| Broadcast area | Atlanta metropolitan area |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 1160kHz |
| Branding | Atlanta Catholic Radio, Inc. |
| Programming | |
| Format | Catholictalk and teaching |
| Affiliations | EWTN Radio Network |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Atlanta Catholic Radio |
| History | |
First air date | October 9, 1994 (1994-10-9) (as WERD) |
Call sign meaning | Chief Financial Officer (from previous business talk format) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 15521 |
| Class | D |
| Power | 50,000watts day 160 watts night |
Transmitter coordinates | 33°49′34″N84°36′20″W / 33.826111°N 84.605556°W /33.826111; -84.605556 |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | TheQuestAtlanta.com |
WCFO (1160kHz) is a listener-supportedAMradio station,licensed toEast Point, Georgia. It airs aCatholic radioformat and is owned by Atlanta Catholic Radio.[2] Most of the programming comes from theEWTN Radio Network. It is one of two Catholic stations in theAtlanta metropolitan area.WAFS1190 AM carries programming from theRelevant Radio Network.
By day, WCFO broadcasts at 50,000watts, the maximum power for AM radio stations in the U.S. But becauseAM 1160 is aclear channel frequency reserved forClass AKSL inSalt Lake City, WCFO must reduce power at night to 160 watts to avoid interference with KSL and other pre-existing stations. WCFO uses adirectional antenna in the daytime. The four-tower array transmitter site is off Arnold Drive inAustell, Georgia.[3]
The 1160 frequency in the Atlantaradio market has had a difficult history. Founder Darryl Spann, an Atlanta businessman, originally got aconstruction permit from theFederal Communications Commission (FCC) in 1987, using thecall signWMLD.[4] But the station did notsign on until October 9, 1994, then asWERD.[5] Even after going on the air, it had several periods where it wasdark for a few months.
WERD was playing classicR&B when on July 4, 1995, new program director Mitch Faulkner started playingrap music at night and hired several youngDJs.[6] Noted R&B singerJames Brown, a part owner of WERD, soon put an end to the rap because he did not like it.[7]
In summer 1996, WERD ended its rhythm and blues format and joined thePrime Sports Network with asports radio format. The station went off the air in 1997. Atlanta businessman Darrell Spann and Atlanta Area Broadcasting returned the station to the air in July 1998 asWKGE with aclassic country format.
On April 2, 2001, Billy Corey bought WMLB (1170 AM) inCumming, Georgia and changed its format, along with adjacent 1180 WKGE, tooldies, specifically oldies that had not been heard on other stations.[8]
The change at WMLB did not make listeners happy. In 1995, WMLB changed fromcountry music toAmericana, and, although it did not reach all of Atlanta with its 5,000-watt signal, it was the only station of its type in the area. The format included familiar names such asWillie Nelson,Waylon Jennings,Dolly Parton,Johnny Cash,Linda Ronstadt,Mary Chapin Carpenter,Bob Dylan, andTom Petty, as well as less mainstream artists such asJohn Prine,Guy Clark,Emmylou Harris,Rodney Crowell,Townes Van Zandt,Jerry Jeff Walker,Son Volt,Wilco,Steve Earle,Jerry Garcia, and the Atlanta band The Vidalias. WMLB program director Chris Marino won Americana program director of the year from TheGavin Report in 1997.[9][10][11]
WKGE and WMLB became "The Twins: Classic 1160 and Classic 1170." WKGE planned to increase its 10,000-watt signal to 50,000 watts. The playlist included "Palisades Park" byFreddy Cannon, "Galveston" byGlen Campbell, "Chantilly Lace" byThe Big Bopper, "Hawaii Five-O" byThe Ventures, "Suspicion" byTerry Stafford, "Little GTO" byRonny & the Daytonas, and "Yes I'm Ready" byBarbara Mason. The music collection included 9000 songs, including some byThe Tams with their original lineup. General manager Ron McCarter, described as "a voracious record collector," said Americana was "not commercially viable" but also said it was "a great format." WMLB fans wished the pairing of the two stations had resulted in Americana covering the entire area.[12]
The power boost by 1160 AM (not including the limited nighttime signal), which became WMLB, involved moving the tower fromEast Point toAustell. By 2003, when the change took effect, the stations' format wasadult standards from local DJs in the morning and afternoon and theMusic of Your Life network at other times, with such artists asFrank Sinatra,Nat King Cole,Tony Bennett,Ella Fitzgerald,Norah Jones, andDiana Krall.[13] The 1170 frequency left the air in 2003.[8]
By 2005, WMLB had what was described as an "eclectic" format.[14]
In 2006, the station was acquired by JW Broadcasting, owned by Joe Weber, which already ownedAM 1690, licensed to nearbyAvondale Estates, Georgia. Weber decided to move the WMLB call sign and format from 1160 kHz to the 1690 kHz frequency in order to increase WMLB's coverage area. The facility at 1160 kHz switched to the call lettersWCFO and adopted abusiness talk radio format in June 2006.[15] The call letters were chosen to spell out the titleChief Financial Officer. Programming on WCFO included bothnationally syndicated business and money shows and locally produced local and state news updates.Westwood One News was carried at the beginning of most hours for world and national news.
On April 1, 2008, WCFO switched to a general talk format, known as "The Talk of The Town."[16] Some of the syndicated shows heard on WCFO includedMancow,Dr. Laura,Phil Hendrie,Laura Ingraham,Michael Savage andLou Dobbs. On April 6, 2009, it was announced thatDon Imus's syndicated radio program,Imus in the Morning, would move fromWYAY to WCFO.[17]
On April 16, 2010,Georgia State University reached an agreement for WCFO to serve as the officialflagship radio station airingGeorgia State Panthersfootball and men'sbasketball.[18] Earlier, WCFO had carriedClemson University Tigers football from theClemson Tigers Sports Network.
In April 2018, JW Broadcasting sold WCFO to Atlanta Catholic Radio, to air religious talk programs.[19] About 15 full and part time workers were laid off in the sale. The price tag was $750,000, and the sale was consummated on October 12, 2018. JW Broadcasting, owned by Joe Weber, continues to own 1690 WMLB.