| Broadcast area | Emerald Coast |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 1370kHz |
| Branding | WCOA News Talk 104.9 FM & 1370 AM |
| Programming | |
| Format | News/talk |
| Affiliations | ABC News Radio NBC News Radio Compass Media Networks Premiere Networks Westwood One |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| WJTQ,WMEZ,WRRX,WXBM-FM | |
| History | |
First air date | February 3, 1926; 99 years ago (1926-02-03) |
Call sign meaning | WonderfulCityOfAdvantages |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 12142 |
| Class | B |
| Power | 5,000watts day 4,400 watts night |
| Translator | 104.9 W285FY (Pensacola) |
| Repeater | 102.7 WXBM-HD2 (Milton) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | wcoapensacola.com |
WCOA (1370kHz) is acommercialAMradio station inPensacola, Florida, serving theEmerald Coast. It is owned byCumulus Media and broadcasts anews/talkradio format. Theradio studios and offices are on North W Street off Pensacola Boulevard (U.S. Route 29).
By day, WCOA is powered at 5,000wattsnon-directional. At night, to protect other stations on1370 AM, it reduces power to 4,400 watts and uses adirectional antenna with a three-tower array[2] Thetransmitter is on Hollywood Avenue near Massachusetts Avenue inBrent, Florida.[3]
Weekdays begin on WCOA with "Real News with Rick Outzen," a local news and information program. The rest of the weekday schedule is made up ofnationally syndicatedconservative talk shows, mostly from the co-ownedWestwood One Network. They includeChris Plante,Dan Bongino,Ben Shapiro,Mark Levin,Michael Knowles, Rick Valdes,Red Eye Radio andAmerica in the Morning. Also heard fromPremiere Networks isThe Sean Hannity Show.
Weekends feature shows on money, health, real estate and technology. Weekend programs includeKim Komando,Meet The Press and repeats of weekday shows. Most hours begin with an update fromABC News Radio.
On February 3, 1926; 99 years ago (February 3, 1926), hundreds of people gathered in Plaza Ferdinand in downtown Pensacola. They were there to hear the first sounds of radio in Northwest Florida. At precisely 8:30 p.m. WCOA went on the air, and the broadcast was piped over a large horn on top of City Hall. Locals who owned receivers could tune into the 250-watt signal that was broadcast from two 100-foot towers located behind City Hall.
City Clerk John E. Frenkel Sr., who used the moniker Breezy Boy from the Gulf,[citation needed] hosted the first program.[4] It featured local talent, city officials and representatives of area military bases. The grand finale was a rendition of a song called "Down Pensacola Way" that was composed especially for the big unveiling. According to letters and calls, over 700 people listened to the first broadcast.
When the city government changed form in 1931, WCOA was purchased by John C. Pace[4] for $6,500. When he purchased the station on December 1, 1931, he indicated he would spend $20,000 in modernizing the station. The studios were moved to the San Carlos Hotel where they remained until 1949. Pace eventually sold the station to the company that owned thePensacola News Journal newspaper, which sold it in 1957.[4]
The station increased its power to 5,000 watts September 8, 1947.[5]
WCOA operated for many years as anetwork affiliate ofNBC Radio. The programming featuredmiddle of the road music, news and sports. The station's popularity grew. In 1956, when WCOA celebrated 30 years on the air, congratulatory telegrams were received from musicians such asNat King Cole andFrank Sinatra.
The station changed ownership, location and network affiliation several more times over the years. In 1991, the programming switched to a news-talk format.
WCOA also has a place in the Congressional Record, recognizing the 80th anniversary of WCOA.[6]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
30°26′57″N87°15′46″W / 30.44917°N 87.26278°W /30.44917; -87.26278
