 | |
| Broadcast area | Columbia metropolitan area Midlands of South Carolina |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 104.7MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | 104.7 WNOK |
| Programming | |
| Format | Top 40 (CHR) |
| Affiliations | Compass Media Networks Premiere Networks |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| WCOS,WCOS-FM,WLTY,WVOC,WXBT | |
| History | |
First air date | July 15,1959 |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 19472 |
| Class | C1 |
| ERP | 90,000watts |
| HAAT | 315 meters (1,033 ft) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | wnok.iheart.com |
WNOK (104.7FM) is acommercialradio stationlicensed toColumbia, South Carolina, serving theColumbia metropolitan area and theMidlands of South Carolina. It broadcasts atop 40 (CHR)radio format and it's owned byiHeartMedia, Inc. The current slogan is "The Midlands' #1 Hit Music Station." Itsradio studios are on Greystone Boulevard in Columbia, offInterstate 126, near theRiverbanks Zoo.[2]
WNOK has aneffective radiated power (ERP) of 90,000watts. Thetransmitter is in the northeast section of Columbia, off Hardscrabble Road at Lee Road.[3] WNOK is "short-spaced" withWKQC inCharlotte, also broadcasting on 104.7 MHz. The two stations are only about 90 miles apart with WKQC running an ERP of 96,000 watts. FCC rules would normally require two co-channelClass C-1 FM stations to be 152 miles apart. Both stations usedirectional antennas to limitco-channel interference. TheChester andLancaster areas of South Carolina have trouble receiving a clear signal from either station.[citation needed]
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WNOK-FMsigned on the air on July 15, 1959.[4] It was owned by the Palmetto Radio Corporation, along with WNOK1230 AM (laterWPCO) and Channel 19 WNOK-TV (nowWLTX). At that time, when few people owned FM radios, WNOK-FM mostlysimulcast WNOK'smiddle of the road format of pop music, news and sports.
In the late 1960s, WNOK and WNOK-FM ended simulcasting. 1230 WNOK went with aTop 40 sound, while 104.7 WNOK-FM flipped to aBeautiful Music format. It was mostlyautomated, playing quarter hour sweeps of instrumentalcover versions of popular songs,Broadway andHollywood show tunes. In addition, WNOK-FM offered commercial-free instrumental background music on asubsidiary communications authority (SCA) subcarrier channel with a frequency of 23 kHz. This prevented the station from broadcasting inFM stereo because the SCA subchannel occupied part of the frequency band. In November 1963, WNOK-FM interrupted its background music service to announce thatPresident John Kennedy had beenshot in Dallas, Texas. The announcement was heard in department stores, restaurants and offices throughout the Columbia area.
Beginning in the mid-1970s, WNOK-FM gradually became more vocal with something of asoft adult contemporary format. The station switched to a Mainstream Top 40 sound in December 1976 as "Stereo 105" and was largely automated. As more people acquired FM radios, the ratings for WNOK-FM began climbing through the 1970s and into the 1980s.
By 1980, the automation was done away with, replaced with livedisc jockeys, and the station's name was rounded up to "105 WNOK". By early 1984, as digital tuners became more common, the station became "104.7 WNOK." It was the first FM station in Columbia to use its actual frequency, down to the decimal place, as part of its name.
In 2000,Clear Channel Communications acquired WNOK.[5] Several years later, Clear Channel changed its corporate name toiHeartMedia.
The company also ownsSports radio 1400WCOS,Country music 97.5WCOS-FM,Adult Hits 96.7WLTY,Urban contemporary 100.1WXBT, andTalk radio 560 & 103.5WVOC in the Columbiaradio market.
34°09′04″N80°54′36″W / 34.151°N 80.910°W /34.151; -80.910