WANS

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WANS
City of license Anderson, South Carolina
Broadcast area Upstate South Carolina
Branding Anderson`s Music Leader
Slogan The Radio Station That You Grew Up With, Playing The Music That You Grew Up With
Frequency 1280 kHz
Translator(s) 107.7 W299BK (Anderson)
First air date June 1, 1949
Format Classic Hits
Power 5,000 watts (day)
1,000 watts (night)
Class B
Facility ID 21829
Callsign meaning ANderSon (city of license)
Owner Power Foundation
(Power Foundation (Non Profit))
Sister stations WRIX, WHQA
Webcast Listen Live

WANS (1280 AM) is a classic hits radio station located in Anderson, South Carolina. The station is licensed by the FCC to broadcast with 5 kW. during the daytime and 1 kW. directional at night. WANS signed on the air in 1949. For most of it`s existence, it was a Top-40, Rock, Pop station. It was paired up with 100,00 WANS-FM 107.3 (now WJMZ-FM) in the 1960`s. Both stations had separate feeds and broadcast from studios located on Clemson Blvd. in Anderson. The two stations were wildly popular for many years. A large WANS-AM/FM sign was erected in front of the studios on Clemson Blvd. and advertised local Anderson stores and community events. In 1988, news studios were built beside the existing ones. After new ownership took over in 1990, declining ratings and lost of key staff caused a steep decline in ratings for both the AM and FM stations. In 1992, the stations went bankrupt. WANS-FM 107 was moved to Greenville, SC. The famous WANS studios on Clemson Blvd. were sold. From 1992- late 1993, WANS-AM 1280 was operated from the transmitter site nearby. The station began simulcasting WFBC-AM 1330`s News/Talk feed out of Greenville, SC. In late 1993, WRIX-AM/FM owner Matt Phillips purchased WANS-AM 1280 and moved all operations back to Anderson. WANS-FM 107 soon changed call letters to WJMZ-FM. WANS-AM 1280 aired "The Marr And Bev" Show from WRIX. WANS-AM then played a mix of Oldies music and standards for several years with live and local D.J.`s. In early 2000, the station became all Carolina Beach Oldies headed by longtime WANS D.J. and manager Dann Scott. In 2005, the station went all Sports Talk from ESPN. Over the years it would also play other style talk shows. In 2013, it went to all Sports Talk again from Fox Sports. In November 2014, WANS flipped to a Classic Hits format and was simucasted with WRIX-FM 103.1. Owner Tom Ervin donated WRIX-AM/FM and WANS-AM 1280 to the Power Foundation out of Greenville, SC that operates Southern Gospel Radio stations in other markets. In late Feb. of 2015, WANS-am was flipped to 1950`s-1970`s Oldies. It was then paired with a FM translator 107.7 FM. This put WANS back on 107 FM for the first time since 1992. On March 1, 2015, the simulcast with WHQA (formerly WRIX-FM) 103.1 ended. WHQA flipped to a Southern Gospel format and WANS-AM 1280 and 107.7 FM flipped to classic hits.

Station history

WANS 1280 AM has been in existence since June 1, 1949. For many years, it was a top 40 station, but now has a News/Talk format. It is the sister station to WRIX & WHQA. In September 2008, the format was shifted from ESPN Sports/Talk to News/Talk, the former format and lineup of sister station WRIX-FM 103.1, which shifted to Adult Contemporary on the same day. WANS still broadcasts the ESPN Radio Network late at night and on weekends.

For many years, WANS-FM 107.3 was a 100,000 Watt Top 40 station. In the early 1990s, the FM station was sold and the call letters were changed.

WANS carried all Anderson Joes Baseball games live until the league went under. They also broadcast many different sports from Anderson University and football games from Coastal Carolina University. They also air all of the Westside High School Ram football games.

WANS celebrated 65 years On-Air June 1, 2014 with a radio Special Hosted by Upstate radio veteran "Jazzy" Jeff Bright. Host of The Greatest Hits on sister station WRIX-FM 103.1

On January 25, 2013 WANS changed their format from news/talk to sports, with programming from Fox Sports Radio. Tom Ervin purchased WANS in 2013.[1]

On November 29, 2014 WANS changed their format from sports to classic hits, simulcasting WRIX-FM 103.1 Honea Path, SC. The flip to 1950`s-1970`s Oldies and end of having the same feed as WHQA (formerly WRIX-FM) began on March 1, 2015. WANS is also back on 107 FM with a translator. For many years WANS-FM 107.3 ruled local ratings for many years. Now at 107.7 FM, WANS is on the FM for the first time since 1992.

References

https://www.facebook.com/Beachmusicshow?hc_location=timeline

External links

Coordinates: 34°32′17″N 82°41′28″W / 34.53806°N 82.69111°W