WERC-AM

WERC-AM AM 960 is a Clear Channel-owned news/talk format radion station licensed in Birmingham and broadcasting at 5,000 watts

debuted in Birmingham in 1972 when Mooney Broadcasting bought WBRC-AM and the inactive WBRC-FM station from Taft Broadcasting. At the time, WBRC-AM was playing a "middle of the road" music format. The new owners of the radio stations changed the call letters, re-christening the AM station as 96-ERC, and launching an all-out assault on the market’s leading Top 40 station, WSGN-AM.

For much of the 1970’s WERC and WSGN were the two most listened-to stations in Birmingham. The beginning of WERC’s demise as a Top 40 powerhouse came in 1977, when its FM sister station was re-launched as Top 40 WKXX ("Kicks 106"). By 1980, WERC-AM modified its format to adult contemporary music and was known as News Plus 960. "Calling All Sports", an afternoon drive sports call-in show hosted by future University of Alabama football announcer Eli Gold was launched in 1981.

Competing unsuccessfully against WSGN and WAPI-AM in the adult contemporary segment, WERC dropped music altogether in 1982 and adopted its present news-talk format. The departure of Gold left Paul Finebaum's sports call in show as the station's bell cow, until early 2007 when Finebaum signed a contract with WJOX-FM. On February 26 of that year Kenny Stabler and Chris Stewart launched their "Ultimate Sports Show" on WERC.

Schedule

• 5AM to 7AM - Birmingham's AM News with Neal Vickers.
• 7AM to 11AM - Steve and Leah In The Morning
• 11AM to 2PM - Rush Limbaugh (syndicated political talk)
• 2AM to 6PM - The Dominick Brascia Show (local talk)
• 6PM to 9PM - Dave Ramsey (syndicated personal finance show)
• 9PM to 12AM - Coast to Coast with George Moory (paranormal talk, repeat)
• 12AM to 4AM - Coast to Coast with George Moory (live)
• 4AM to 5AM - The Wall Street Journal This Morning.

References

• WERC. (January 22, 2007). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 19:01, February 27, 2007.
• Stabler takes over Finebaum's old slot on WERC, 2/27/07, The Birmingham News.

External links

• Official Website of WERC