WEOA

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WEOA 1400 is an AM frequency licensed to and serving the Evansville, Indiana market.

[edit] History

1400 AM was originally WROZ, a Country-formatted station in the 1960s and 1970s. After WROZ left, 1400 became a simulcast of then WJPS-FM (now WLFW 93.5).

[edit] Current programming

In 1997, a group of African American investors approached South Central about leasing the frequency for a Urban Contemporary format. South Central agreed, since at that time, there really were no other decent options, as WGBF had taken the news talk format, and was not having very much success. Religious stations were elsewhere and Sports Talk hadn't developed nationally-syndicated formats that 1400 could run cheaply at that time.

WEOA has found a decent amount of success despite being on AM, yet no broadcaster (not even South Central, owner of WEOA) has elected to bring the format to FM, however speculation pointed to either Regent making a move with WDKS or South Central itself moving WEOA to one of its FM frequencies, on February 12 Regent did move WDKS more Rhythmic, but still identified Kiss as a Pop station(the "Rhythmic" lean has since been removed and the Rock/Pop product is back). A likely reason for the Pure Urban format not being migrated to FM may have likely have to do with racial tensions and negative feelings about the format's image. There is the possibility that a station remote could bring out violent incidents (such incidents have happened to WEOA during station events, notably during a talent show at Bosse High School in Evansville where a student was stabbed in the parking lot after the show let out, the incident was speculated as to it happening due to a lack of security or gang members attending the show).

WEOA runs the ABC Radio's syndicated Tom Joyner Morning show and the ABC Touch Urban AC feed, although they do locally program some hours of Hip Hop, notably on Friday and Saturday Nights.