WEEL
Encyclopedia
WCNF is a radio station
licensed
to serve Dothan, Alabama
, USA. The station, which began licensed operation in 1996, is currently owned by Victory Broadcasting Corporation, LLC. Temporarily dark
since October 2010, the station most recently aired a Christian radio
format branded as "Praise 700". The station is licensed to broadcast only during daylight hours.
(FCC) issued a construction permit
for a new radio station on 700 kHz with 5,000 watt
s of power on February 21, 1990. The station would be allowed to operate only during daylight hours to protect the clear channel signal of WLW
in Cincinnati, Ohio
.
The new station was assigned call sign WGZS on March 14, 1990. After a renewal, an extension, and a reinstatement, the construction permit and the unfinished station were sold to Genesis Radio Company, Inc., in July 1994. The FCC approved the deal on September 30, 1994, and the transaction was consummated on October 21, 1994. In April 1995, the FCC authorize the still-under construction station to move its transmitter location and reduce its power output to 1,600 watts.
Finally, six years after the original construction permit was granted and more than a decade after the initial application was filed, WGZS received its broadcast license
on October 31, 1996.
Celebration Communications Company in turn reached an agreement to sell WGZS to Satellite Radio Network president Michael B. Glinter in October 2001. The FCC approved the deal on April 16, 2002, and the transaction was consummated on July 1, 2002. The station's format shifted to Contemporary Christian music
.
Glinter agreed to sell WGZS to James T. Lee in July 2002 and the deal gained FCC approval on September 13, 2002. However, the station fell silent
on October 14, 2002, for "technical" reasons and the transaction was never consummated. In August 2003, with the station still off the air, Glinter made a deal to sell the station to Good Samaritan Communications of Pioche, Inc. (Michael Augustus, president), for $165,000. The deal was approved by the FCC on October 7, 2003, with a "silent condition" and the transaction was consummated on October 24, 2003.
In December 2004, Good Samaritan Communications of Pioche signed a contract to sell WGZS to Tropicana Media, LLC, for $135,000. The deal was approved by the FCC on March 24, 2005, and the transaction was consummated on April 6, 2005. At the time of the sale, the station broadcast a soft rock
music format.
This ownership would prove short-lived as in December 2005, Tropicana Media made a deal to sell the station and transfer the broadcast license to Victory Broadcasting Company, LLC, for a total of $151,000. The deal was approved by the FCC on February 24, 2006, and the transaction was successfully consummated on March 29, 2006.
since October 3, 2006, was purchased in late 2006 from Victory Broadcasting Company by broadcasters Jack and Lois "Lovey" Gale, doing business as Jalo Broadcasting Corporation, for $225,000. WGZS switched their calls to WEEL on February 20, 2007, a couple of days earlier than planned. Gale launched an oldies
music format known by the branding "Oldies 700, The Big Wheel" on that frequency on March 1, 2007, at 5:45 a.m. Gale hosted the station's morning show from 6 a.m to 9 a.m. Afterward, Kevin Larkin hosted from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., followed by Chris Morgan from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. The trio used the collective name "The Good Guys" on-air.
On August 3, 2007, WEEL's broadcast signal and webstream fell silent. The reason listed on the FCC "Remain Silent Authority" application was "financial". On January 30, 2008, the station applied for an extension to the remain silent authority, still citing financial problems, with a statement that they expect to resume operations in 60 days, but no specifics were mentioned as to how the station was going to solve its financial problems. The station returned to the air on May 5, 2008, but this would last just 10 days.
.
In April 2008, Jalo Broadcasting Corp. reached an agreement to sell WEEL to Dothan Broadcasting, Inc., for just under $250,000. The deal was approved on June 9, 2008, and the prospective owners were operating the station under a local marketing agreement
but the transaction was ultimately not consummated and the station license and assets stayed with Jalo Broadcasting Corp.
On July 25, 2008, Jalo Broadcasting signed an option to sell WEEL and its translator to veteran broadcaster Bob Mathers. Mathers resigned his position as anchor and editor for KOMO
(1000 AM, "Newsradio") in Seattle to take over WEEL operations on September 2, 2008. Mathers also handled morning drive and Dothan radio veteran Tom O'Brien was operations manager. The station promoted itself as "Oldies Radio, The Wheel".
The station fell silent again on August 3, 2009, again citing "financial" reasons. The FCC granted the station temporary authority to remain silent on January 7, 2010. WEEL, formerly simulcasting in Dothan on its translator frequency 100.1 FM 24 hours a day, sold its translator (W261AT) to WOOF
in late January 2010.
In November 2009, Jalo Broadcasting Corp. filed an application with the FCC to transfer the WEEL broadcast license back to Victory Broadcasting Company, LLC, in exchange for forgiveness of certain debts and other considerations. The FCC approved the deal on January 11, 2010, and the transaction was consummated on February 18, 2010.
format as "Praise 700". The station fell silent again on October 6, 2010, citing "financial concerns". The FCC granted the station temporary authority to remain silent on December 7, 2010, with a scheduled expiration date of June 7, 2011. , WCNF is listed with CMS Station Brokerage as for sale and "priced to sell quickly". The station, while dark, has changed its branding to "Gem AM".
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
City of license
A city of license or community of license, in American and Canadian broadcasting, is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator....
to serve Dothan, Alabama
Dothan, Alabama
Dothan is a city located in the southeastern corner of the US state of Alabama, situated approximately west of the Georgia state line and north of Florida. It is the seat of Houston County, with portions extending into nearby Dale County and Henry County...
, USA. The station, which began licensed operation in 1996, is currently owned by Victory Broadcasting Corporation, LLC. Temporarily dark
Dark (broadcasting)
In the broadcasting industry, dark is a term used to describe a radio station or television station that has gone off-the-air for an indefinite period of time, or as defined by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission , a "silent" station...
since October 2010, the station most recently aired a Christian radio
Christian radio
Christian radio is a category of radio formats that focus on transmitting programming with a Christian message. In the United States, where it is more established, many such broadcasters play popular music of Christian influence, though many programs have talk or news programming covering...
format branded as "Praise 700". The station is licensed to broadcast only during daylight hours.
Launch
In response to an application filed in September 1986 by Holy Ground Broadcasting, Inc., the Federal Communications CommissionFederal 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) issued a 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 a new radio station on 700 kHz with 5,000 watt
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
s of power on February 21, 1990. The station would be allowed to operate only during daylight hours to protect the clear channel signal of WLW
WLW
WLW is a clear channel talk radio station located in Cincinnati, Ohio, run by Clear Channel Communications. The station broadcasts locally on 700 kHz AM...
in Cincinnati, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
.
The new station was assigned call sign WGZS on March 14, 1990. After a renewal, an extension, and a reinstatement, the construction permit and the unfinished station were sold to Genesis Radio Company, Inc., in July 1994. The FCC approved the deal on September 30, 1994, and the transaction was consummated on October 21, 1994. In April 1995, the FCC authorize the still-under construction station to move its transmitter location and reduce its power output to 1,600 watts.
Finally, six years after the original construction permit was granted and more than a decade after the initial application was filed, WGZS received its broadcast license
Broadcast license
A broadcast license or broadcast license is a specific type of spectrum license that grants the licensee the privilege to use a portion of the radio frequency spectrum in a given geographical area for broadcasting purposes. The licenses are generally straddled with additional restrictions that...
on October 31, 1996.
WGZS era
In July 1996, Genesis Radio Company reached a deal to sell WGZS to Willis Broadcasting through their Dothan Christian Radio, Inc., subsidiary for a reported $65,000. The deal gained FCC approval on October 31, 1996, but the transaction was never consummated. Genesis Radio Company tried a second time to sell the now-operational WGZS, this time to Celebration Communications Company, Inc., in April 1998. The FCC approved the deal on June 30, 1998, and the transaction was consummated on July 22, 1998.Celebration Communications Company in turn reached an agreement to sell WGZS to Satellite Radio Network president Michael B. Glinter in October 2001. The FCC approved the deal on April 16, 2002, and the transaction was consummated on July 1, 2002. The station's format shifted to Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
.
Glinter agreed to sell WGZS to James T. Lee in July 2002 and the deal gained FCC approval on September 13, 2002. However, the station fell silent
Dark (broadcasting)
In the broadcasting industry, dark is a term used to describe a radio station or television station that has gone off-the-air for an indefinite period of time, or as defined by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission , a "silent" station...
on October 14, 2002, for "technical" reasons and the transaction was never consummated. In August 2003, with the station still off the air, Glinter made a deal to sell the station to Good Samaritan Communications of Pioche, Inc. (Michael Augustus, president), for $165,000. The deal was approved by the FCC on October 7, 2003, with a "silent condition" and the transaction was consummated on October 24, 2003.
In December 2004, Good Samaritan Communications of Pioche signed a contract to sell WGZS to Tropicana Media, LLC, for $135,000. The deal was approved by the FCC on March 24, 2005, and the transaction was consummated on April 6, 2005. At the time of the sale, the station broadcast a soft rock
Soft rock
Soft rock is a style of music which uses the techniques of rock music to compose a softer, more toned-down sound. Soft rock songs generally tend to focus on themes like love, everyday life and relationships. The genre tends to make heavy use of acoustic guitars, pianos, synthesizers and sometimes...
music format.
This ownership would prove short-lived as in December 2005, Tropicana Media made a deal to sell the station and transfer the broadcast license to Victory Broadcasting Company, LLC, for a total of $151,000. The deal was approved by the FCC on February 24, 2006, and the transaction was successfully consummated on March 29, 2006.
WEEL era
WGZS, which had been darkDark (broadcasting)
In the broadcasting industry, dark is a term used to describe a radio station or television station that has gone off-the-air for an indefinite period of time, or as defined by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission , a "silent" station...
since October 3, 2006, was purchased in late 2006 from Victory Broadcasting Company by broadcasters Jack and Lois "Lovey" Gale, doing business as Jalo Broadcasting Corporation, for $225,000. WGZS switched their calls to WEEL on February 20, 2007, a couple of days earlier than planned. Gale launched an oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
music format known by the branding "Oldies 700, The Big Wheel" on that frequency on March 1, 2007, at 5:45 a.m. Gale hosted the station's morning show from 6 a.m to 9 a.m. Afterward, Kevin Larkin hosted from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., followed by Chris Morgan from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. The trio used the collective name "The Good Guys" on-air.
On August 3, 2007, WEEL's broadcast signal and webstream fell silent. The reason listed on the FCC "Remain Silent Authority" application was "financial". On January 30, 2008, the station applied for an extension to the remain silent authority, still citing financial problems, with a statement that they expect to resume operations in 60 days, but no specifics were mentioned as to how the station was going to solve its financial problems. The station returned to the air on May 5, 2008, but this would last just 10 days.
On and off
Following another period of silence beginning on May 15, WEEL returned to the air on August 1, 2008. The station resumed its format of oldies music. In addition, Jalo Broadcasting acquired an FM translator on 100.1 megahertz (W261AT) allowing WEEL to provide 24/7 service to its city of licenseCity of license
A city of license or community of license, in American and Canadian broadcasting, is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator....
.
In April 2008, Jalo Broadcasting Corp. reached an agreement to sell WEEL to Dothan Broadcasting, Inc., for just under $250,000. The deal was approved on June 9, 2008, and the prospective owners were operating the station under a local marketing agreement
Local marketing agreement
In U.S. and Canadian broadcasting, a local marketing agreement is an agreement in which one company agrees to operate a radio or television station owned by another licensee...
but the transaction was ultimately not consummated and the station license and assets stayed with Jalo Broadcasting Corp.
On July 25, 2008, Jalo Broadcasting signed an option to sell WEEL and its translator to veteran broadcaster Bob Mathers. Mathers resigned his position as anchor and editor for KOMO
KOMO (AM)
KOMO is a radio station based in Seattle, Washington. Its format is primarily news. From 2003 to 2008, it was also the flagship station of the Seattle Mariners Radio Network...
(1000 AM, "Newsradio") in Seattle to take over WEEL operations on September 2, 2008. Mathers also handled morning drive and Dothan radio veteran Tom O'Brien was operations manager. The station promoted itself as "Oldies Radio, The Wheel".
The station fell silent again on August 3, 2009, again citing "financial" reasons. The FCC granted the station temporary authority to remain silent on January 7, 2010. WEEL, formerly simulcasting in Dothan on its translator frequency 100.1 FM 24 hours a day, sold its translator (W261AT) to WOOF
WOOF (AM)
WOOF is a radio station licensed to serve Dothan, Alabama, USA. The station is owned by WOOF, Inc.WOOF broadcasts a gospel music format on Sundays and sports talk the rest of the week. The station features some syndicated programming from Paul Finebaum and Sporting News Radio. In late January...
in late January 2010.
In November 2009, Jalo Broadcasting Corp. filed an application with the FCC to transfer the WEEL broadcast license back to Victory Broadcasting Company, LLC, in exchange for forgiveness of certain debts and other considerations. The FCC approved the deal on January 11, 2010, and the transaction was consummated on February 18, 2010.
WCNF era
Under the resumed ownership by Victory Broadcasting Company, the station changed call signs once again on March 2, 2010, this time to WCNF. The station, silent since August 2009, returned to the air on July 6, 2010, with a Christian radioChristian radio
Christian radio is a category of radio formats that focus on transmitting programming with a Christian message. In the United States, where it is more established, many such broadcasters play popular music of Christian influence, though many programs have talk or news programming covering...
format as "Praise 700". The station fell silent again on October 6, 2010, citing "financial concerns". The FCC granted the station temporary authority to remain silent on December 7, 2010, with a scheduled expiration date of June 7, 2011. , WCNF is listed with CMS Station Brokerage as for sale and "priced to sell quickly". The station, while dark, has changed its branding to "Gem AM".
External links
- WCNF "Gem AM" official website
- Oldies700.com - online version of the former WEEL format