WINW

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

**WINW**
Broadcast area	Canton, Ohio
Branding	Joy 1520
Frequency	1520 (kHz)
Format	Black gospel
Power	1,000 watts
Class	D
Callsign meaning	"WIN-Wonderful" (former slogan)
Owner	Pinebrook Corp.

WINW is an AM radio station, licensed to Canton, Ohio, USA, which broadcasts at 1520 kHz during daytime hours only. The station is known as "Joy 1520," and features an Urban Gospel format.

WINW established a solid reputation as a Top 40 station in the 1960s and 1970s, using the slogan "WIN-Wonderful." Even as a daytime station with a highly directional 1000-watt signal, it was successful in Canton for over a decade, sometimes approaching double digits in the ratings, despite its obvious signal limitations.

New AM Top 40 competition in the form of WQIO (Q-10) in late 1976, as well as the increasing popularity of FM radio stations, eventually brought an end to the glory years of "WIN-Wonderful." WINW purchased FM station WHLQ (106.9) from Susquehanna Radio Corporation in 1978, changing its call sign to WOOS-FM, and installed an automated Top 40 format there, while WINW changed to a Big Band/Adult Standards format in 1981 and then went through a string of format and call letter changes for the next 15 years.

WINW evolved into an adult contemporary station by the mid-1980s, became an automated oldies station in 1987, changed to WRQK (AM) on February 14, 1989 when it was coupled with WRQK-FM, changed back to WINW on August 16, 1989, changed once again to WPGY on April 5, 1996 (by that time owned by Sabre Communications, who was "parking" the WPGY call letters for use on its new FM in Elmira, New York), and finally changed back to WINW on March 27, 1997.

The 1997 version of WINW was originally a Contemporary Christian station, but leased an increasing amount of its air time to preachers and Urban Gospel music, which eventually became the new format.

After many years at its transmitter site on Martindale Road, N.E., WINW moved into new studios at 237 West Tuscarawas Street in downtown Canton not long after the format change to Gospel. The "WIN-Wonderful" sign from the station's Top 40 heyday remained standing outside the Martindale studio building until the mid-1990s. Today, WRQK still uses the building for its studios, going back to the days when it was co-owned with WINW, but WRQK is expected to move to North Canton when Clear Channel completes its purchase of the station.