WGL (AM)

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WGL (AM)

Broadcast area	Fort Wayne, Indiana
Branding	1250 The River
First air date	1921
Frequency	1250 (kHz)
Format	Adult Standards
ERP	2300 watts (daytime) 1000 watts (nighttime)
Class	B
Callsign meaning	"What God Loves" (original:) World's Greatest Loudspeaker (Magnavox)
Former callsigns	WCWK (1921-1928)
Owner	Travis Broadcasting

WGL is an AM radio station located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The station operates on the AM radio frequency of 1250 kHz.

The station is the longest-running radio station in the city of Fort Wayne. Chester Keen and Lauer Auto founded what was originally called WCWK back in 1921. Keen bought the Lauer interests in WCWK around 1925. That same year, WOWO was established by the Main Auto Supply Co., with studios above Main Auto's downtown factory.

In 1928, Keen sold off WCWK to WOWO owner Fred Zieg, and the call letter were changed to WGL (What God Loves), taking a callsign previously used by the current WADO in New York City. WOWO and WGL were owned by the Zieg family until WOWO's sale to Westinghouse in 1936. Westinghouse sold WGL to Farnsworth in 1945 and subsequently it was purchased by Fort Wayne newspapers.

[edit] Programming

In February, 1998, WGL changed its' format to sports; most of its programming came from "One-On-One Sports" (now "Sporting News Radio.") As a result, they dropped G. Gordon Liddy, Tom Leykis, Art Bell, and local host Rusty Humphries. Between September, 1998 and August, 2000, WGL aired ESPN Radio, claiming it from rival WOWO. By August, 2000, ESPN's affiliation moved to rival WONO, WOWO's sister station.

WGL was sold (along with the other Kovas Communications stations) to Travis Broadcasting Corp. in December, 2001, for $7.5 million. WGL was purchased, along with its sister stations by Summit City Radio Group in July, 2004. Currently, it broadcasts adult standards, having picked up the format in 2003.

WGL's programming is simulcast full-time on WWGL 102.9-FM.