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| Broadcast area | Charlotte metropolitan area |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 960kHz |
| Branding | "The Truth" |
| Programming | |
| Format | Christian talk and teaching |
| Affiliations | Salem Radio Network |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Truth Broadcasting Corporation |
| WTRU,WDRU,WLES,KUTR | |
| History | |
First air date | January 1,1963 |
Former call signs | WAAK (1963–2002) WZRH (2002–2008) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 8503 |
| Class | B |
| Power | 10,000watts days 500 watts nights |
Transmitter coordinates | 35°18′3.00″N81°10′13.00″W / 35.3008333°N 81.1702778°W /35.3008333; -81.1702778 |
| Translator(s) | 98.5 W253CV (Davidson, North Carolina) 105.7 W289BO (Pineville, North Carolina) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Website | TruthNetwork.com/station/WCRU |
WCRU (960kHz) is anAMradio stationlicensed toDallas, North Carolina and serving theCharlotte metropolitan area. The station broadcasts aChristian talk and teachingradio format and is owned by the Truth Broadcasting Corporation.[2] WCRU carries a mix of national and local pastors. National hosts includeCharles Stanley,John MacArthur,Chuck Swindoll andAdrian Rogers.
By day, WCRU is powered at 10,000watts. But at night, to protect other stations on960 AM, WCRU greatly reduces power to 500 watts. Adirectional antenna is used at all times. Theradio studios andtransmitter are on Robinson-Clemmer Road in Dallas.[3] Programming is also heard on twoFM translator stations:W253CV 98.5 inDavidson, North Carolina, andW289BO 105.7 inPineville, North Carolina.[4][5]
On January 1, 1963, the station firstsigned on with thecall sign WAAK. The originalcity of license wasConcord with 1,000 watts daytime and nighttime.
Fred Whitley, owner ofWGTL in neighboringKannapolis had applied for this frequency as adaytime-only station in Dallas in order to keep new competition out of his market. He won theconstruction permit for the station in Dallas, took the call letters WAAK off the top of theFederal Communications Commission (FCC) call sign list, refurbished WGTL's studio, buying the audio board from WSJS-TV, and put the old WGTL console in Dallas.
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, switching it fromEasy Listening andMiddle of the Road music, which aired during the Whitley years, to anAdult Top 40 sound. Another tower was added to allow the station to broadcast at night.
The establishment of several Top 40 stations in the Charlotte market eroded the listenership of WAAK. By 1990, the station was sold again and moved to aChristian radio format. Several ownership changes took place over the next decade.
In December 2002, WAAK was sold to The Zybek Media Group. Zybek flipped it to atalk radio format. The call letters were changed to WZRH with the moniker "The Z-Monster". The new owners immediately filed for a power increase in an attempt to place a stronger signal over the city of Charlotte. The initials ZRH of WZRH stood for Zachary Richard Howerton, son of owners Rick and Beth Howerton.
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 increase in power, there was a great deal interest in the purchase of the station. The station was sold in mid-2004. Jim Huggins assumed general manager duties and hosted the morningdrive time show for approximately a year until the format was changed from talk toChristian radio by Truth Broadcasting.
Two years later, the station was sold yet again to Truth Broadcasting ofWinston-Salem. On May 21, 2007, the station began airing Christian talk and teaching 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,WTRU in thePiedmont Triad andWDRU in theResearch Triangle.
Truth Broadcasting added twoFM translators inDavidson andPineville. These not only provide an option for listeners who prefer FM radio, but fills in the gaps when the main signal must reduce power at sunset; WCRU's nighttime signal is effectively limited toGaston County.
| Call sign | Frequency | City of license | FID | ERP (W) | HAAT | Class | FCC info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W253CV | 98.5 MHz FM | Davidson, North Carolina | 202844 | 100 watts | 50.3 m (165 ft) | D | LMS |
| W289BO | 105.7 MHz FM | Pineville, North Carolina | 147999 | 250 watts | 129.6 m (425 ft) | D | LMS |