WCOA (AM)
| Ownership | |
|---|---|
| Owner |
|
| WJTQ, WMEZ, WRRX, WXBM-FM | |
| History | |
First air date | February 3, 1926 |
Call sign meaning | Wonderful City Of Advantages |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 12142 |
| Class | B |
| Power | 5,000 watts day 4,400 watts night |
| Translator(s) | 104.9 W285FY (Pensacola) |
| Repeater(s) | 102.7 WXBM-HD2 (Milton) |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | wcoapensacola.com |
WCOA (1370
By day, WCOA is powered at 5,000 watts non-directional. At night, to protect other stations on 1370 AM, it reduces power to 4,400 watts and uses a directional antenna with a three-tower array[1] The transmitter is on Hollywood Avenue near Massachusetts Avenue in Brent, Florida.[2]
Programming
Weekdays begin on WCOA with "Real News with Rick Outzen," a local news and information program. The rest of the weekday schedule is made up of
Weekends feature shows on money, health, real estate and technology. Weekend programs include
History
On February 3, 1926, hundreds of people gathered in Plaza Ferdinand in downtown Pensacola. They were there to hear the first sounds of radio in Northwest Florida. At precisely 8:30 p.m. WCOA went on the air, and the broadcast was piped over a large horn on top of City Hall. Locals who owned receivers could tune into the 250-watt signal that was broadcast from two 100-foot towers located behind City Hall.
City Clerk John E. Frenkel Sr., who used the moniker Breezy Boy from the Gulf,[citation needed] hosted the first program.[3] It featured local talent, city officials and representatives of area military bases. The grand finale was a rendition of a song called "Down Pensacola Way" that was composed especially for the big unveiling. According to letters and calls, over 700 people listened to the first broadcast.
When the city government changed form in 1931, WCOA was purchased by John C. Pace[3] for $6,500. When he purchased the station on December 1, 1931, he indicated he would spend $20,000 in modernizing the station. The studios were moved to the San Carlos Hotel where they remained until 1949. Pace eventually sold the station to the company that owned the Pensacola News Journal newspaper, which sold it in 1957.[3]
The station increased its power to 5,000 watts September 8, 1947.[4]
WCOA operated for many years as a
The station changed ownership, location and network affiliation several more times over the years. In 1991, the programming switched to a news-talk format.
WCOA also has a place in the Congressional Record, recognizing the 80th anniversary of WCOA.[5]
References
- ^ FCC.gov/WCOA
- ^ Radio-Locator.com/WCOA
- ^ Newspapers.com.
- ^ "WCOA ad" (PDF). Broadcasting (p. 39). September 22, 1947. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
- ^ "RECOGNIZING THE 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF NEWSTALK RADIO 1370 WCOA", Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 21 (Friday, February 17, 2006). From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]. Retrieved on October 13, 2011.
External links
- WCOA in the FCC AM station database
- WCOA in Nielsen Audio's AM station database
- FCC History Cards for WCOA
- Radio Service Bulletin, November 30, 1929, U.S. Department of Commerce
- Broadcasting Year Book 1940 by Broadcasting Publications, Inc.
- Colee, Donn R., Jr. Towers in the Sand: The History of Florida Broadcasting, 2016
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| National | |
