WOSM (FM)

WOSM
City of license Ocean Springs, Mississippi
Broadcast area Biloxi-Gulfport-Pascagoula
Branding Coast SuperTalk
Frequency 103.1 MHz
Format News/Talk
ERP 50,000 watts
HAAT 140 meters
Class C2
Facility ID 10477
Transmitter coordinates 30°24′34.00″N 88°42′23.00″W / 30.4094444°N 88.7063889°W
Affiliations SuperTalk MS
Owner Stephen Davenport
(Telesouth Communications, Inc.)

WOSM (103.1 FM) is a radio station broadcasting a News/Talk format. Licensed to Ocean Springs, Mississippi, USA, the station serves the Biloxi-Gulfport-Pascagoula area. The station is currently owned by Stephen Davenport, through licensee Telesouth Communications, Inc., and features programing from AP Radio and Salem Communications.[1][2]

As Ocean Springs' first radio station, WOSM-FM covers local sports and community events in addition to gospel music and ministry.

The primary format is Southern Gospel Music, such as The Crabb Family, The Isaacs and The McKameys. The station also produces local sports programming, such as Ocean Springs Greyhound High School Football and the high school basketball game of the week. Margaret Cooper has a local interview program entitled "Looking Around," which is heard twice a week for the past thirty years.

Hurricane Katrina

The radio station's coverage immediately after Hurricane Katrina was a bright spot of hope for a crushed Coast. "When the electricity went out, we switched to (propane-powered) auxiliary power and continued to broadcast," said Cooper. He's thankful that the radio tower was still standing. His tower, station and home are built on a 26-foot elevation, just off Mississippi 57, and safe from flood waters.

Most other coast stations lost their studios, but WOSM-FM was better prepared after losing towers in Hurricanes Elena and Frederic. Storm victims were thankful to hear continuing informative and helpful storm reports on their battery-powered radios turned to 103.1 FM.

"We stayed up and we stayed with it before, during and after the storm," said Cooper, who didn't get much sleep.

"We were running out of propane after three days, so we put out a clarion call to listeners," Cooper said. "A Blossman Gas delivery man heard our call and showed up just in time to keep us on the air."

"We needed someone at the Emergency Operations Center to get information out, and Charles Cooper and his team did it," said Civil Defense Director Butch Loper. "They are so dedicated to Jackson County."

References

  1. ↑ "WOSM Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  2. ↑ "WOSM Station Information Profile". Arbitron.

External links