WGUN
Encyclopedia
WGUN is an Atlanta area AM broadcasting
station (licensed to Atlanta, Georgia
) that broadcasts music from the 1950s '60s & beyond as well as brokered time programming. It broadcasts at a frequency of 1010 kHz with 50,000 Watts of power during the daytime covering Georgia and surrounding states, and 78 Watt
s during nighttime hours using a non-directional antenna
. WGUN is classified as a Class-D AM broadcast station according to the Federal Communications Commission
.
. The station's original founder and owner was Eurith Dickenson ("Dee") Rivers, Jr., the son of former Georgia governor E.D. "Ed" Rivers, Sr. The WEAS call-sign stood from Emory University & Agnes Scott College, both located in Decatur, Georgia
. The program format found on WEAS grew into a combination hillbilly (country/western) and white gospel/preaching format. In 1963, the station changed to its current call sign of WGUN and a country music
format with the station adopting "the big GUN" slogan. The WEAS call signs were eventually moved to an AM
station in Savannah, Georgia
at 900 kHz. WGUN had a News
/Talk radio
format in the early 1990s before going to the Christian
/brokered time radio format.
Currently WGUN has switched from predominately Gospel to its "Hits that Fit" format. While still playing many of the brokered shows from before, the weekly music selection has moved to a more doo-wop sound playing many of the hits from the '40s well into the '60s. Many new shows have also come about, from "The Laugh and A Half" comedy hour to "The Iron Angels", a show sometimes featuring the station's GM.
AM broadcasting
AM broadcasting is the process of radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation. AM was the first method of impressing sound on a radio signal and is still widely used today. Commercial and public AM broadcasting is carried out in the medium wave band world wide, and on long wave and short wave...
station (licensed to Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
) that broadcasts music from the 1950s '60s & beyond as well as brokered time programming. It broadcasts at a frequency of 1010 kHz with 50,000 Watts of power during the daytime covering Georgia and surrounding states, and 78 Watt
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
s during nighttime hours using a non-directional antenna
Antenna (radio)
An antenna is an electrical device which converts electric currents into radio waves, and vice versa. It is usually used with a radio transmitter or radio receiver...
. WGUN is classified as a Class-D AM broadcast station according to the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
.
History
The station originally signed on with the call sign WEAS in 1947 when the station was originally licensed to Decatur, GeorgiaDecatur, Georgia
Decatur is a city in, and county seat of, DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. With a population of 19,335 in the 2010 census, the city is sometimes assumed to be larger since multiple zip codes in unincorporated DeKalb County bear the Decatur name...
. The station's original founder and owner was Eurith Dickenson ("Dee") Rivers, Jr., the son of former Georgia governor E.D. "Ed" Rivers, Sr. The WEAS call-sign stood from Emory University & Agnes Scott College, both located in Decatur, Georgia
Decatur, Georgia
Decatur is a city in, and county seat of, DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. With a population of 19,335 in the 2010 census, the city is sometimes assumed to be larger since multiple zip codes in unincorporated DeKalb County bear the Decatur name...
. The program format found on WEAS grew into a combination hillbilly (country/western) and white gospel/preaching format. In 1963, the station changed to its current call sign of WGUN and a country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
format with the station adopting "the big GUN" slogan. The WEAS call signs were eventually moved to an AM
AM broadcasting
AM broadcasting is the process of radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation. AM was the first method of impressing sound on a radio signal and is still widely used today. Commercial and public AM broadcasting is carried out in the medium wave band world wide, and on long wave and short wave...
station in Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
at 900 kHz. WGUN had a News
News Radio
News Radio can refer to:* NewsRadio, the NBC sitcom which aired from 1995–1999.* News radio, the all-news or news/talk radio format....
/Talk radio
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
format in the early 1990s before going to the Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
/brokered time radio format.
Currently WGUN has switched from predominately Gospel to its "Hits that Fit" format. While still playing many of the brokered shows from before, the weekly music selection has moved to a more doo-wop sound playing many of the hits from the '40s well into the '60s. Many new shows have also come about, from "The Laugh and A Half" comedy hour to "The Iron Angels", a show sometimes featuring the station's GM.