WKRC (AM)

WKRC
City of license Cincinnati, Ohio
Broadcast area Cincinnati, Ohio
Branding 55KRC The Talk Station
Slogan "The Talk Station"
Frequency 550 kHz
First air date 1922
Format News/Talk
Power 5,000 watts
Class B
Callsign meaning "'Knodel Radio Company"
Affiliations Fox News Radio
Premiere Radio Networks
Talk Radio Network
WXIX-TV
Owner Clear Channel Communications
Website 55krc.com

WKRC (550 AM) is a radio station based in Cincinnati, Ohio that is owned by Clear Channel Communications and broadcasts at 550 kHz. Broadcasting under the branding of 55KRC, the station is a news/talk outlet featuring a local morning show and national hosts like Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Michael Savage, Mark Levin, and Coast to Coast AM.

WKRC is the former sister station to WKRC-TV in Cincinnati, both having been owned by Taft Broadcasting and later Clear Channel, until the television station was sold to Newport Television, LLC.

The station was a charter member of the CBS Radio Network, and was one of the 16 stations that aired the first CBS network program on September 18, 1927.[1]

Despite the similarities in their call letters, WKRC was not the inspiration behind the television show WKRP in Cincinnati. The show was inspired by show creator Hugh Wilson's experiences at WQXI in Atlanta. The similarity of the two sets of call letters was used as a joke on the program.

History

In the 1990s, Jacor attempted to create a second WLW in the Cincinnati market, renaming WKRC to WLWA. In 1994, the failed attempt became 550 WCKY. The station's callsign has since returned to WKRC.

Before becoming a primarily talk station, WKRC featured a full-service adult contemporary music format for many years.

References

  1. ^ Radio Digest, September 1927, quoted in: McLeod, Elizabeth (September 20, 2002). CBS—In the Beginning, History of American Broadcasting. Retrieved on 2007-01-01. The other stations were WOR in Newark; WADC in Akron, Ohio; WAIU in Columbus, Ohio; WCAO in Baltimore; WCAU in Philadelphia; WEAN in Providence; WFBL in Syracuse; WGHP in Detroit; WJAS in Pittsburgh; WMAK in Buffalo-Lockport; WMAQ in Chicago; WNAC in Boston; WOWO in Fort Wayne, Indiana; KMOX in St. Louis; and KOIL in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

External links