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Wikipedia / WGOC

WGOC is an AM radio station in Kingsport, Tennessee, that is currently silent. It broadcast on AM frequency 1320 kHz and was under ownership of Cumulus Media.

History

The station signed on the air in 1951 under the call letters WKIN and was soon owned by Cy Bahakel. The station was originally daytime-only and, over the years, increased its power to 5,000 watts.

In the 1960s and 1970s the station was a popular Top 40 outlet with a personality-DJ format. Some key names over the years included:

  • Bill Austin

  • Eddie Skelton

  • Joe Mills

  • Phil Roberts

  • John Selby Engineer

  • Gary Morse

  • Dick Winstead ("Richard Bailey Winstead," "Dickie-Doo")

  • Wayne Bernard ("Nard") (now known as Charlie Chase)

  • Mike Casey ("The Mighty Casey")

  • Charlie O'Day ("Good-Time Charlie")

  • Oscar Harris ("The Big O")

  • Ron Mack

  • Jonathan Lee Forrester

  • Terry Thomas

  • Ken Maness

  • Roger Lynn

  • Ric Darby

  • Reggie Jordan ("The Hit Man")

  • Jeff Taylor ("The Rocket Man," "J. Rocket")

  • Chuck Carroll ("The Funky Ol' Chuck-A-Luck")

  • Bill Meade

  • Bob Gordon ("Robert W. Gordon")

  • Mike Lee

  • TB Scott

  • Dave Miller

  • Steve Howard

  • John R. Kelly

  • Robin Hyatt

  • Gary Trudeau

  • Mark Evan McKinney

  • Tom Shannon ("Curly")

  • Steve Gilly

  • Don Dale

  • Dave Jeffries

  • Darwin Paustian

  • Dick McClellan

  • "Lonesome" Jim Edwards

  • Chuck Ness

  • "Professor" Matt Stevens

  • Fred Williams

  • Claude "Red" Kirk

  • Dave Ray

  • Joseph Reed (Jay Lee)

Nighttime service was added in 1981 with a new 4-tower directional array at the intersection of East Stone Drive and New Beason Well Road in Kingsport, and a nighttime power of 500 watts. The 5-kW daytime operation was consolidated to this site as well in about 1990.

In 1982 WKIN changed to a country format under the branding "A Great Brand Of Country." Variations of country and classic country would continue over the next couple of decades.

The WGOC callsign was on 640 AM from April 9, 1993 until February 26, 2007, when the callsign was moved to what had been WKIN, a news/talk and sports station.

Citadel Broadcasting, which had owned WJCW and WQUT since 1977, bought WGOC and WKIN in 2000. Prior to its current programming, WGOC was broadcasting a Classic Country/Bluegrass/Gospel format. Citadel merged with Cumulus Media on September 16, 2011.

As of July 2026, WGOC was silent because of financial reasons.

References