WIGG (AM)
Encyclopedia
WIGG was an American radio station
licensed
to serve Wiggins
, the county seat
of Stone County, Mississippi
. The station, established in 1968, was last owned by Community Broadcasting Company, Inc.
Before falling silent in February 2010, WIGG broadcast an Americana
/Roots music
radio format
.
signal, daytime only, to serve Stone County, Mississippi
. The station, originally owned by Stone County Broadcasters, Inc., was assigned the call sign
"WIGG" by the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC).
Clinco, Inc., owned by James E. Clinton, made a deal to acquire WIGG from Stone County Broadcasters, Inc. The sale was completed in Nove,ber 1971. In January 1979, Community Broadcasting, Inc., made a deal to purchase WIGG from Clinco, Inc. The FCC approved the sale and the transaction was formally consummated on October 17, 1979.
In December 1996, Community Broadcasting, Inc., reached an agreement to sell WIGG to TraLyn Broadcasting, Inc. The FCC approved the deal on February 19, 1997, and the transaction was formally consummated on July 1, 1997. This acquisition was part of a four-station deal that also included sister station
s WLUN
(95.3 FM in Wiggins), WXAB
(96.9 FM in McLain, Mississippi
), and WESV
(96.5 FM in Richton, Mississippi
). However, TraLyn Broadcasting's tenure as owner of these stations was financially unstable and a coalition of creditors and former owners filed suit against the company.
As the result of the December 2005 settlement of a lawsuit by Community Broadcasting, Inc., and other parties against TraLyn Broadcasting, Inc., and related parties, TraLyn Broadcasting, et al., agreed to pay $245,000 in cash to Community Broadcasting, et al., and convey the assets and broadcast license
s of both WIGG and WXAB. The FCC approved this transfer on April 26, 2006, and the transaction was formally consummated on May 24, 2006.
The station fell silent
for the final time on February 2, 2010. In its February 4, 2010, filing with the FCC, the station's owner stated that WIGG have gone off the air "due to the illness of its principal manager, A.R. Byrd", noting that he was "unable to attend to the necessary station duties." In late February, citing the manager's ongoing medical issues, the station applied for special temporary authority
to remain silent. The FCC granted this authority on April 10, 2010, with a scheduled expiration of October 13, 2010. The Commission cautioned the station that if it did not resume broadcasting by 12:01 a.m. on February 3, 2011, that its broadcast license
was subject to automatic forfeiture and cancellation.
In July 2011, the FCC determined that the station had not resumed broadcasting and that its license was deemed automatically expired on February 3, 2011. The "WIGG" call sign was deleted from the FCC database on July 18, 2011.
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 Wiggins
Wiggins, Mississippi
Wiggins is a city in Stone County, Mississippi, United States. It is part of the Gulfport–Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,849 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Stone County.-History:...
, the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Stone County, Mississippi
Stone County, Mississippi
As of the census of 2000, there were 13,622 people, 4,747 households, and 3,626 families residing in the county. The population density was 31 people per square mile . There were 5,343 housing units at an average density of 12 per square mile...
. The station, established in 1968, was last owned by Community Broadcasting Company, Inc.
Before falling silent in February 2010, WIGG broadcast an Americana
Americana (music)
Americana is an amalgam of roots musics formed by the confluence of the shared and varied traditions that make up the American musical ethos; specifically those sounds that are merged from folk, country, blues, rhythm and blues, rock and roll and other external influential styles...
/Roots music
Roots music
Roots music can refer to several styles or trends in music:* Americana * Folk music* Roots of hip hop, the conditions which led to creation of the hip hop genre* Roots reggae...
radio format
Radio format
A radio format or programming format not to be confused with broadcast programming describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. Radio formats are frequently employed as a marketing tool, and constantly evolve...
.
History
WIGG began broadcast operations in February 1968 on 1420 kHz with a 1,000 wattWatt
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:...
signal, daytime only, to serve Stone County, Mississippi
Stone County, Mississippi
As of the census of 2000, there were 13,622 people, 4,747 households, and 3,626 families residing in the county. The population density was 31 people per square mile . There were 5,343 housing units at an average density of 12 per square mile...
. The station, originally owned by Stone County Broadcasters, Inc., was assigned the 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...
"WIGG" 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).
Clinco, Inc., owned by James E. Clinton, made a deal to acquire WIGG from Stone County Broadcasters, Inc. The sale was completed in Nove,ber 1971. In January 1979, Community Broadcasting, Inc., made a deal to purchase WIGG from Clinco, Inc. The FCC approved the sale and the transaction was formally consummated on October 17, 1979.
In December 1996, Community Broadcasting, Inc., reached an agreement to sell WIGG to TraLyn Broadcasting, Inc. The FCC approved the deal on February 19, 1997, and the transaction was formally consummated on July 1, 1997. This acquisition was part of a four-station deal that also included sister station
Sister station
In broadcasting, sister stations or sister channels are radio and/or television stations operated by the same ownership....
s WLUN
WZNF
WZNF , is a classic rock formatted radio station based in Gulfport–Biloxi-Lumberton, Mississippi. The station is owned by Coast Radio Group, Inc, and they broadcast with an effective radiated power of 100 kW.-History:...
(95.3 FM in Wiggins), WXAB
WXAB
WXAB was an American radio station licensed to McLain, Mississippi, USA. The station was last owned by Community Broadcasting Co. The station, initially assigned "WXAB" on July 17, 1992, was known by that call sign for its entire existence....
(96.9 FM in McLain, Mississippi
McLain, Mississippi
McLain is a town in Greene County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 603 at the 2000 census.-Geography:McLain is located at ....
), and WESV
WXHB
WXHB is a Southern Gospel music formatted radio station servicing Hattiesburg, Laurel, and several other towns and communities in an area of South Mississippi known as the Pine Belt. The station is currently owned by Blakeney Communications...
(96.5 FM in Richton, Mississippi
Richton, Mississippi
Richton is a town in Perry County, Mississippi, United States. It is part of the Hattiesburg, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,038 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Richton is located at ....
). However, TraLyn Broadcasting's tenure as owner of these stations was financially unstable and a coalition of creditors and former owners filed suit against the company.
As the result of the December 2005 settlement of a lawsuit by Community Broadcasting, Inc., and other parties against TraLyn Broadcasting, Inc., and related parties, TraLyn Broadcasting, et al., agreed to pay $245,000 in cash to Community Broadcasting, et al., and convey the assets and 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...
s of both WIGG and WXAB. The FCC approved this transfer on April 26, 2006, and the transaction was formally consummated on May 24, 2006.
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...
for the final time on February 2, 2010. In its February 4, 2010, filing with the FCC, the station's owner stated that WIGG have gone off the air "due to the illness of its principal manager, A.R. Byrd", noting that he was "unable to attend to the necessary station duties." In late February, citing the manager's ongoing medical issues, the station applied 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 silent. The FCC granted this authority on April 10, 2010, with a scheduled expiration of October 13, 2010. The Commission cautioned the station that if it did not resume broadcasting by 12:01 a.m. on February 3, 2011, that 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...
was subject to automatic forfeiture and cancellation.
In July 2011, the FCC determined that the station had not resumed broadcasting and that its license was deemed automatically expired on February 3, 2011. The "WIGG" call sign was deleted from the FCC database on July 18, 2011.