WCRU
 | This articlepossibly containsoriginal research.(April 2008) |
| Broadcast area | Charlotte metropolitan area |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 960kHz |
| Branding | "The Truth" |
| Programming | |
| Format | Christian talk and teaching |
| Affiliations | Salem Radio Network |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Truth Broadcasting Corporation |
| WTRU,WDRU,WLES,KUTR | |
| History | |
First air date | January 1,1963 |
Former call signs | WAAK (1963–2002) WZRH (2002–2008) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 8503 |
| Class | B |
| Power | 10,000wattsdays 500 watts nights |
Transmitter coordinates | 35°18′3.00″N81°10′13.00″W/ 35.3008333°N 81.1702778°W |
| Translator(s) | 98.5W253CV (Davidson, North Carolina) 105.7W289BO (Pineville, North Carolina) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Website | TruthNetwork.com/station/WCRU |
WCRU(960kHz) is anAMradio stationlicensedtoDallas, North Carolinaand serving theCharlotte metropolitan area.The station broadcasts aChristian talk and teachingradio formatand is owned by the Truth Broadcasting Corporation.[2]WCRU carries a mix of national and local pastors. National hosts includeCharles Stanley,John MacArthur,Chuck SwindollandAdrian Rogers.
By day, WCRU is powered at 10,000watts.But at night, to protect other stations on960 AM,WCRU greatly reduces power to 500 watts. Adirectional antennais used at all times. Theradio studiosandtransmitterare on Robinson-Clemmer Road in Dallas.[3]Programming is also heard on twoFM translatorstations:W253CV98.5 inDavidson, North Carolina,andW289BO105.7 inPineville, North Carolina.[4][5]
History
[edit]Early years
[edit]On January 1, 1963, the station firstsigned onwith thecall signWAAK. The originalcity of licensewasConcordwith 1,000 watts daytime and nighttime.
Fred Whitley, owner ofWGTLin neighboringKannapolishad applied for this frequency as adaytime-onlystation in Dallas in order to keep new competition out of his market. He won theconstruction permitfor the station in Dallas, took the call letters WAAK off the top of theFederal Communications Commission(FCC) call sign list, refurbished WGTL's studio, buying the audio board from WSJS-TV, and put the old WGTL console in Dallas.
Top 40 Era
[edit]William E. Rumple was the Chief Engineer of the station for the entire time that Fred Whitley owned it. Whitley ran the station on a break-even basis for about 25 years. In the mid-1980s he sold it to the Marlow Brothers from New Jersey.
The new ownership made sweeping changes to the station, switching it fromEasy ListeningandMiddle of the Roadmusic, which aired during the Whitley years, to anAdult Top 40sound. Another tower was added to allow the station to broadcast at night.
The establishment of several Top 40 stations in the Charlotte market eroded the listenership of WAAK. By 1990, the station was sold again and moved to aChristian radioformat. Several ownership changes took place over the next decade.
Zybek Media and WZRH
[edit]In December 2002, WAAK was sold to The Zybek Media Group. Zybek flipped it to atalk radioformat. The call letters were changed to WZRH with the moniker "The Z-Monster". The new owners immediately filed for a power increase in an attempt to place a stronger signal over the city of Charlotte. The initials ZRH of WZRH stood for Zachary Richard Howerton, son of owners Rick and Beth Howerton.
As Rick's on-going health problems continued to worsen, broadcast duties were given to Brian O'Brian, until the station was sold. Because of the increase in power, there was a great deal interest in the purchase of the station. The station was sold in mid-2004. Jim Huggins assumed general manager duties and hosted the morningdrive timeshow for approximately a year until the format was changed from talk toChristian radioby Truth Broadcasting.
Truth Broadcasting and WCRU
[edit]Two years later, the station was sold yet again to Truth Broadcasting ofWinston-Salem.On May 21, 2007, the station began airing Christian talk and teaching programs 24/7. In early 2008, the station's call letters were changed to WCRU to match the call letters and programming format of Truth Broadcasting's other AM stations,WTRUin thePiedmont TriadandWDRUin theResearch Triangle.
Truth Broadcasting added twoFM translatorsinDavidsonandPineville.These not only provide an option for listeners who prefer FM radio, but fills in the gaps when the main signal must reduce power at sunset; WCRU's nighttime signal is effectively limited toGaston County.
Translators
[edit]| Call sign | Frequency | City of license | FID | ERP(W) | HAAT | Class | FCC info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W253CV | 98.5 FM FM | Davidson, North Carolina | 202844 | 100 watts | 50.3m(165ft) | D | LMS |
| W289BO | 105.7 FM FM | Pineville, North Carolina | 147999 | 250 watts | 129.6 m (425 ft) | D | LMS |
References
[edit]- ^"Facility Technical Data for WCRU".Licensing and Management System.Federal Communications Commission.
- ^"WCRU Facility Record".United StatesFederal Communications Commission,audio division.
- ^Radio-Locator.com/WCRU
- ^Radio-Locator.com/W253CV
- ^Radio-Locator.com/W289BO
External links
[edit]- Facility details for Facility ID 8503 (WCRU)in theFCCLicensing and Management System
- WCRUinNielsen Audio's AM station database