from the early 2010s played.
WESC is the area'snetwork affiliateforClemson Tigersathletics as well asNASCAR,often calling itself "Your Racin' Station".
WESC-FM has a half-century heritage as a country music station. In the 1980s and 90s, it was sometimes #1 in the Greenville-SpartanburgArbitron ratings.
Country Heartlines
[edit]WESC-FM was the home station for thesyndicatedradio show "Country Heartlines", hosted by John Crenshaw. A nationalized version of Crenshaw’s Cryin’ Lovin’ Laugin’ or Leavin’ show, the program was popular in the 1990s and at one time was carried on over 80 FM stations across the country. The show consisted of a format of country songs played in between callers calling in with a mix of relationship and love related problems, of which Crenshaw and other listeners would give advice and a lending ear. The syndicated show fully ended in 2011.
Transmitter
[edit]WESC-FM has aneffective radiated power(ERP) of 100,000watts,the highest power permitted for most FM stations.[6]Thetowerhas aheight above average terrain(HAAT) of 610 meters (2,001 ft). The transmitter is located nearCaesars Head State Parkin northernGreenville County,near theNorth Carolinastate line.
WESC-FM can be heard across most of Northwestern orUpstate South Carolinaand Western North Carolina, as well as part of NortheasternGeorgiaand a small portion of EasternTennessee.The signal comes close to other nearbyradio markets,includingCharlotte,Atlanta,Columbia,Knoxvilleand theTri-Cities.The station also has an auxiliary transmitter that operates at 100,000 watts ERP which is shared with the main WESC AM tower.
References
[edit]- ^"Facility Technical Data for WESC-FM".Licensing and Management System.Federal Communications Commission.
- ^Facebook.com/925WESC
- ^Radio-Locator.com/WESC-FM
- ^Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2000 page D-399
- ^"Long Running LMA Comes To End In Greenville".RadioInsight.2019-08-14.Retrieved2019-08-16.
- ^FCC.gov/WESC-FM
External links
[edit]- WESC-FM official website
- Facility details for Facility ID 4679 (WESC-FM)in theFCCLicensing and Management System
- WESC-FMinNielsen Audio's FM station database