WERC-AM

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

History

The station was founded in May 1925 by physician J. C. Bell, transmitting for four hours a day on AM 950 from a 10-watt tower in his back yard in Fountain Heights. The original WBRC call letters stood for "Bell Radio Corporation". A boost to 50-watt broadcast on AM 1210 preceded the 1928 purchase of the station by M. D. Smith, Jr. Smith, owner of the Birmingham Awning and Tent Works] at 27th Street and 12th Avenue North, paid $2,000 for the station and equipped it with a new 500-watt transmitter and a studio in the Athletic Club downtown. He expanded the broadcast day to 12 hours and hired Les Connor as the station's first professional announcer.

In 1931 the power was increased again, to 5 kilowatts, and the studios moved to a glass-enclosed "Crystal Studio" on the mezzanine of the Temple Theater. The transmitter was re-erected in the community of Kilocycle in North Birmingham. A second announcer, John Connerly was brought on board and the station was incorporated. Smith and his wife held 50% of the stock while the remainder was split between J. C. Bell and Glenn Marshall. In 1935 WBRC became an affiliate of the NBC Radio Network. Under the requirements of the new North American Radio Broadcasting Agreement (NARBA), the station moved to its current frequency.

A year later the studio moved again, to the Bankhead Hotel, and then soon later to a building at 19th Street and 2nd Avenue North. Smith died in 1937 and his widow, Eloise Haney Smith took control of the station. She bought out Marshall and, when Bell died in 1940, purchased the remaining shares to take full ownership. The station moved one block to a newly-built air-conditioned studio at 18th Street and 2nd Avenue North in 1942.

96-ERC

Mooney Broadcasting bought WBRC-AM and the inactive WBRC-FM station from Taft Broadcasting in 1972. 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.

News-Talk

Competing unsuccessfully against WSGN and WAPI-AM in the adult contemporary segment, WERC dropped music altogether in 1982 to focus on news, sports and talk. 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–6AM - Good Day Alabama
  • 6AM–9AM - Birmingham's Morning News with Scott Fitzgerald
  • 9AM–11AM - The Glenn Beck Show (syndicated political talk)
  • 11AM–2PM - The Rush Limbaugh Show (syndicated political talk)
  • 2PM–5PM - The Schnitt Show (syndicated news/talk)
  • 5PM–6PM - 5 O'Clock Rush Hour (syndicated political talk)
  • 6PM–9PM - The Michael Savage Show (syndicated news/commentary)
  • 9PM–10PM - America Now with Andy Dean (syndicated political talk)
  • 10PM–10:30PM - Fox 6 News
  • 10:30PM-12AM - America Now with Andy Dean (syndicated political talk)
  • 12AM–4AM - Coast to Coast with George Noory (syndicated news/talk)

References

External links

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