WICC (AM)

WICC 600
City of license Bridgeport, Connecticut
Broadcast area Bridgeport/New Haven/Long Island
Branding WICC 600
Slogan "Your News and Information Station"
Frequency 600 kHz
First air date 11/8/1926
Format News
Power 1,000 watts (day)
500 watts (night)
Class B
Callsign meaning "Industrial Capital of Connecticut"
Owner Cumulus Media
(Cumulus Licensing LLC)
Website wicc600.com

WICC (AM 600) is a news and information radio station in Bridgeport, Connecticut, owned by Cumulus Media. Its signal reaches down into Long Island, New York.

History

WICC is Bridgeport Connecticut's first radio station,[1] and one of the first in the state, signing on the air on November 8, 1926. Its call letters W-I-C-C stands for "Industrial Capital of Connecticut", which well described Bridgeport throughout the early and mid-20th century.

In the early days, as radio assignments were being formalized, WICC broadcast from various places on the AM dial, including 1060 kHz, 1400 kHz, 1130 kHz, 1190 kHz and 1430 kHz until finally settling down at 600 kHz on the AM dial in 1930.

The station became a CBS affiliate September 25, 1932.[2] Sometime later, it affiliated with the Yankee Network News Service. [Yankee Story, The; archive.org; promo film]

WICC originally broadcast with 250 watts. In 1937 it raised authorized power to its current license limits of 1000 watts days, 500 watts nights, using a directional antenna at night. Because of its low dial position and its heritage transmitter site on Pleasure Beach in Bridgeport Harbor, WICC's signal covers Southern Connecticut extremely well, has many listeners on Long Island, can be often heard up and down the East Coast, and has received reception reports from as far away as Finland and Portugal.

WICC was Bridgeport's leading radio station throughout the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s with programs of popular music and news. Famous alumni include Hogan's Heroes star, Bob Crane, who did the morning show on WICC right before heading out to Hollywood.

The station was constantly innovative and successful, featuring a "Service 6" format, with various experts in their field updating reports throughout the day, such as theatre critic Susan Granger, Meteorologist Walt Devanis, wine experts, vets, garden specialists and experts in their field.

In 1961, the station's FM side, WJZZ, began simulcasting with WICC when it failed to produce sufficient revenue to sustain operations.

As "Top 40" radio became the format of choice, WICC was a popular outlet in the 1970s, yet always with a full news commitment and newscasts at the top of every hour, and headlines at the bottom of every hour.

In 1976 the Tribune Corporation brought in new General Manager Vince Cremona from WQIV and WPIX in New York City. Together with Program Director Gary Peters, the station refined its format to huge market dominance and 18 shares in the late 70s.

Two years later, in 1978, the first regular airplane traffic coverage was inaugurated with veteran pilot Morgan Kaolian, who had been doing airborne beach reports since the late 1960s. A night time telephone talk show with Tiny Markle was also initiated, which quickly became the talk of the town.

In the 1980s WICC held up remarkably well as many AM stations lost a lot of listeners when FM radio became more popular. John Lebarca and Tim Quinn were doing mornings. In 1989 WICC was purchased by ML Media Partners, the same company which owned WEBE (FM), which was then led by former WICC General Manager Vince Cremona. At that time WICC and WEBE were brought under 1 "new" roof to their current location at 2 Lafayette Square on the 7th Floor in Bridgeport.

Curt Hansen from WEBE became Program Director.

WICC moved increasingly into the talk radio arena in the 1990s, and maintained #1 audience ratings throughout most of the decade.

With the purchase of WICC by Cumulus Media in 2002 the station switched fully to an all-talk news and information format, and under the leadership of Market Manager Ann McManus the station has grown to ever higher revenue and ratings shares. It then hired Tony Reno to do the morning show, which has become extraordinarily successful as "The Family Breakfast Show"

Nights on WICC feature many sports programming like all Yankee baseball games, and Sacred Heart University athletics. Clark Howard and Jim Buchanan are on during the afternoon and early evening between 1 and 7.

Currently as of 2014 the station line ups are as follows: Monday-Friday midnight-1am it's syndicated "John Batchelor Show" then "Red Eye Radio 1-5am after that 5-10am it's local "Tony and Mike in the morning", 10am-1pm it's syndicated "Laura Ingram Show" 1-4pm it's syndicated "Clark Howard Show, 4-7pm it's local "Talk of the Town" with longtime WICC veteran Jim Buchanan who started at WICC in 1982. 7-10pm it's usually reruns of Clark Howard. 10pm-midnight it's syndicated "Michael Savage Show" On the weekends it's usually syndicated programming except for 6-10am Saturdays it's Music with local DJ Tommy Vas. 7pm-midnight it's the WICC Saturday Night Oh Wow Oldies Show and continuing 'after hours'til 6am Sunday where Tommy Vas is on with more music. 9am-2pm it's the WICC "Italian House Party" with Tony Reno. After that it's more various syndicated programming which you can find on their website or by tuning in.

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References

  1. ↑ Collins, Michael. "Time Line For Connecticut Broadcasting". Connecticut Broadcasters Association.
  2. ↑ "(untitled brief)" (PDF). Broadcasting. October 1, 1932. Retrieved 5 October 2014.

External links

Coordinates: 41°09′36″N 73°09′53″W / 41.16000°N 73.16472°W / 41.16000; -73.16472

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