 | |
| Broadcast area | Atlanta metropolitan area |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 680kHz |
| Branding | The Fan - 680 and 93.7 FM |
| Programming | |
| Format | Sports |
| Affiliations | ESPN Radio |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Dickey Broadcasting Company |
| WIFN,WFOM | |
| History | |
First air date | September 1, 1965 (1965-9-1) (as WRNG) |
Former call signs | WRNG (1965–1982) WCNN (1982–1987) WGTW (1987–1988) |
Call sign meaning | Cable News Network (CNN Headline News, the formernews radio format carried by the station) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 56389 |
| Class | B |
| Power | 50,000watts day 10,000 watts night |
Transmitter coordinates | 33°57′41″N84°15′47″W / 33.96139°N 84.26306°W /33.96139; -84.26306 |
| Translator(s) | 93.7 W229AG (Atlanta) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | 680thefan.com |
WCNN (680AM) is aradio stationlicensed toNorth Atlanta and serving theAtlanta-arearadio market. It is owned by Dickey Broadcasting and airs asports radioformat. The station is commonly known by the on-air branding as "The Fan". Local sports shows are heard weekdays with theESPN Radio Network airing nights and weekends. WCNN is theflagship of theAtlanta Braves Radio Network.
WCNN broadcasts with a power of 50,000watts during the daytime, and 10,000 watts at night, using adirectional antenna at all times to protect other stations onAM 680 includingKNBR fromSan Francisco. WCNN'stransmitter andtowers are located nearNorcross, Georgia, northeast ofAtlanta.[2] WCNN is also heard on a 250-wattFMtranslator, W229AG at 93.7MHz.[3]
The station formerly broadcast the audio portion of theCNN Headline News channel (hence its currentcall sign), anall-news radio format that the station pioneered in the 1980s and re-appeared on the station later in the station's history.[4]
On September 1, 1965, the stationsigned on as WRNG, Atlanta's firsttalk radio station.[4] The last three letters of the call sign represented the station's branding as "Ring Radio," as in the ringing of a telephone. The station was originally adaytimer operating at 5,000 watts but having tosign-off at night.[5] It was the first broadcast home oftalk radio personalityNeal Boortz, who went onto a long career atWSB andsyndicated nationally.[4] Other, now well known talk radio personalities were also heard on the station, includingRonn Owens, later atKGO inSan Francisco, Southern HumoristLudlow Porch, and Barry Young, later atKFYI inPhoenix.
In 1982, the station began an experiment by broadcasting the audio feed ofCNN Headline News.[4] The call letters were changed to WCNN, a nod to CNN'sheadquarters being in Atlanta.[6]
In February 1987, the station switched to anadult standards radio format and changed its call letters to WGTW.[4][6] Its call sign was a reference to the Atlanta-based classic movieGone with the Wind, which, coincidentally, is the favorite movie of CNN founderTed Turner. The station went by the branding "Stardust 680" during that time.[4][6] The radio format failed to gain ratings in the market.
In late 1988, chief engineer Bob Mayben and his staff built elaborate studios in the CNN Center (formerly known as The Omni) and became WCNN "All News 680", with a 24-hour local news format. TheCNN Headline News audio returned in June 1990, when the local all-news format failed to generate sufficient ratings.[4][6] In 1995, WCNN was leased toCox Radio for a 5-year term. The radio format was switched to Sports Talk as "680 The Fan".[4][6] In 1998, the format switched tonews/talk to complementWSB's programming.[4] In 2000, when theLMA expired, control of WCNN returned to Dickey Broadcasting.[4] The "680 The Fan" branding and thesports radio format returned to WCNN.[4][6]
WCNN was theflagship station of theAtlanta Thrashers[7] before the Thrashers moved toWinnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and was the flagship of theAtlanta Hawks Radio Network before rivalWZGC gained the rights in 2013. It has been the flagship station of theAtlanta Braves Radio Network since 2010.[8] WCNN is also the flagship station ofGeorgia Tech Yellow Jackets football andmen’s basketball.[9] In 2019, the station became the flagship ofAtlanta Gladiators hockey.[10]
WCNN is now an affiliate ofESPN Radio after years of carryingCBS Sports Radio,NBC Sports Radio andFox Sports Radio programming.[11]
On November 30, 2010, WCNN got an FMsimulcast onbroadcast translator W229AG FM 93.7. In 2010, that station was actually assigned to carryWWWQ FM 99.7HD3. It is located onSweat Mountain, and for several years previously carriedKAWZ FM, aChristian broadcasting station which feeds hundreds of translator stations fromCalvary Chapel inTwin Falls, Idaho. It had Sandy Plains and now Atlanta as itscommunity of license.99X was reportedly set to move to this station, which had aconstruction permit granted in July 2010 to relocate to thesame tower nearNorth Druid Hills as WWWQ and W250BC, and has the same power but somewhat lower height (and thereforebroadcast range) as 99X has on W250BC. The station was still owned by Calvary Chapel of Twin Falls, when it filed for the permit in April 2010. After being approved in early July, Calvary applied just a few days later to transfer ownership of the station to Cumulus for $400,000. It is now licensed to Cumulus Licensing LLC and resides on the WWWQ tower.[12]
During the 2021 postseason, theAtlanta Braves Radio Network's coverage of their NLDS, NLCS and World Series appearances were carried on its online stream without geo-blocking restrictions. This has since continued into the 2022 season.[citation needed]
WCNN is also an affiliate of thePerformance Racing Network, which owns theAtlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia.[13]
