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WTAZ (AM)

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WTAZ
Broadcast areaAnniston, Alabama
Frequency1580 kHz
BrandingSports Radio 1580 The Stadium
Programming
FormatAll Sports
AffiliationsFox Sports Radio
Ownership
OwnerWoodard Broadcasting Company, Inc.
WVOK-FM
History
First air date
April 15, 1956 (68 years ago) (1956-04-15) (as WJHB in Talladega)
Former call signs
WJHB (1956–1962)
WEYY (1962–1986)
WOXR (1986–2000)
WARB (2000–2002)
WVOK (2002–2023)
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID73608
ClassD
Power2,500 watts (day)
22 watts (night)
Transmitter coordinates
33°35′27″N 85°49′54″W / 33.59083°N 85.83167°W / 33.59083; -85.83167 (day)
33°26′55″N 86°3′54″W / 33.44861°N 86.06500°W / 33.44861; -86.06500 (night)
Links
Public license information
Websitewww.1580thestadium.com

WTAZ (1580 AM, "1580 The Stadium") is a radio station broadcasting Fox Sports Radio's National Sports Radio programming, and some local Sports shows.[2] Licensed to Oxford, Alabama, United States, the station serves the Anniston–Oxford metropolitan area. The station is currently owned by Woodard Broadcasting Company, Inc.[3]

History

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In Talladega: WJHB, WEYY

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The Confederate Broadcasting Company, owned by W. K. Johnson, James Hemphill and Ned Butler, put WJHB on the air from Talladega, Alabama on April 15, 1956.[4] Talladega's second radio station operated during the daytime only with 1,000 watts.[5]

The Tallabama Broadcasting Company, which owned WGSV in Guntersville and WGAD in Gadsden,[6] acquired WJHB in 1961, with the sale closing in 1962.[5] A new WEYY call sign was instituted along with the sale.[5] The station was the victim of 1966 vandalism when someone disconnected the fuse blocks from the station's transmitter, causing a delay of more than two hours in signing it on for the day; general manager Jimmy Earl "Joe" Woodard said the intruder "apparently knew what he was doing" and was unsure as to the motive, since no items were stolen.[7] WEYY's owners started a sister station, WANL, in Lineville in 1967; both stations broadcast country formats.[8]

After having been the general manager since 1962,[9] General manager Woodard became the owner when he acquired the station from former congressman Albert Rains in 1973; the licensee name was changed to the present Woodard Broadcasting Company in 1976.[5] Features on WEYY in 1975 included Auburn Tigers football, ABC Contemporary newscasts, a daily Swap Shop, and a Gospel Music Showcase program at midday.[10]

Move to Oxford

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In 1973, Woodard opened WHTB (92.7 FM). 13 years later, he sought to reduce overlap between the AM and FM stations.[11] On April 1, 1985, WHTB became WEYY-FM; the next year, 1580 AM moved to Oxford, Alabama as WOXR. The station broadcast an easy listening format, hoping to capture an audience that had listened to WHMA before that station flipped to country.[11] 1580's move made it the first locally based radio station in Oxford,[12] and Woodard gave it a second when Woodard settled with three competing applicants for a new FM station in the town in 1989—the first new FM for Calhoun County in 41 years[13]—which signed on the air as adult contemporary WKFN "K-98" on February 19, 1990.[14] The FM move enabled Woodard to remain competitive; within 18 months, K-98 was described as having changed Anniston into a two-station market opposite WHMA-FM "Alabama 100", while both stations' associated AMs had switched to automated programming.[15]

By 2000, WOXR was airing a classic country format;[16] it changed its call sign to WARB on August 28 of that year. The station changed its call sign to WVOK in 2002, matching the FM station which had adopted it in 1992. The station also adopted its present oldies format after changing its call sign.[17]

On April 17, 2023, the station changed its call sign to WTAZ.

References

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  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WTAZ". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ "Radio Stations". Fox Sports Radio. Archived from the original on July 28, 2008. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  3. ^ "WTAZ Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  4. ^ "Talladega to have new radio station". Birmingham News. April 8, 1956. p. A-30. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  5. ^ a b c d FCC History Cards for WTAZ
  6. ^ "WGSV now getting ABC broadcasts". The Advertiser-Gleam. October 20, 1961. p. 1. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  7. ^ "Turns It Off—From The Station". Alabama Journal. Associated Press. July 25, 1966. p. 13. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  8. ^ Perry, Paul (September 30, 1967). "Nashville Report" (PDF). Record World. p. 33.
  9. ^ "Jimmy Earl "Joe" Woodard". Alabama Broadcasters Association. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  10. ^ "WEYY AM 1580 Talladega". Anniston Star. August 23, 1975. p. TV 2. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  11. ^ a b Sapers, Jonathan (April 12, 1986). "Oxford hits the airwaves". Anniston Star. pp. 1A, 2A. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  12. ^ Gilbert, Michelle (June 3, 1987). "Smith looks for corridor to blossom". Anniston Star. pp. 1D, 3D. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  13. ^ Evans, Deborah (August 16, 1989). "Calhoun County about to get new FM station". Anniston Star. pp. 1A, 8A. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  14. ^ Smith, Matt (February 8, 1990). "FM station will debut in Oxford". Anniston Star. pp. 13A, 16A. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  15. ^ Stedham, Mike (September 19, 1991). "Battle of the bands: FM causing AM static". Anniston Star. pp. 1B, 8B. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  16. ^ Martin, Grant (June 15, 2000). "Crossover means country music has lost its individuality". Anniston Star. p. 3D. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  17. ^ "WVOK(AM)" (PDF). Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2003–2004. 2003. p. D-12. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
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