| City of license | Orangeburg, South Carolina |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Columbia & The Midlands |
| Branding | B106.7 |
| Slogan | Columbia's Hometown Radio Station |
| Frequency | 106.7 MHz |
| First air date | July 6, 1967 |
| Format | Adult Contemporary |
| ERP | 100,000 watts |
| HAAT | 240 meters |
| Class | C1 |
| Facility ID | 54791 |
| Callsign meaning | "W"e're "T"he "C"arolina's "B"est |
| Former callsigns | WDIX-FM (1967-1976) WPJS (1976-1982) WIGL (1982-1985) |
| Owner | Cumulus Media |
| Sister stations | WISW, WLXC, WOMG, WNKT |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | b106fm.com |
WTCB is an adult contemporary radio station licensed to Orangeburg, South Carolina and serves the Columbia, South Carolina market. The Cumulus Media outlet is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to broadcast at 106.7 MHz with an effective radiated power (ERP) of 100 kW. The station goes by the name B106.7 and its current slogan is "Columbia's Hometown Radio Station."
106.7 signed on July 6, 1967 as WDIX-FM, the sister to WDIX-AM 1150 in Orangeburg (formerly WRNO, now off the air).[1][2] The station was known as W-107 and was owned by Frank Best. At the time, the station featured an automated format with music that would be considered today as Hot Adult Contemporary.
In late 1976, both stations were sold to Radio Smiles, a group owned by Norman Suttles. WDIX-AM changed to Top 40, while WDIX-FM became religious WPJS (the call sign meaning "W"e "P"roclaim "J"esus "S"aves). In 1978, the transmitting power was increased from 37 kw to 100 kw utilizing a new new CCA transmitter and 10-bay Shively antenna.
In 1982, both WDIX & WPJS were sold to Keymarket Group. WPJS became country WIGL (Wiggle 106), utilizing TM's (now Jones TM) "3-In-A-Row" Modern Country format, operating it live-assisted. WIGL targeted the nearby Columbia market, but was plagued with periodical audio problems as well as fierce competition from WCOS-FM. In 1984, Suburban Radio Group of Concord, North Carolina bought WDIX, and in 1985 the company bought WORG.[3]
In early 1985, WIGL made the first steps to move the station to Columbia by building a new 714 ft. tower outside of the city in the community of Sandy Run and moved the studios to Cayce. It was intentionally rumoured to remain a formatted country and give the long-time country formatted WCOS-FM a run for the money. On April 15, 1985 WTCB signed on as B106. The format was changed to an adult contemporary/CHR/oldies hybrid with the new call letters of WTCB as branded as "B106". Almost overnight, the station became a huge ratings success, with a superior market sound and a signal that covered 2/3rd's of South Carolina. It beat many stations, including longtime AC WSCQ (now WVOC-FM), in its first Arbitron book. It also caused many of the long-time Columbia market stations to rethink their formats and branding in order to catch up to the momentum of WTCB.
In 1990, the WIGL call letters and country format surfaced on a new FM that was built in Orangeburg by the former WTCB GM Tom Love and former WTCB SM Charlie Boswell. That station became known as "Wiggle 102.9", sporting the same country format that 106.7 had. Today the WIGL call letters are in use on a station licensed to St. Matthews, SC, but targeting Columbia.
By the late 1980s, due to changing market conditions, B106 softened its music by dropping the more upbeat music and focused on being a light adult contemporary outlet. At that time, the market had two other AC outlets, WSCQ and new upstart WAAS (now WARQ), fighting for Columbia's AC audience. By the end of 1992, both stations flipped to different formats, leaving B106 as the only AC left in the market.
Bloomington Broadcasting purchased the station in 1989 from Keymarket Communications and Bill McElveen became the GM and remains so to this day. Beginning in 1993, B106 gradually went back toward a more upbeat Gold based AC format and updated its on-air moniker as B106.7. This format has remained in place ever since.
From September 2002 until November 2007, WTCB was the flagship radio station for South Carolina Gamecocks football, a distinction which was removed when Citadel Broadcasting moved WNKT from St. George to Eastover and made it the flagship of all sports, not just football. Citadel merged with Cumulus Media on September 16, 2011.[4]
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