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
WBRC-AM, its call letters standing for the Bell Radio Corporation), began broadcasting in May 1925 at 50 watts on AM 1210. It increased power several times in the 1920s and affiliated with the NBC Radio Network in 1935. Under the requirements of the new North American Radio Broadcasting Agreement (NARBA), the station moved to its current frequency.
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. The sports slot changed again in February 2008 with the hiring of Herb Winches who - after a short stint with the station - resigned after three months, on April 28, 2008.
Schedule
- 5AM to 6AM - Birmingham's AM News with Neal Vickers.
- 6AM to 11AM - Scott Fitzgerald
- 11AM to 2PM - Rush Limbaugh (syndicated political talk)
- 2PM to 6PM - The Glenn Beck Program (syndicated political talk)
- 6PM to 9PM - The Clark Howard Show (syndicated consumer issues show)
- 9PM to 12AM - Coast to Coast with George Noory (paranormal talk, repeat)
- 12AM to 4AM - Coast to Coast with George Noory (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