WGAC (AM)
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Broadcast area | Augusta metropolitan area |
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Frequency | 580kHz |
Branding | NewsTalk WGAC |
Programming | |
Format | News/talk |
Affiliations | Fox News Radio Premiere Networks Westwood One |
Ownership | |
Owner |
|
WCHZ-FM,WDRR,WGAC-FM,WGUS-FM,WKXC-FM | |
History | |
First air date | 1940 |
Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
Facility ID | 4435 |
Class | B |
Power | 5,000wattsday 840 watts night |
Transmitter coordinates | 33°40′44″N82°4′48″W/ 33.67889°N 82.08000°W(day) 33°31′29″N81°54′31″W/ 33.52472°N 81.90861°W(night) |
Repeater(s) | 95.1WGAC-FM(Harlem) |
Links | |
Public license information | |
Webcast | Listen live |
Website | wgac.com |
WGAC(580kHz) is acommercialAMradio stationinAugusta, Georgia.The station carries anews/talkformatsimulcastwith co-owned 95.1WGAC-FMHarlem, Georgia.The stations are owned byBeasley Broadcast Group,Inc., through licensee Beasley Media Group Licenses, LLC. Theradio studiosand offices are on Jimmie Dyess Parkway in Augusta.[2]
WGAC is a rare radio station that usestransmittersites in different states. In the daytime, WGAC is powered at 5,000watts,using anon-directional antennaoff King Street inMartinez, Georgia.But at night, to avoid interfering with other stations on580 AM,WGAC reduces power to 840 watts, using adirectional antennawith a four-tower array,off Old Sudlow Lake Road inNorth Augusta, South Carolina.[3]
Programming
[edit]On weekdays, WGAC has local shows in AM and PMdrive time,withnationally syndicatedshows heard the rest of the day. Weekdays begin with "Augusta's Morning News" with John Patrick, Mary Liz Nolan and Steve Smith. In late afternoons, Austin Rhodes hosts aconservative talkcall-in show. Also on the schedule areGlenn Beck,Dave Ramsey,Mark Levin,Coast to Coast AMwithGeorge NooryandAmerica in the Morningwith John Trout.
Weekends feature shows on money, gardening, golfing, cars, technology, religion and law. Syndicated weekend shows includeKim Komando,The Motley Fool,Handel on the LawandSomewhere in Time with Art Bellas well as repeats of weekday shows. WGAC broadcasts games of theAugusta GreenJacketsminor league baseballteam. Most hours begin with world and national news fromFox News Radio.
History
[edit]In 1940, WGACsigned onthe air. It originally broadcast on 1210kilocyclesat only 250 watts, a fraction of its current power. It was owned by Twin States Broadcasting.[4]WGAC was anNBC Blue Networkaffiliate,carrying its schedule of dramas, comedies, news, sports,soap operas,game showsandbig bandbroadcasts during the "Golden Age of Radio."
In 1941, after the enactment of theNorth American Regional Broadcasting Agreement(NARBA), WGAC moved toAM 1240.A few years later, WGAC got approval from theFederal Communications Commission(FCC) to move to 580kHz,with a big increase in power, 5,000wattsby day and 1,000 watts at night.[5]The Blue Network became theABC Radio Network.
In 1978, theBeasley Broadcast Groupacquired WGAC-AM and later, added an FM station (95.1) which is licensed to Harlem, Ga. and simulcasts the WGAC-AM programing.[6]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^"Facility Technical Data for WGAC".Licensing and Management System.Federal Communications Commission.
- ^WGAC.com/station-info-2
- ^Radio-Locator.com/WGAC
- ^InformationfromBroadcasting Yearbook1941 page 114
- ^Broadcasting Yearbook 1950 page 120
- ^Broadcasting Yearbook 2010 page D-157
External links
[edit]- WGAC official website
- Facility details for Facility ID 4435 (WGAC)in theFCCLicensing and Management System
- WGACinNielsen Audio's AM station database