WOHS
Encyclopedia
WZGV-AM
"ESPN 730" is a Sports talk radio station
, affiliated with ESPN Radio
. Licensed to Cramerton, North Carolina
and owned by HRN Broadcasting, the station broadcasts to the Charlotte, North Carolina
area.
When Don Gibson
hosted "Sons of the Soil" in the early 1950s, he told Jonas Bridges, an announcer on the show, that he would write a song that would make him rich. Bridges didn't believe him, but he ended up playing "Oh Lonesome Me
" on WKMT
in 1957.
Doug Limerick
, now an ABC News
anchor, worked at WOHS at night while in high school, playing Top 40.
In 1992, Calvin Hastings, who bought WCSL
in Cherryville
in 1983 and WGNC
in Gastonia
six years later, bought WOHS and began calling the three stations Piedmont Superstations.
WCSL, WGNC and WOHS began airing Atlanta Braves baseball in 1993.
On April 1, 1993, Hastings' KTC Broadcasting took over WLON
in Lincolnton
in a lease agreement. WLON's Tim Biggerstaff would remain as morning DJ, and his show would be heard on all four KTC stations. News for the entire area would be expanded. The four stations aired UNC-Chapel Hill
football and basketball, Dallas Cowboys
and Washington Redskins
NFL
football, and CBS
coverage of such events as The World Series
and The Super Bowl
.
The four stations added the NFL Carolina Panthers
when the team began playing in 1995. They also aired games of the NBA
Charlotte Hornets. In 2000, the stations began airing the Redskins again instead of the Panthers (WGNC aired the Panthers if there was no conflict).
Late in 1999, the four stations changed from country music
to "super oldies
." Biggerstaff, the program director, said country had moved away from its traditional sound. Lillie White remained as midday host, and Andy Foster was afternoon host. Local and sports remained important, and the stations aired the One-on-One sports radio network at night.
In 2004, Biggerstaff was still hosting his show on WCSL and WLON despite diabetes-related health problems. Later he moved to Lincolnton-based Hometown Radio's Shelby operation. On WADA
he played classic country
music and hosted a "Swap Shop
" show on WGNC and WOHS. By this time he had experienced a kidney transplant
and two pancreas transplants
. On Memorial Day
2007, while on the air, Biggerstaff had a seizure and asked for help on the air, and a listener called 911
. He ended up being interviewed by BBC London
, Today and People Magazine.
The station was an affiliate of the Atlanta Braves
radio network, the largest radio affiliate network in Major League Baseball
.
letters. WZGV planned to return to the air playing classic hits
/oldies
as "Groove 730" in February 2010. WOLS
morning host Ken Conrad would do mornings, Liz Luke of Magic 96.1 was to be midday host, and Glenn Trent, formerly a radio personality in Asheville, North Carolina
, would have the afternoon slot. General manager Lanny Ford said late in February that weather-related "construction delays" were delaying the station's debut to March.
On March 15, 2010, WZGV made its long-awaited debut with its classic hits/oldies format (though the name was Z-730). It boosted its power to 10,000 watts, allowing it to easily cover most of the Charlotte area during the day. However, at night it must power down to 195 watts to protect a cluster of clear-channel stations, including CKAC in Montreal
.
In August 2010, WZGV became an affiliate of Fox sports. The oldies format had difficulty attracting advertising because it was on AM, and FM stations had similar music. WZGV moved into the former Magic 96.1 studios, and local shows began September 20. "Bottom Line" was hosted by Lanny Ford with Bill Rosinski
of ESPN
, Darin Gantt of The Herald
and Mike Solarte of News 14 Carolina
. "Sports Yapp" with Bryce Johnson moved from WAVO
/WTIX
. Early in 2011, Richard Walker of The Gaston Gazette
began hosting the "Bottom Line" morning show on Tuesdays, Dave Mobley's "The Golf
Mob" moved from WFNZ
, and Ford announced WZGV would be an Atlanta Braves affiliate.
In its first week a straw poll of listeners conducted by an independent agency found the format of WZGV to be far superior to that of WFNZ. The listeners cited professionalism and signal strength as reasons for their decision.
In April 2011, WZGV agreed to air Charlotte 49ers
basketball and football
.
On August 8, 2011 WZGV switched affiliations to ESPN Radio Network and rebranded itself as "ESPN 730". The change meant Mike and Mike would air in Charlotte for the first time, while Jim Rome
and Dan Patrick
would disappear. "The Bottom Line" moved from mornings to afternoons with Rosinski three days, Ford one day, and guest hosts on Fridays. The Herd with Colin Cowherd
and The Scott Van Pelt Show would also be part of the schedule.
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...
"ESPN 730" is a Sports talk radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
, affiliated with ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
. Licensed to Cramerton, North Carolina
Cramerton, North Carolina
Cramerton is a town in Gaston County, North Carolina, United States and is also considered to be a suburb of Charlotte and Gastonia. The population was 2,976 at the 2000 census...
and owned by HRN Broadcasting, the station broadcasts to the Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
area.
History of WOHS
Robert Wallace formed Western Carolina Radio Corporation in 1945 with the intent to sign on a station in Western North Carolina. He was granted a license for 730 AM with the call letters WOHS, with the transmitter located in Shelby just off Hwy 74 East. The station signed on the air August 21, 1946. Wallace signed the station on and then turned over the programming to Hugh Dover. Dover was known as the 'Happy Birthday Man' for his daily renditions to whoever was celebrating that particular day. A mainstay of homes in the community, Dover's popular "Carolina in the Morning" show would run 38 years until Dover's semi-retirement in 1984. One popular guest on the show was Cleveland County native and bluegrass legend, Earl Scruggs. Scruggs and Dover had been childhood friends, growing up in the Flint Hill Community of Cleveland County.When Don Gibson
Don Gibson
Donald Eugene "Don" Gibson was an American songwriter and country musician. A Country Music Hall of Fame inductee, Gibson penned such country standards as "Sweet Dreams" and "I Can't Stop Loving You", and enjoyed a string of country hits from 1957 into the early 1970s.-Biography:Don Gibson was...
hosted "Sons of the Soil" in the early 1950s, he told Jonas Bridges, an announcer on the show, that he would write a song that would make him rich. Bridges didn't believe him, but he ended up playing "Oh Lonesome Me
Oh Lonesome Me
"Oh Lonesome Me" is a popular song written and recorded by Don Gibson with Chet Atkins producing for RCA Victor in Nashville in 1958. The song topped the country chart for eight non consecutive weeks, in addition to reaching #7 on the Billboard Hot 100...
" on WKMT
WDYT
WDYT is a silent radio station licensed to Kings Mountain, North Carolina, serving the Charlotte, NC area. The station is currently owned by CRN Communications, LLC. According to an FCC filing, Iglesia Nueva Vida is buying the station...
in 1957.
Doug Limerick
Doug Limerick
Doug Limerick is an American radio personality. He has been a news correspondent for ABC Radio Networks since 1982. In March 2009, he was chosen as a possible successor to Paul Harvey on the radio show The Rest of the Story...
, now an ABC News
ABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
anchor, worked at WOHS at night while in high school, playing Top 40.
In 1992, Calvin Hastings, who bought WCSL
WCSL
WCSL is a radio station broadcasting a Southern Gospel format. Licensed to Cherryville, North Carolina, USA. The station is currently owned by Hrn Broadcasting, Inc. and features programing from Jones Radio Network.The station has obtained a construction permit from the FCC for a power increase...
in Cherryville
Cherryville, North Carolina
Cherryville is a small city in northwestern Gaston County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 5,361 at the 2000 census. The New Year's Shooters preserve the area's German heritage by honoring the custom of beginning each year with a chant and the shooting of muskets...
in 1983 and WGNC
WGNC
WGNC is a radio station broadcasting a News, Talk, and Sports format. Licensed to Gastonia, North Carolina, USA, it serves the Gastonia area....
in Gastonia
Gastonia, North Carolina
Gastonia is the largest city and county seat of Gaston County, North Carolina, United States. It is also the third largest suburb of the Charlotte Area, behind Concord and Rock Hill. The population was 71,226 as of Gastonia is the largest city and county seat of Gaston County, North Carolina,...
six years later, bought WOHS and began calling the three stations Piedmont Superstations.
WCSL, WGNC and WOHS began airing Atlanta Braves baseball in 1993.
On April 1, 1993, Hastings' KTC Broadcasting took over WLON
WLON
WLON is a radio station broadcasting an oldies format and serving the Lincolnton, North Carolina area, and owned and operated by HRN Broadcasting. The station plays a mixture of 1960s, '70s and some '80s oldies music, as well as Christian contemporary and beach music on Sundays...
in Lincolnton
Lincolnton, North Carolina
Lincolnton is a city in Lincoln County, North Carolina, United States, within the Charlotte metropolitan area. The population was 10,683 at the 2010 census. Lincolnton is located northwest of Charlotte, on the South Fork of the Catawba River, and near the junction of State Highway 27 and U.S. Route...
in a lease agreement. WLON's Tim Biggerstaff would remain as morning DJ, and his show would be heard on all four KTC stations. News for the entire area would be expanded. The four stations aired UNC-Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
football and basketball, Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
and Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
football, and CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
coverage of such events as The World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
and The Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
.
The four stations added the NFL Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
when the team began playing in 1995. They also aired games of the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
Charlotte Hornets. In 2000, the stations began airing the Redskins again instead of the Panthers (WGNC aired the Panthers if there was no conflict).
Late in 1999, the four stations changed from 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...
to "super oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
." Biggerstaff, the program director, said country had moved away from its traditional sound. Lillie White remained as midday host, and Andy Foster was afternoon host. Local and sports remained important, and the stations aired the One-on-One sports radio network at night.
In 2004, Biggerstaff was still hosting his show on WCSL and WLON despite diabetes-related health problems. Later he moved to Lincolnton-based Hometown Radio's Shelby operation. On WADA
WOHS
WZGV-AM "ESPN 730" is a Sports talk radio station, affiliated with ESPN Radio. Licensed to Cramerton, North Carolina and owned by HRN Broadcasting, the station broadcasts to the Charlotte, North Carolina area.-History of WOHS:...
he played classic country
Classic country
Classic country is a music radio format that specializes in playing mainstream country hits from past decades.This genre generally follows one of two formats: those specializing in hits from the 1920s through the early 1970s, and focus primarily on innovators and artists from country music's Golden...
music and hosted a "Swap Shop
Tradio
Tradio is the name given to a type of talk radio show format where listeners call in to buy or sell items. The concept of is analogous to classified ads in local newspapers....
" show on WGNC and WOHS. By this time he had experienced a kidney transplant
Kidney transplantation
Kidney transplantation or renal transplantation is the organ transplant of a kidney into a patient with end-stage renal disease. Kidney transplantation is typically classified as deceased-donor or living-donor transplantation depending on the source of the donor organ...
and two pancreas transplants
Pancreas transplantation
A pancreas transplant is an organ transplant that involves implanting a healthy pancreas into a person who usually has diabetes. Because the pancreas is a vital organ, performing functions necessary in the digestion process, the recipient's native pancreas is left in place, and the donated...
. On Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
2007, while on the air, Biggerstaff had a seizure and asked for help on the air, and a listener called 911
9-1-1
9-1-1 is the emergency telephone number for the North American Numbering Plan .It is one of eight N11 codes.The use of this number is for emergency circumstances only, and to use it for any other purpose can be a crime.-History:In the earliest days of telephone technology, prior to the...
. He ended up being interviewed by BBC London
BBC London
BBC London is the BBC English Region producing local radio, television, teletext and online services in London and parts of the surrounding area. Its output includes the daily BBC London News and the weekly Politics Show on television, the BBC London 94.9 radio station and local coverage of the...
, Today and People Magazine.
The station was an affiliate of the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
radio network, the largest radio affiliate network in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
.
History of WZGV
In April 2009, the station was listed as "licensed and silent" on the FCC database. HRN bought the dormant license, moved it to Cramerton in Gaston County, and changed its call letters to WZGV in 2009. Another Shelby radio station took the WOHSWOHS
WZGV-AM "ESPN 730" is a Sports talk radio station, affiliated with ESPN Radio. Licensed to Cramerton, North Carolina and owned by HRN Broadcasting, the station broadcasts to the Charlotte, North Carolina area.-History of WOHS:...
letters. WZGV planned to return to the air playing classic hits
Classic hits
Classic hits is a radio format which generally includes rock and pop music from 1964 to 1989. The term is sometimes erroneously used as a synonym for the adult hits format, but is more accurately characterized as a contemporary style of the oldies format...
/oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
as "Groove 730" in February 2010. WOLS
WOLS
WOLS is a Spanish language FM radio station broadcasting at a frequency of 106.1 MHz serving the Charlotte, North Carolina market. Its programming consists of music and other material distributed by "La Raza," the Regional Mexican radio network....
morning host Ken Conrad would do mornings, Liz Luke of Magic 96.1 was to be midday host, and Glenn Trent, formerly a radio personality in Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center , which is the world's largest active...
, would have the afternoon slot. General manager Lanny Ford said late in February that weather-related "construction delays" were delaying the station's debut to March.
On March 15, 2010, WZGV made its long-awaited debut with its classic hits/oldies format (though the name was Z-730). It boosted its power to 10,000 watts, allowing it to easily cover most of the Charlotte area during the day. However, at night it must power down to 195 watts to protect a cluster of clear-channel stations, including CKAC in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
.
In August 2010, WZGV became an affiliate of Fox sports. The oldies format had difficulty attracting advertising because it was on AM, and FM stations had similar music. WZGV moved into the former Magic 96.1 studios, and local shows began September 20. "Bottom Line" was hosted by Lanny Ford with Bill Rosinski
Bill Rosinski
Bill Rosinski is an American sportscaster and talk show host, operating primarily out of Charlotte, North Carolina.Rosinski currently works for ESPN Radio as its lead college football and college basketball commentator, as well as for ISP Sports calling ACC sports...
of ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, Darin Gantt of The Herald
The Herald (Rock Hill)
The Herald is a daily morning newspaper published in Rock Hill, South Carolina, in the United States. Its coverage is York, Chester, and Lancaster counties. In 1990, the paper was bought by The McClatchy Company of Sacramento, California. The Herald is also available from coin vending boxes in the...
and Mike Solarte of News 14 Carolina
News 14 Carolina
News 14 Carolina is a 24-hour cable news service offered in North Carolina, USA, by Time Warner Cable on its cable TV systems in the state. There are News 14 Carolina television channels in Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, and Wilmington each primarily with local news but some local programming...
. "Sports Yapp" with Bryce Johnson moved from WAVO
WAVO
WAVO is a radio station broadcasting a Adult Standards format. Licensed to Rock Hill, South Carolina, USA, the station serves the Charlotte area. The station is currently owned by Whvn.-History:...
/WTIX
WTIX (AM)
WEGO is a radio station licensed to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA, which serves the Piedmont Triad area. The station is currently owned by Ghb Radio and airs a Spanish contemporary Christian format.-History:...
. Early in 2011, Richard Walker of The Gaston Gazette
The Gaston Gazette
The Gaston Gazette is a newspaper based in Gastonia, North Carolina. The newspaper is owned by Freedom Communications, Inc.Its editorial position is generally conservative, and sometimes libertarian...
began hosting the "Bottom Line" morning show on Tuesdays, Dave Mobley's "The Golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
Mob" moved from WFNZ
WFNZ
WFNZ "610 AM The Fan" is a Sports Talk format radio station in Charlotte, North Carolina.-History:WFNZ signed on in 1941 as WAYS . For much of the 1960s through early 1980s, it was Charlotte's top-rated Top 40 station under the moniker "61 Big Ways." The morning show was aired on both WAYS and...
, and Ford announced WZGV would be an Atlanta Braves affiliate.
In its first week a straw poll of listeners conducted by an independent agency found the format of WZGV to be far superior to that of WFNZ. The listeners cited professionalism and signal strength as reasons for their decision.
In April 2011, WZGV agreed to air Charlotte 49ers
Charlotte 49ers
The Charlotte 49ers represent the NCAA Division I sports teams of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Charlotte joined the Atlantic 10 in 2005. The 49ers field 16 teams, 8 men and 8 women....
basketball and football
Charlotte 49ers football
The Charlotte 49ers are a collegiate football program that represents the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. The UNC Charlotte Board of Trustees officially voted to add Forty Niner football on November 13, 2008, after a unanimous recommendation by the Football Feasibility Committee...
.
On August 8, 2011 WZGV switched affiliations to ESPN Radio Network and rebranded itself as "ESPN 730". The change meant Mike and Mike would air in Charlotte for the first time, while Jim Rome
Jim Rome
Jim Rome is an American sports radio talk show host syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks, a subsidiary of Clear Channel Communications....
and Dan Patrick
Dan Patrick
Daniel Patrick Pugh , professionally known as Dan Patrick, is an American sportscaster, radio personality, and actor from Mason, Ohio...
would disappear. "The Bottom Line" moved from mornings to afternoons with Rosinski three days, Ford one day, and guest hosts on Fridays. The Herd with Colin Cowherd
The Herd with Colin Cowherd
The Herd with Colin Cowherd is a sports talk radio show hosted by Colin Cowherd and broadcast on ESPN Radio from Bristol, Connecticut. The show is heard Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. ET until 1 p.m. ET on most ESPN Radio stations and is simulcasted on ESPNews...
and The Scott Van Pelt Show would also be part of the schedule.