| City of license | Wilkesboro, North Carolina |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Wilkes County, North Carolina |
| Branding | 1240 3WC |
| Frequency | 1240 kHz |
| Format | Southern Gospel |
| Power | 1000 watts |
| Class | C |
| Callsign meaning | Wonderful World of Wilkes County[1] |
| Owner | Foothills Media, Inc. (John & Jackie Wishon) |
| Website | 12403wc.com |
WWWC (1240 AM), also known as 3WC, is a 24-hour Southern Gospel radio station located in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, U.S.A., serving Wilkes County, North Carolina. The station is owned by Foothills Media, Inc. and broadcasts with 1 kilowatt at 1240 kHz on the AM band, as well as over the internet.
The station's two-person morning team is John Wishon and Ted Hayes. Wishon is also the station's owner, general manager and program director.
3WC came on the air as a country station, though the format shifted to Top 40 in the early '70s, and remained so for most of its first three decades (the format was officially dubbed as a hybrid of Top-40 and "Hot AC" in the 1980s when owned by Tomlinson Broadcasting, and programmed by Carmen James. Personalities at WWWC during its time as a Top-40/Rock outlet included Rick Ross, Ray "Records" Barber, Omer Tomlinson, Mike Walker, Carmen James, Larry Stone (a teenager at the time now of the NFL's Tennessee Titans), Stan Carmen, and many others. News Directors included Don Curtis (for many years), David Patterson, Barb Flemming (who was also important to the morning show during Mike Walker's tenure as morning host in the '80s). During the period when Tomlinson Broadcasting owned the station, one of its "claims to fame" was having the only two-person news team in the area, with Jeff Stein taking over in the afternoons from (alternately) News Director(s) David Patterson Barb Flemming. Mary Drew also did news for a time in the late '80s, before leaving for WXRC Charlotte. For many years 3WC was an ABC Radio affiliate, carrying shows by Howard Cossell, and of course Paul Harvey.
In 1986 (?) 3WC celebrated its 20th anniversary by inviting personalities from the past to return. Many stories were told, and secrets revealed! For instance, few knew that a firearm had once been (accidentally) discharged in the control room!
In its Top-40 heyday, a sign once hung on the control-room wall proclaiming "the booth" as "Slave Quarters". In the '70s morning host Rick Ross was known to have (jokingly!) encouraged listeners to "change lanes this morning...drive on the left side!") In the '80s, 3WC generated lots of talk by running commercials for fake product, "Hiney Wine"...supposedly bottled in "Beautiful Downtown Laurel Springs". Ironically, this region of the state has since become known as the "wine region"! A few brief examples of the zaniness that once emerged from the lil' tower by the river...the memory of which still brings a smile to many faces. Speaking of the "lil' tower", when the Wilkes County Airport was on Highway 268 west of Wilkesboro, 3WC's tower was used by pilots to "line up with the runway", as it was precisely in-line for their approach.
The station went silent on November 11, 1992[2] until the station was purchased by Ken Byrd, Alan Combs and John Wishon and adopted its Southern Gospel format on July 11, 1994.[3][4] 3WC is currently owned by John and Jackie Wishon[5], who bought out the station from co-owner Alan Combs in 2006.[6]