| Broadcast area | Athens metropolitan area |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 960kHz |
| Branding | SportsRadio 960 The Ref |
| Programming | |
| Format | Sports |
| Affiliations | ESPN Radio Georgia Bulldogs Radio Network Atlanta Braves Radio Network Atlanta Falcons Radio Network |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| WNGC,WGAU,WGMG,WPUP,WXKT,WSB,WSBB-FM,WSB-FM,WSRV-FM,WALR-FM,WTSH-FM,WSB-TV | |
| History | |
First air date | May 1,1948 |
Call sign meaning | RobertFranklinChristian (father of original owner) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 1218 |
| Class | B |
| Power | 5,000watts day 2,500 watts night |
Transmitter coordinates | 33°59′58.00″N83°26′0.00″W / 33.9994444°N 83.4333333°W /33.9994444; -83.4333333 |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | 960theref.com |
WRFC (960kHz) is acommercialAMradio station inAthens, Georgia. It airs asportsradio format, mostly using programming fromESPN Radio. Owned byCox Media Group, the television and radio subsidiary ofCox Enterprises, the station issister to radio stationsWNGC,WGAU,WGMG,WPUP,WXKT and theWSB family of stations in nearbyAtlanta. WRFC has studios in downtown Athens. Thetransmitter is located off West Vincent Drive in the North Valley neighborhood, northwest of Athens.[2]
WRFC features local sports shows during weekday morning and afternoondrive time, as well as aGeorgia Bulldogs hour at noon. The rest of the schedule uses programming fromESPN Radio. The station carriesUniversity of Georgia sports, as well asAtlanta Bravesbaseball games andAtlanta Falconsfootball games.
On May 1, 1948, WRFC firstsigned on the air.[3] It was originally owned by L. H. Christian, with thecall sign chosen for his father,RobertFranklinChristian. The station began as a 1,000-wattdaytimer, required to go off the air at night. The studios were at 2791⁄2 North Lumpkin Street, in Athens.
WRFC later operated for many years at 5,000 wattsnon-directional daytime and 500 wattsdirectional nighttime using a threetower array northeast of Athens, with studios in an impressive mansion in downtown Athens. It featured 4full service formats throughout its history, such as Top 40,middle of the road, and adult contemporary formats of popular music, news, and sports.
On February 20, 1971,NORAD broadcast a normal required weekly test of theEmergency Broadcast System. However,AT&T reported that theU.S. Air Force used the wrong tape by accident, initiating an Emergency Action Notification, normally issued by the president. It prompted all north Georgia radio stations by order of the FCC to operate under emergency procedures and feed the broadcast from primary station 750WSB in Atlanta through their transmitters. Everett Langford was at the microphone at WRFC and had no idea what had happened. He listened to WSB but heard no emergency announcements. He was attempting to call the owner, L.H. Christian, when he heard the corrected message from the Air Force. Listeners could hear in his voice that he was very relieved it was only a mistake.
In 1981, WRFC dropped its Top 40 format and went into a short-lived MOR format. This didn't last long. WRFC dropped MOR and went intoadult contemporary in 1982. During this time WRFC adopted the moniker Stereo One, when it became the first-in-Georgia, and one of the first in the US AM Stereo radio stations with upgraded transmitting equipment. Though the format was short-lived, WRFC was also one of the first stations to use Compact Discs when that recorded media format debuted. When 1993 rolled along, the station began adding talk programs and sports programming from ESPN, although their adult contemporary format remained in place until the station dropped adult contemporary a year later in 1994.
In January 2008, WRFC was sold (along with sister stationsWGMG,WPUP,WNGC, andWGAU) to Cox Radio in Atlanta. Southern Broadcasting of Athens and associated owners continue as a wholly owned subsidiary of Cox.[4]
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