WTKS (AM)

Infobox Radio station
name = WTKS


city = Savannah, Georgia
area =
branding = "NewsRadio 1290"
slogan =
airdate =
frequency = 1290 kHz
format = Talk
power = 5,000 watts (unlimited)
class = B
facility_id = 8589
coordinates = coord|32|05|26|N|81|08|55|W
callsign_meaning =
former_callsigns = WTOC, WWSA, WCHY
owner = Clear Channel Communications
licensee = Capstar TX Limited Partnership
sister_stations = WSOK, WAEV, WQBT, WYKZ, WLVH
webcast = [http://www.wtksam.com/cc-common/streaming_new/index.html Listen Live]
website = [http://www.newsradio1290wtks.com/ newsradio1290wtks.com]
affiliations = Fox News Radio, Premiere Radio Networks

WTKS (1290 AM, "NewsRadio 1290") is a radio station licensed to serve Savannah, Georgia. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications and licensed to Capstar TX Limited Partnership. It airs a talk radio format.cite web |title=Station Information Profile |work=Arbitron |url=http://www.arbitron.com/] The station was assigned the WTKS call letters by the Federal Communications Commission on January 25, 2002.cite web |title=Call Sign History |url=http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=8589&Callsign=WTKS |work=FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database]

Programming

Notable WTKS programming features syndicated personalities such as Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Dave Ramsey, Neal Boortz, and Rusty Humphries. Other notable weekday shows include the syndicated "Coast to Coast AM" with George Noory and the local "Savannah's News Now" with WTKS news director Bill Edwards. [cite news |work=CNN |title=American Hero Found Dead Part 1 |first=Nancy |last=Grace |url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-15057965_ITM |date=2006-04-28]

History

WTOC was one of the first stations in Savannah on 1260 AM with 500 watts day and night. Later, they increased to 1,000 watts daytime, finally settling on 5,000 watts day, and 1,000 watts at night. The NARBA nation-wide frequency shift in 1941, moved them to 1290. Shortly thereafter, they built their four tower array in Garden City, and increased to 5,000 watts at night.

WTOC ("Welcome To Our City"), was owned the Knight family, and was always a CBS affiliate. WTOC added an FM in 1946, first at 97.3, later moving to 94.1. Following the end of significant network programming for radio (with the shift to television), WTOC became a MOR station. They were feature (both network and local) heavy, as well as having significant news programming. It wasn't until the mid 1970s that WTOC became much more contemporary with their programming. For a while, they were "The Love Rock", and played primarily what we'd today call adult contemporary. They used TM's "Sound Of Chicago" jingle package, which had been created for WMAQ.

Over on the FM, they dropped BPI's music format, in favor of BPI's country format, and became "Country Ninety-Four".

In 1979, the Knights sold WTOC radio and television to the American Family Group from Columbus, who in turn spun the radio stations off to Bluegrass Broadcasting, out of Lexington, Kentucky. Bluegrass built a huge studio-office complex adjacent to the AM transmitter site on Alfred Street, and renamed the AM WWSA ("Working With SAvannah"), and the FM to WCHY/Y-94 ("We're Country Hits, Y'all").

In the late 1990s, this station was WCHY, the Radio Disney affiliate in Savannah, Georgia.

References

External links

* [http://www.newsradio1290wtks.com/ AM 1290 WTKS official website]
*AMQ|WTKS
*AML|WTKS
*AMARB|WTKS