WCOS (AM)
Encyclopedia
WCOS is a sports talk radio station licensed to Columbia, South Carolina
and serves the Columbia market. The Clear Channel Communications
outlet is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) to broadcast at 1400 kHz with an ERP of 1 kW. The station goes by the name Sports Radio 1400 and its current slogan is "The Team."
The station is an affiliate of the Atlanta Braves
radio network, the largest radio affiliate network in Major League Baseball
.
's Blue Network
(which later became the ABC Radio Network) as well as local programming.
In 1958, the station stunted by playing Dean Martin
's "I Wish I Was In Dixie" over a period of 24 hours before switching over to the "Top 60 in Dixie" playlist, a format that it kept for the next 20 years under various monikers like "Super COS" , and "Position 14".
In 1980, after being beaten in the ratings by rival FM Top 40 WNOK
, WCOS changed over to Country
, simulcasting parts of the broadcasting day of their sister FM, WCOS-FM
. In the early 1990s, the station adjusted its format to satellite-fed Classic Country
, but went back to simulcasting WCOS-FM within a year's time. In 1996, it adopted its present Sports talk format.
In 2007, WCOS re-branded itself as "The Team".
The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications
, which owns Country
WCOS-FM
, CHR
WNOK
, Urban
WXBT
, Variety Hits WLTY
, and News/Talk WVOC in the Columbia radio market.
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan...
and serves the Columbia market. The Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
outlet is licensed by 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) to broadcast at 1400 kHz with an ERP of 1 kW. The station goes by the name Sports Radio 1400 and its current slogan is "The Team."
The station is an affiliate of the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
radio network, the largest radio affiliate network in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
.
History
WCOS signed on in 1939, making it Columbia's second radio station. The station featured programming from NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Blue Network
Blue Network
The Blue Network, and its immediate predecessor, the NBC Blue Network, were the on-air names of an American radio production and distribution service from 1927 to 1945...
(which later became the ABC Radio Network) as well as local programming.
In 1958, the station stunted by playing Dean Martin
Dean Martin
Dean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
's "I Wish I Was In Dixie" over a period of 24 hours before switching over to the "Top 60 in Dixie" playlist, a format that it kept for the next 20 years under various monikers like "Super COS" , and "Position 14".
In 1980, after being beaten in the ratings by rival FM Top 40 WNOK
WNOK
WNOK is a CHR radio station licensed to Columbia, South Carolina and serves the Columbia, South Carolina market. The Clear Channel Communications outlet is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to broadcast at 104.7 MHz with an ERP of 90 kW...
, WCOS changed over to Country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
, simulcasting parts of the broadcasting day of their sister FM, WCOS-FM
WCOS-FM
WCOS-FM is a Country music radio station licensed to Columbia, South Carolina and serves the Columbia, South Carolina market. The Clear Channel Communications outlet is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to broadcast at 97.5 MHz with an effective radiated power of 100 kW...
. In the early 1990s, the station adjusted its format to satellite-fed Classic Country
Classic country
Classic country is a music radio format that specializes in playing mainstream country hits from past decades.This genre generally follows one of two formats: those specializing in hits from the 1920s through the early 1970s, and focus primarily on innovators and artists from country music's Golden...
, but went back to simulcasting WCOS-FM within a year's time. In 1996, it adopted its present Sports talk format.
In 2007, WCOS re-branded itself as "The Team".
The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
, which owns Country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
WCOS-FM
WCOS-FM
WCOS-FM is a Country music radio station licensed to Columbia, South Carolina and serves the Columbia, South Carolina market. The Clear Channel Communications outlet is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to broadcast at 97.5 MHz with an effective radiated power of 100 kW...
, CHR
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
WNOK
WNOK
WNOK is a CHR radio station licensed to Columbia, South Carolina and serves the Columbia, South Carolina market. The Clear Channel Communications outlet is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to broadcast at 104.7 MHz with an ERP of 90 kW...
, Urban
Urban contemporary
Urban contemporary is a music radio format. The term was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s. Urban contemporary radio stations feature a playlist made up entirely of hip hop/rap, contemporary R&B, pop, electronica such as dubstep and drum and bass and Caribbean music...
WXBT
WXBT
WVOC-FM is a news/talk station licensed to West Columbia, South Carolina and serves the Columbia, South Carolina market. The Clear Channel Communications outlet is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to broadcast at 100.1 MHz with an ERP of 5.9 kW...
, Variety Hits WLTY
WLTY
WLTY is a variety hits radio station licensed to Cayce, South Carolina and serves the Columbia, South Carolina market. The Clear Channel Communications outlet is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to broadcast at 96.7 MHz with an effective radiated power of 9 kW...
, and News/Talk WVOC in the Columbia radio market.