WISW (WIS Radio)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

WISW
City of license	Columbia
Broadcast area	South Carolina
Branding	"Newstalk 1320 WIS"
First air date	1945
Frequency	1320 (KHz)
Format	News/Talk
ERP	5 kw. daytime pattern, 2.5kw. nightime directional pattern.
Class	B
Callsign meaning	"W"onderful "I"odine "S"tate (The same as news partner WIS-TV.)
Owner	Citadel Broadcasting
Website	http://www.wisradio.com

WISW is a news-talk radio station in Columbia, South Carolina. It broadcasts on frequency 1320 AM in the Columbia area ^[1].

WISW is frequently known as "News Talk 1320 WIS" or "WIS Radio" ^[2], taking the base of its call sign from its original sister station, WIS (TV) in Columbia, the dominant NBC television station. The WIS portion of the call letters stood for "Wonderful Iodine State."

1 Station History
2 See also
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Station History

1320 signed on as WKIX in 1945. The station featured local and national programing from the CBS Radio Network. In 1958, the station became WOIC and was the first station to target the African American community in Columbia. In the 70s, WOIC added an FM on 103.1, which it became WDPM (now WOMG).

By the 1980s, WOIC ratings started to decline due to the growth of new Urban Contemporary outlet WWDM. In the fall of 1989, it was announced by then-owners Price Broadcasting that the station would change over to a simulcast of WOMG-FM's Oldies format. In order to prevent any community backlash, an arrangement was worked out with 1230 WODE to move the staff and programing over to their station. WODE became WOIC, while WOIC became WOMG-AM, simulcasting the majority of WOMG's programming, breaking off at times for broadcasting various Clemson University sporting events.

In 1995, WOMG-AM became All-news WISW under a local marketing agreement with Cosmos Broadcasting then-owners of NBC affilate WIS. The station featured AP News as well as simulcasts of WIS's newscasts. In 1997, the syndicated Imus In The Morning show was added. Despite the changes as well as exposure from WIS-TV, ratings did not materialized as hoped.

In August of 1999, Imus was dropped for "Good Morning Columbia", hosted by longtime WSCQ air personalities Gene McKay (now deceased), Bill Benton, & Doug Enlow (displaced after WSCQ, now WXBT, changed format). Ironically, both McKay and Benton began in the Columbia market on 560 WIS (now WVOC) until leaving in the mid 70's for WSCQ, which they were part-owners of. With the addition of "Good Morning Columbia", WISW shifted the format to a mostly satellite-fed Adult Standards format, but kept the WIS newscasts in the process.

By 2002, the station adjusted its format again to a full time news-talk format, competing head-on with rival WVOC. In addition to "Good Morning Columbia", the station features a rotating "Local Angle" hour, Neal Boortz, Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, Rollye James, and Jim Bohannon. There is also a weeknight "Prime Time Sports" program and a weekly "Sporting News Radio" program.

Also in 2002, WISW became one of the stations to broadcast the games of the University of South Carolina Gamecocks after Host Communications decided to take its program to Citadel Communications, who provided the Gamecocks with airtime on its more powerful FM stations. Clear Channel Communications (who owns WVOC) was not willing to move the Gamecocks programming to any of its more stronger FM stations in Columbia. The station also broadcasts football games for the Atlanta Falcons.

Currently in the ratings, WISW trails behind WVOC in the ratings, having only half the number of WVOC listeners. ^[3]

The station is owned by Citadel Broadcasting, which also owns AC WTCB, Oldies WOMG, and Urban AC WLXC in the Columbia radio market.