WPCO (South Carolina)
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2013) |
| |
|---|---|
| Branding | 94.9 The Palm |
| Programming | |
| Format | Defunct (was adult album alternative) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| WARQ, WHXT, WMFX, WWDM, WSCZ | |
| History | |
First air date | January 1, 1947 |
Last air date | January 2022 |
Former call signs |
|
Call sign meaning | "We're Palm Columbia" |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 73370 |
| Class | C |
| Power | 1,000 watts unlimited |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Website | 949thepalm.com |
WPCO (1230
After going
History
The station signed on the air on January 1, 1947. Its original
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, WNOK programmed various music genres known then as "Block Programming." In the end, Top 40 won out and, by the mid-1960s, it was full-time Top 40. However, after making little headway against WCOS, it tried "The Now Sound" in 1967, a mix of MOR and light rock/pop. It also affiliated with CBS during that time. In late 1970, it returned to Top 40 and briefly gave
In the fall of 1987, WNOK dropped the simulcast, becoming an AOR/Classic rock hybrid as "Rock 1230". However, FM station WMFX signed on shortly afterwards with a similar format, taking away the station's potential audience. In September 1988, the station became "Oldies 1230" under the WODE call letters featuring an oldies format. Unfortunately, FM WPRH became WOMG in the spring of 1989 with a similar format, again taking away much of the station's audience.
In the fall of that year, Price Broadcasting, then-owners of longtime
WOIC spent much of the 1990s as well as the early 2000s under various urban-flavored formats. In 2003, WOIC became an affiliate of
At times, WOIC's ratings had surpassed WISW's, especially during sporting events, because of the performance of teams on WISW, compared to the performance of teams on WOIC (Clemson Tigers (WOIC) versus Gamecocks).
In the 2007 calendar year, teams broadcast on WOIC carried postseason football and basketball coverage; teams broadcast on rival WISW did not, leaving more revenue and higher ratings for these events, which had helped WOIC's ratings against WISW, even though the postseason months are not calculated on Arbitron ratings for the specific days.
Until January 25, 2010, WOIC was in a unique position because of the nationally syndicated liberal shows (Air America) that contrasted with the local population. Even though Columbia, South Carolina is relatively progressive compared to the rest of South Carolina, the state is viewed as the 'reddest state' and generally conservative to paleo-conservative with small enclaves of progressives. WOIC's programming was a mix of liberal (progressive) nationally-syndicated Air America shows and locally produced public interest shows. The weekend show lineup was mostly local programming and helped balance the nationally syndicated overall flavor of the station. There were a number of daily center-left local programs that were heard Monday through Friday. WOIC's line-up served the people of Columbia, better than most, because of the amount of local programming and the ability of listeners to be able to interact with the local show hosts. Especially on the weekends, WOIC was 'Friends and Neighbors' radio.
Changes began to the lineup on January 25, 2010, due to the bankruptcy filing of Air America.
The station became owned by
In July 2012, "The Zone", a local afternoon sports show, moved from WZMJ.[3]
On December 27, 2013, it was announced that the ESPN Radio format would return to WOIC on January 1, 2014, and the station would be rebranded as "ESPN Columbia 1230 AM."[4]
On September 30, 2018, WOIC dropped ESPN Radio and began stunting with a loop of Robert Plant's "29 Palms"' as 94.9 The Palm; on October 1, the station switched to adult album alternative under the same name.[5] On October 11, 2018, WOIC changed their call letters to WPCO.
It was reported to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that WPCO was silent as of January 10, 2022.[6] The station license was cancelled and deleted by the FCC on January 5, 2023.[7] The AAA programming, no longer heard on the AM station, continues on the FM translator, 94.9 W235CH, now rebroadcasting co-owned 93.5 WARQ-HD4.
See also
References
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for WPCO". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ "Notification of Cancellation of the WPCO Station License". January 5, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
- ^ Taylor Jr., Otis R. (July 31, 2012). "Why is ESPN radio gone from Midlands airwaves?". The State. Retrieved July 31, 2012.
- ^ "ESPN Radio returns to the airwaves in Columbia, S.C. with major bowl game coverage" (PDF). December 27, 2013. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
- ^ "Alpha Launches 94.9 The Palm Columbia". RadioInsight. October 1, 2018. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
- ^ FCC’s list of Silent AM Stations as of May 17, 2022; retrieved May 26, 2022.
- ^ "Notification of Cancellation of the WPCO Station License". January 5, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
External links
- Official website
- FCC History Cards for WPCO (covering 1946-1980 as WNOK / WXAP)