WTMA
Encyclopedia
WTMA is an AM radio station
serving the Charleston
market area with a News
/Talk
format. This station operates on AM frequency 1250 kHz and is under ownership of Cumulus Media
.
affiliate and is the Charleston, SC area's second oldest AM radio station, and of those two, the only one to maintain its current call letters. From the early '60s through 1981 it broadcast a Top 40 format but like many other AM Top 40 stations switched to an adult contemporary format until 1986 when FM became more popular. It tried a couple different formats including an R&B-flavored oldies
format and country music
until on June 1, 1989 it switched to a news/talk radio format. WTMA has since then maintained its news/talk format, as a Citadel Broadcasting
Owned and Operated station, from ABC News
and its own local team. It provides news for Columbia radio station WISW
and receives weather from WCIV.
In May 1999, WTMA lost Rush Limbaugh
and Dr. Laura to newcomer WSCC
. Still, the station jumped from 13th to 7th in the morning and from 16th to 12th with 25-54 listeners. Program director Jason Wilmot said WTMA was still the number one station for news.
In 2002, it became the home of University of South Carolina
Gamecock sports, and in November 2007, became the exclusive home of Gamecock sports in the Charleston area, as cluster-mate WNKT (which carried only the USC football games) was moved out to Eastover (in the Columbia market). WTMA broadcasts with 5,000 non-directional watts of power during the day, 1,000 directional watts of power at night.
Citadel merged with Cumulus Media on September 16, 2011.
Notable programming on the station includes Richard Todd and the Morning Buzz, Neal Boortz
, Radio Free Rocky D, Sean Hannity
, Mark Levin
, Neal Boortz
, and Jim Bohannon
. Every Tuesday and Friday morning Jack Hunter
, The Southern Avenger, provides political punditry.
Find out more about the station's history at http://www.WTMAMemories.com.
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...
serving the Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
market area with a News
All-news radio
All-news radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcast of news.All-news radio is available in both local and syndicated forms, and is carried in some form on both major US satellite radio networks...
/Talk
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. This station operates on AM frequency 1250 kHz and is under ownership of Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media, Inc. is the second largest Owner and Operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States, behind Clear Channel Communications, operating 570 stations in 150 markets as of September 16, 2011. The company also owns Cumulus Media Networks...
.
History
WTMA began its broadcasting activities on June 16, 1939 as an NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
affiliate and is the Charleston, SC area's second oldest AM radio station, and of those two, the only one to maintain its current call letters. From the early '60s through 1981 it broadcast a Top 40 format but like many other AM Top 40 stations switched to an adult contemporary format until 1986 when FM became more popular. It tried a couple different formats including an R&B-flavored 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....
format and 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...
until on June 1, 1989 it switched to a news/talk radio format. WTMA has since then maintained its news/talk format, as a Citadel Broadcasting
Citadel Broadcasting
Citadel Broadcasting Corporation was a Las Vegas, Nevada-based broadcast holding company. Citadel owned 243 radio stations across the United States and was the third-largest radio station owner in the country...
Owned and Operated station, from 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...
and its own local team. It provides news for Columbia radio station WISW
WISW
WISW is a news/talk radio station licensed to Columbia, South Carolina. It serves the Columbia, South Carolina market. The Cumulus Media outlet is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to broadcast at 1320 kHz with 5,000 watts daytime and 2,500 watts nighttime, directional...
and receives weather from WCIV.
In May 1999, WTMA lost Rush Limbaugh
Rush Limbaugh
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in American conservatism. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United...
and Dr. Laura to newcomer WSCC
WLTQ (AM)
WLTQ is a radio station licensed to Charleston, South Carolina, USA. The format is Catholic talk, with some programming shared with nearby WQIZ.-History:...
. Still, the station jumped from 13th to 7th in the morning and from 16th to 12th with 25-54 listeners. Program director Jason Wilmot said WTMA was still the number one station for news.
In 2002, it became the home of University of South Carolina
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
Gamecock sports, and in November 2007, became the exclusive home of Gamecock sports in the Charleston area, as cluster-mate WNKT (which carried only the USC football games) was moved out to Eastover (in the Columbia market). WTMA broadcasts with 5,000 non-directional watts of power during the day, 1,000 directional watts of power at night.
Citadel merged with Cumulus Media on September 16, 2011.
Notable programming on the station includes Richard Todd and the Morning Buzz, Neal Boortz
Neal Boortz
Neal A. Boortz, Jr. is an American Libertarian radio host, author, and political commentator. His nationally syndicated talk show, The Neal Boortz Show, airs throughout the United States on Dial Global . It is ranked seventh in overall listeners, with 4.25+ million per week...
, Radio Free Rocky D, Sean Hannity
Sean Hannity
Sean Hannity is an American radio and television host, author, and conservative political commentator. He is the host of The Sean Hannity Show, a nationally syndicated talk radio show that airs throughout the United States on Premiere Radio Networks. Hannity also hosts a cable news show, Hannity,...
, Mark Levin
Mark Levin
Mark Reed Levin is a lawyer, author and the host of American syndicated radio show The Mark Levin Show. Levin served in the cabinet of President Ronald Reagan and was a chief of staff for Attorney General Edwin Meese...
, Neal Boortz
Neal Boortz
Neal A. Boortz, Jr. is an American Libertarian radio host, author, and political commentator. His nationally syndicated talk show, The Neal Boortz Show, airs throughout the United States on Dial Global . It is ranked seventh in overall listeners, with 4.25+ million per week...
, and Jim Bohannon
Jim Bohannon
James E. "Jim" Bohannon is an American broadcaster who has worked in both television and radio.During the 1980s he was a fill-in for Larry King when King had his popular nighttime national radio program. He also does much work with the Smithsonian Associates...
. Every Tuesday and Friday morning Jack Hunter
Jack Hunter (radio host)
Jack Hunter , also known as the Southern Avenger is a conservative radio host and political commentator in the United States. He appears every Tuesday and Friday morning on WTMA News-Talk 1250 AM...
, The Southern Avenger, provides political punditry.
Find out more about the station's history at http://www.WTMAMemories.com.