WAAX
| |
|---|---|
| WGMZ | |
| History | |
First air date | 1947 |
Former call signs | WGWC (1947–1956) WCAS (1956–1960) |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 22996 |
| Class | B |
| Power | 5,000 watts day 500 watts night |
Transmitter coordinates | 33°58′45″N 86°0′9″W / 33.97917°N 86.00250°W |
| Translator(s) | 101.9 W270DQ (Gadsden) |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | 1019bigwaax.iheart.com |
WAAX (570
Morning talk show host Dave Mack is a frequent guest/commentator on
History
 | This section possibly contains original research. (November 2011) |
The station began operation in 1947 as WGWD, also at 570 on the dial, but with a power of 1,000 watts, daytime only.[4] WGWD was owned by the Covington family of Montgomery, Alabama. In its early days the station operated from studios located in the original Pioneer Life Insurance building in downtown Gadsden.
In 1955, the station was bought by Atlanta broadcaster Charles A. Smithgall, who had enjoyed great success on
The new WAAX became a CBS affiliate, as announced at the end of the 02/21/1960 episode "That Was No Lady" of the CBS radio program Have Gun Will Travel. The station programmed light pop music during the day, and ran a list of CBS programs at night. In 1962, Mike McDougald of Georgia, also a WSB alum, bought into the station, and became its general manager. McDougald continued the light pop sound during the day, but hired a young Mike Morelock to become the night time top 40 jock on "BIG WAAX". In the months to come, the station gained the image as the news leader, as McDougald outfitted the station vehicle with police and fire radios, and installed one of the first "car phones" in the area, actually a two-way radio that could call any telephone number from the road.
From the late 1950s through early 1963, Robert Allen Chumley Sr. was the news reporter, air-time salesman, and later on, night-time
In 1973, Dave Fitz came to WAAX as Executive News Director. Quickly he became the news authority for the region. Fitz remained with WAAX for 25 years. With his easily recognizable voice and no-nonsense delivery, Fitz was regarded as the radio news guy in Gadsden for over 30 years (Fitz died on August 9, 2009)[7]
The station gained popularity and in 1967 programmed
In 1998, Program Director Bill Seckbach and GM Kathy Boggs brought the sounds of Rush Limbaugh, Paul Finebaum, and J. Holland to the "Big WAAX".
References
- ^ "WAAX Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
- Arbitron. Retrieved December 31, 2011.
- ^ "Alabama Affiliates". Coast to Coast AM. Retrieved December 31, 2011.
- ^ "Directory of Standard (AM) Broadcasting Stations of the United States". Broadcasting-Telecasting 1949 Yearbook. Washington, D.C.: Broadcasting Publications, Inc. 1949. p. 70.
- ^ "Directory of AM and FM stations and Market Data of the United States". Broadcasting-Telecasting 1956 Yearbook-Marketbook Issue. Washington, D.C.: Broadcasting Publications, Inc. 1956. p. 53.
- ^ Stekker, Paul (Prod), Settin' the Woods on Fire:George Wallace. PBS, The American Experience, aired April 23, 2000
- ^ "Longtime Alabama broadcaster Dave Fitz dies". TuscaloosaNews.com, August 11, 2009.
External links
- WAAX in the FCC AM station database
- WAAX in Nielsen Audio's AM station database