WCRU
Encyclopedia
WCRU is a radio station
licensed to Dallas, North Carolina
and serving the Charlotte
area. The station is currently owned by Truth Broadcasting Corporation.
with 1000 watts daytime and nighttime.
applied for the frequency as a daytime-only station in Dallas in order to keep new competition out of his market. He won the construction permit
for the station in Dallas, took the call letters WAAK off the top of the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) call letter list, refurbished WGTL's studio (bought the audio board from WSJS-TV) and put the old WGTL console in Dallas.
The new ownership made sweeping changes to the station, changing it from the Easy-Listening format the station carried during the Whitley years to an Adult-Leaning Top-40 sound, and adding an additional tower to allow the station to broadcast at night.
The establishment of several Top-40 stations in the Charlotte market eroded the listenership of WAAK, and by 1990 the station was sold again and moved to a Religious
format. Several ownership changes took place over the next decade.
in the Piedmont Triad
and WDRU
in the Triangle. It is operated out of WTRU's
The station now operates at 10,000 watts during the day, easily covering most of the Charlotte area. However, it must power down to 500 watts at night. To make up for this, the station operates a low-powered translator at 105.7 FM in Pineville, North Carolina
.
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
licensed to Dallas, North Carolina
Dallas, North Carolina
Dallas is a town in Gaston County, North Carolina and a suburb of both Charlotte and Gastonia. The population was 3,402 at the 2000 census. It was named for George M. Dallas, Vice President of the United States of America under James K. Polk.-Geography:...
and serving the Charlotte
CHARLOTTE
- CHARLOTTE :CHARLOTTE is an American blues-based hard rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California in 1986. Currently, they are signed to indie label, Eonian Records, under which they released their debut cd, Medusa Groove, in 2010. Notable Charlotte songs include 'Siren', 'Little Devils',...
area. The station is currently owned by Truth Broadcasting Corporation.
History
The 960 frequency in Charlotte first went on the air with the call letters WAAK on January 1, 1963. As the station was initially applied for, it was to be licensed in ConcordConcord, North Carolina
Concord is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. According to Census 2010, the city has a current population of 79,066. It is the largest city in Cabarrus County and is the county seat. In terms of population, the city of Concord is the second largest city in the Charlotte Metropolitan Area...
with 1000 watts daytime and nighttime.
Controversial beginnings
In 1960. Fred Whitley, owner of WGTL in neighboring KannapolisKannapolis, North Carolina
Kannapolis is a city in Cabarrus and Rowan counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina, northwest of Concord and northeast of Charlotte. The population was 42,625 at the 2010 census, which makes Kannapolis the 20th largest city in North Carolina...
applied for the frequency as a daytime-only station in Dallas in order to keep new competition out of his market. He won the construction permit
Construction permit
A construction permit or building permit is a permit required in most jurisdictions for new construction, or adding on to pre-existing structures, and in some cases for major renovations. Generally, the new construction must be inspected during construction and after completion to ensure compliance...
for the station in Dallas, took the call letters WAAK off the top of the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC) call letter list, refurbished WGTL's studio (bought the audio board from WSJS-TV) and put the old WGTL console in Dallas.
The WAAK years
William E. Rumple was the Chief Engineer of the station for the entire time that Fred Whitley owned it. Whitley ran the station on a break-even basis for about 25 years. In the mid-1980s he sold it to the Marlow Brothers from New Jersey.The new ownership made sweeping changes to the station, changing it from the Easy-Listening format the station carried during the Whitley years to an Adult-Leaning Top-40 sound, and adding an additional tower to allow the station to broadcast at night.
The establishment of several Top-40 stations in the Charlotte market eroded the listenership of WAAK, and by 1990 the station was sold again and moved to a Religious
Religious broadcasting
Religious broadcasting refers to broadcasting by religious organizations, usually with a religious message. Many religious organizations have long recorded content such as sermons and lectures, and have moved into distributing content on their Internet websites.While this article emphasises...
format. Several ownership changes took place over the next decade.
Zybek Media and WZRH
In December 2002, WAAK was sold to The Zybek Media Group - who quickly changed the format to the Talk Radio format. They changed the legendary calls to WZRH with the moniker "The Z-Monster". The new owners immediately filed for a power increase in its attempt to place a stronger signal over the city of Charlotte. The initials ZRH of WZRH stand for Zachary Richard Howerton, Son of Rick and Beth Howerton, Owners. As Rick's on-going health problems continued to worsen - broadcast duties were given to Brian O'Brian, until the station was sold. Because of the success of the station and the increase in power, there was a great deal interest in the purchase of the station. The station was sold in mid-2004 to Truth Broadcasting (see below). Jim Huggins assumed general manager duties and broadcast the morning drivetime show for approximately a year until the format was changed from news/talk to Christian by Truth Broadcasting.Truth Broadcasting and WCRU
Two years later, the station was sold yet again to Truth Broadcasting of Winston-Salem. The station continued its talk format until May 21, 2007, when the station began airing religious and talk format programs 24/7. In early 2008, the station's call letters were changed to WCRU to match the call letters and programming format of Truth Broadcasting's other AM stations, WTRUWTRU
WTRU is a radio station licensed to Kernersville, North Carolina. It operates on 830 AM, with broadcasting power of 50 kilowatts during the day and at 10 kilowatts during the night...
in the Piedmont Triad
Piedmont Triad
The Piedmont Triad, or Triad, is a north-central region of the U.S. state of North Carolina that consists of the area within and surrounding the three major cities of Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and High Point. This close group or "triad" of cities lies in the Piedmont geographical region of the...
and WDRU
WDRU
WDRU is a radio station broadcasting a Christian radio format. Licensed to Wake Forest, North Carolina, USA, the station serves the Raleigh, North Carolina area...
in the Triangle. It is operated out of WTRU's
The station now operates at 10,000 watts during the day, easily covering most of the Charlotte area. However, it must power down to 500 watts at night. To make up for this, the station operates a low-powered translator at 105.7 FM in Pineville, North Carolina
Pineville, North Carolina
Pineville is a suburban town in the southernmost portion of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina situated in the Waxhaws district between Charlotte, North Carolina and Rock Hill, South Carolina....
.