WTMA
 | |
| Broadcast area | Charleston metropolitan area |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 1250kHz |
| Branding | News-Talk 1250 AM WTMA |
| Programming | |
| Format | News/talk |
| Network | ABC News Radio |
| Affiliations | |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| WIWF,WSSX-FM,WWWZ | |
| History | |
First air date | June 16, 1939(at 1210 AM) |
Former frequencies | 1210 kHz (1939–1941) |
Call signmeaning | "Where Talk Means Action" (backronym) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 72376 |
| Class | B |
| Power |
|
Transmitter coordinates | 32°49′27.00″N80°00′10.00″W/ 32.8241667°N 80.0027778°W |
| Repeater(s) | 96.9WIWF-HD2(Charleston) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live |
| Website | wtma.com |
WTMA(1250AM), “News Talk 1250 WTMA”, is acommercialradio stationlicensedtoCharleston, South Carolina.It has anews/talkformatand is owned byCumulus Media.WTMA's studios and offices are on Faber Place Drive in North Charleston.[2]
By day, WTMA broadcasts with 5,000 non-directionalwatts.But at night, to protect other stations on1250 AM,WTMA reduces power to 1,000 watts and switches to adirectional antennawith a two-tower array.Thetransmitteris off Eton Road in Charleston.[3]The station streams its programming through its website, WTMA.com as well as throughiHeartRadioand free smartphone apps.
Programming
[edit]In weekday morningdrive time,WTMA airs a local news and information show hosted by John Quincy and Sheree Bernardi. The rest of the weekday schedule is made up ofnationally syndicatedconservative talkshows, mostly from CumulussubsidiaryWestwood One.They includeChris Plante,Ben Shapiro,Michael Knowles,Mark Levin,Dan Bongino,Rich Valdés,Red Eye RadioandAmerica in the Morning.
Weekends feature shows on money, health, real estate and gardening, along with repeats of weekday shows. Each hour begins with world and national news fromABC News Radio.
History
[edit]WTMAsigned onthe air on June 16, 1939. It was anNBC Red Networkaffiliateand is the Charleston area's second-oldest AM radio station. Of those two, WTMA is the only one to maintain its currentcall letters.(Charleston's oldest station isWSPO1390 AM.Originally WCSC, it went on the air in 1930.)
In 1945, WTMA added anFMsister stationwhich today is 95.1WSSX.[4]From its beginnings through the early 1960s, WTMA carried NBC's dramas, comedies, news, sports,soap operas,game showsandbig bandbroadcasts during the "Golden Age of Radio."
From the early 1960s through 1981, WTMA broadcast aTop 40format and was anABC Contemporary Networkaffiliate. But like many other AM Radio Top 40 stations, it switched to anadult contemporaryformat in the early 80s until 1986 when young people began tuning in FM stations for the latest hits. Over time, WTMA tried a couple different formats includingR&B-flavoredoldiesandclassic country music.Then on June 1, 1989, it switched to its current talk format, under the ownership ofCitadel Broadcasting.Citadel merged with Cumulus Media on September 16, 2011.[5]
In May 1999, WTMA lost popular syndicated shows byRush LimbaughandDr. Laurato new talk radio competitorWSCC.Still, the station jumped from 13th to 7th in the morning and from 16th to 12th with 25-54 listeners. Program director Jason Wilmot said WTMA was still the number one station for news.[6]
References
[edit]- ^"Facility Technical Data for WTMA".Licensing and Management System.Federal Communications Commission.
- ^WTMA.com/station-information
- ^Radio-Locator.com/WTMA
- ^Broadcasting Yearbook 1977, page C-187
- ^"Cumulus now owns Citadel Broadcasting".Atlanta Business Journal.September 16, 2011.RetrievedSeptember 16,2011.
- ^Lipman, Lisa (1999-11-11)."Stern becomes No. 1 morning radio show".Post and Courier.Retrieved2010-07-08.
External links
[edit]- News-Talk 1250 AM WTMA official website
- Facility details for Facility ID 72376 (WTMA)in theFCCLicensing and Management System
- WTMAinNielsen Audio's AM station database
- WTMA History Site
- FCC History Cards for WTMA