WGOL
Radio station in Russellville, Alabama, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
WGOL (920 AM, "Real Country 920") is a radio station licensed to serve Russellville, Alabama, United States. The station is owned by Pilati Investments Corporation.
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| Frequency | 920 kHz |
|---|---|
| Branding | Real Country 920 |
| Programming | |
| Format | Classic country |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Pilati Investments Corp. |
| WKAX | |
| History | |
First air date | May 29, 1949[1] |
Former call signs |
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| Technical information[3] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 60506 |
| Class | D |
| Power |
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Transmitter coordinates | 34°30′50″N 87°42′55″W |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live |
| Website | wgolam.com |
Programming
WGOL broadcasts a Classic Country music format in C-QUAM AM Stereo.[4]
In addition to its usual music programming, WGOL carries significant sports programming as a member of the Alabama Crimson Tide Sports Network. This includes Alabama Crimson Tide football,[5] men's basketball,[6] women's basketball,[7] baseball,[8] and the Hey Coach call-in show with Crimson Tide head coaches.[9]
History
This station first signed on in 1949 as WWWR.[1][2]
WWWR made national headlines in early 1950 when a three-foot rattlesnake forced the radio station off the air for "more than an hour."[10] Engineers discovered the snake had "crawled into the tuning unit, shorting the circuit."[10]
In March 1986, SIS Sound of Russellville, Inc. reached an agreement to purchase WWWR from Franklin Broadcasting, Inc.[11] The deal was approved by the Federal Communications Commission on June 4, 1986, and the transaction was consummated on October 28, 1986.[11] The station's new owners had the FCC assign new call letters WJRD on August 17, 1987.[2]
On November 15, 1997, William A. Grant Jr., the owner of WJRD license holder SIS Sound of Russellville, Inc., died.[12] In March 1998, control of the company passed involuntarily to William A. Grant III and Walter B. Grant.[13] The Federal Communications Commission approved this transfer on May 21, 1998, and it was formally consummated on the same day.[13] The station was immediately put up for sale.
In June 1998, McCurry Broadcasting Company, Inc. reached an agreement to purchase WJRD from SIS Sound of Russellville, Inc.[14] The deal was approved by the FCC on July 29, 1998, and the transaction was consummated on August 12, 1998.[14] The new owners applied for and received new call letters WGOL from the FCC on August 17, 1998.[2]
In December 1999, Wanda Patricia Underwood reached an agreement to purchase WGOL from McCurry Broadcasting Company, Inc.[15] The deal was approved by the FCC on January 20, 2000, and the transaction was consummated on January 24, 2000.[15]
In April 2005, Pilati Investments Corporation (Karl H. Pilati, president) reached an agreement to purchase WGOL from Wanda Patricia Underwood.[16] The station sold for a reported $171,500.[17] The FCC approved the deal on August 25, 2005, and the transaction was consummated on August 31, 2005.[16]