WGAD
Encyclopedia
WGAD is an American radio station
licensed
to serve Gadsden, Alabama
, USA. The station, established in 1947, is operated by Gadsden Radio Media Inc. and the broadcast license
is held by The DR Group LLC. An FCC-approved sale to Gadsden Radio Media Inc. is pending formal consummation.
/talk
format on October 10, 2011. The "Gadsden's Gold" oldies format the station broadcast for many years was dropped, making it the second AM station in Gadsden to air news and talk programming. The new operators kept the 80's music and is featuring Big 80's & More weekends on Saturday and Sunday.
(FCC) when it first went on the air in 1947. After an ownership change in 2007, the station switched call signs to "WJBY", but returned to its original "WGAD" letters in 2011. WGAD signed on in 1947 with 1,000 watts day non-directional, and 1,000 watts at night with a two tower directional signal, towers located west of Gadsden proper in Attalla, Alabama
. In 1959, it was sold to a group of broadcasters consisting of Ed Z. Carrell who also served as General Manager, Lavelle Jackson, and Congressman Albert Rains
, who raised the daytime power to 5,000 watts. WGAD was Gadsden's only full time station until 1960. The station was also the first to jump on the pop music bandwagon in the late 1950s when it began broadcasting "Top 40" music with ABC news and special programs.
In 1985, as listenership for music stations migrated to FM stations, WGAD switched to a news
/talk radio
format. In 2001, the station began broadcasting a satellite-fed oldies
music format. Gerald Dilts purchased WGAD in 2002 then sold it to Dave Hedrick and the DR Radio Group in 2004. In 2007 the station was sold to Coosa River Communications, owner of Rainbow City, Alabama
-based WJBY (930 AM) who effected a format and call sign
swap with its new sister station
.
On October 4, 2007, the WGAD call sign was moved from 1350 AM to 930 AM while sister station
WJBY
in Rainbow City, Alabama
, had its call sign moved from 930 AM to 1350 AM. In October 2010, the stations began the process to regain their original (prior to 2007) call letters. This station regained the "WGAD" call sign on January 19, 2011.
On October 5, 2010, a judgment by consent was reached between plaintiff Gadsden Broadcasting, Inc., and defendants Coosa River Communications, Inc., and its owners in settlement of claims over outstanding debts. The defendants agreed to turn over station property of AM 930 (WJBY) to the plaintiff, cease broadcasting, and file an application to return control of the station's broadcast license to the plaintiffs. On October 10, 2010, WJBY's broadcast signal went dark
, and WGAD was again back on AM-1350. In its application for special temporary authority
to remain off the air, the station noted that its equipment had been repossessed. On October 20, 2010, an application was filed with the FCC to transfer the license for WGAD from Coosa River Communications to Gadsden Broadcasting Company, Inc. The application notes that this in settlement of a debt of just over $160,000.
Gadsden Radio Media Inc., owned by Jeff Beck, began operating the station in June 2011 under a local marketing agreement
while negotiations for the purchase of the station from The DR Group LLC were underway. The FCC approved the sale on August 22, 2011, but as of October 12, 2011, the transaction is still pending consummation.
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 Gadsden, Alabama
Gadsden, Alabama
The city of Gadsden is the county seat of Etowah County in the U.S. state of Alabama, and it is located about 65 miles northeast of Birmingham, Alabama. It is the primary city of the Gadsden Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of 103,459. Gadsden is closely associated with the...
, USA. The station, established in 1947, is operated by Gadsden Radio Media Inc. and the 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...
is held by The DR Group LLC. An FCC-approved sale to Gadsden Radio Media Inc. is pending formal consummation.
Programming
WGAD changed to a newsNews Radio
News Radio can refer to:* NewsRadio, the NBC sitcom which aired from 1995–1999.* News radio, the all-news or news/talk radio format....
/talk
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
format on October 10, 2011. The "Gadsden's Gold" oldies format the station broadcast for many years was dropped, making it the second AM station in Gadsden to air news and talk programming. The new operators kept the 80's music and is featuring Big 80's & More weekends on Saturday and Sunday.
History
This station was assigned the "WGAD" call letters by 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) when it first went on the air in 1947. After an ownership change in 2007, the station switched call signs to "WJBY", but returned to its original "WGAD" letters in 2011. WGAD signed on in 1947 with 1,000 watts day non-directional, and 1,000 watts at night with a two tower directional signal, towers located west of Gadsden proper in Attalla, Alabama
Attalla, Alabama
Attalla is a city in Etowah County, Alabama, United States. It is part of the Gadsden Metropolitan Statistical Area. According to the 2005 U.S. Census estimates, the city had a population of 6,474. -2000 Census data:...
. In 1959, it was sold to a group of broadcasters consisting of Ed Z. Carrell who also served as General Manager, Lavelle Jackson, and Congressman Albert Rains
Albert Rains
Albert McKinley Rains was a U.S. Representative from Alabama.Born in Grove Oak, Alabama, Rains attended the public schools, Snead Seminary, Boaz, Alabama, State Teachers College , Jacksonville, Alabama, and the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa.He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1928 and...
, who raised the daytime power to 5,000 watts. WGAD was Gadsden's only full time station until 1960. The station was also the first to jump on the pop music bandwagon in the late 1950s when it began broadcasting "Top 40" music with ABC news and special programs.
In 1985, as listenership for music stations migrated to FM stations, WGAD switched to a news
News Radio
News Radio can refer to:* NewsRadio, the NBC sitcom which aired from 1995–1999.* News radio, the all-news or news/talk radio format....
/talk radio
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
format. In 2001, the station began broadcasting a satellite-fed 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. Gerald Dilts purchased WGAD in 2002 then sold it to Dave Hedrick and the DR Radio Group in 2004. In 2007 the station was sold to Coosa River Communications, owner of Rainbow City, Alabama
Rainbow City, Alabama
Rainbow City is a city in Etowah County, Alabama, United States. It is part of the Gadsden Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Rainbow City is located at .According to the U.S...
-based WJBY (930 AM) who effected a format and call sign
Call sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...
swap with its new sister station
Sister station
In broadcasting, sister stations or sister channels are radio and/or television stations operated by the same ownership....
.
On October 4, 2007, the WGAD call sign was moved from 1350 AM to 930 AM while sister station
Sister station
In broadcasting, sister stations or sister channels are radio and/or television stations operated by the same ownership....
WJBY
WJBY
WJBY is a radio station licensed to serve Rainbow City, Alabama, USA. It operates at 930 kilohertz, with a daytime power of 5,000 watts non-directional, and 500 watts directional at night...
in Rainbow City, Alabama
Rainbow City, Alabama
Rainbow City is a city in Etowah County, Alabama, United States. It is part of the Gadsden Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Rainbow City is located at .According to the U.S...
, had its call sign moved from 930 AM to 1350 AM. In October 2010, the stations began the process to regain their original (prior to 2007) call letters. This station regained the "WGAD" call sign on January 19, 2011.
On October 5, 2010, a judgment by consent was reached between plaintiff Gadsden Broadcasting, Inc., and defendants Coosa River Communications, Inc., and its owners in settlement of claims over outstanding debts. The defendants agreed to turn over station property of AM 930 (WJBY) to the plaintiff, cease broadcasting, and file an application to return control of the station's broadcast license to the plaintiffs. On October 10, 2010, WJBY's broadcast signal went 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...
, and WGAD was again back on AM-1350. In its application for special temporary authority
Special temporary authority
In U.S. broadcast law, a special temporary authorization or special temporary authority is a type of broadcast license which temporarily allows a broadcast station to operate outside of its normal technical or legal parameters...
to remain off the air, the station noted that its equipment had been repossessed. On October 20, 2010, an application was filed with the FCC to transfer the license for WGAD from Coosa River Communications to Gadsden Broadcasting Company, Inc. The application notes that this in settlement of a debt of just over $160,000.
Gadsden Radio Media Inc., owned by Jeff Beck, began operating the station in June 2011 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...
while negotiations for the purchase of the station from The DR Group LLC were underway. The FCC approved the sale on August 22, 2011, but as of October 12, 2011, the transaction is still pending consummation.