WACA (AM)
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City | Laurel, Maryland |
---|---|
Broadcast area | Washington, D.C. metropolitan area |
Frequency | 900 kHz |
Branding | Radio America 900 |
Programming | |
Format | Spanish news/talk |
Ownership | |
Owner | Alejandro Carrasco (ACR Media, Inc.) |
History | |
First air date | 1965 (as WLMD) |
Former call signs | WLMD (1965–1985) WILC (1985–2018) WCLM (2018–2021)[1] |
Technical information | |
Facility ID | 28279 |
Class | B |
Power | 1,900 watts daytime 500 Watts nighttime |
Links | |
Website | www |
WACA is a Spanish news/talk formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Laurel, Maryland, serving the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.[2] WCLM is owned by Alejandro Carrasco, through licensee ACR Media, Inc.[3][4]
900 AM is a Canadian and Mexican clear-channel frequency.
History[]
From 1965[5] to the early 1980s, the station (then WLMD[6]) broadcast a succession of formats in English; several radio personalities began their careers with the station.[7][8][9][10][11]
Before 1969, WLMD was a MOR (Middle Of The Road) formatted radio station and held to the model created by WMAL and WBAL in Washington and Baltimore, respectively. Its dismal ratings, primarily due to being a relatively low power AM station only broadcasting during the day with a poor coverage area, led to a format change beginning in 1975. The new Progressive Country music format was loved by the small audience it attracted and ratings increased modestly.[citation needed] The station changed its call sign to WILC on December 19, 1985.
ZGS Communications, then the owner of Telemundo affiliate WZDC-CD, purchased WILC in 2002.[12]
On March 14, 2011, WILC flipped to a Spanish Adult Contemporary format as Romantica 900 AM. On February 3, 2014, the station changed formats to Conservative Talk;[13] with a more Libertarian emphasis.[14] On the same date, Wallis Communications began operating the station under a local marketing agreement.[15] On November 5, 2014, WILC changed their format back to Spanish adult contemporary, branded as "Romantica 900".
Since January 1, 2016, WILC has been operated by Alejandro Carrasco under a local marketing agreement. The station continued with a Spanish adult contemporary format branded "Radio America 900" to correspond with Carrasco's news-talk WACA, long known as "Radio America 1540". As part of its exit from broadcasting, ZGS sold to Carrasco for $700,000 on January 29, 2018. WILC was ZGS' last remaining broadcast property after selling its television stations to Telemundo in the same month.[16] Carrasco closed on the purchase of WILC on April 10, 2018, and then changed the station's call sign to WCLM on April 25, 2018. At the beginning of 2019, the news/talk programming moved from the daytimer 1540 AM, which was then leased to a local Catholic broadcaster. With the outright sale of 1540 AM (now WDON) closing in July 2021, the WACA callsign relocated to 900 AM.[17]
References[]
- ^ "FCC History Cards for WCLM". CDBS Public Access Database. FCC Media Bureau. Retrieved June 3, 2018.
- ^ "Arbitron Station Information Profiles". Nielsen Audio/Nielsen Holdings. Retrieved February 1, 2014.
- ^ "WCLM Facility Record". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved February 1, 2014.
- ^ http://www.america900.com/
- ^ "Radio and Television Stations". Archives of Maryland Online. Volume 178. page 474. Maryland Manual, 1977–1978. Retrieved on August 25, 2008.
- ^ White, Thomas H. "Washington, D.C. AM Station History". Retrieved on May 19, 2007.
- ^ "Ken Merson". ultimateoldiesradio.com. Ultimate Oldies Radio. Retrieved 2008-10-13.
- ^ "Ty Ford". ultimateoldiesradio.com. Ultimate Oldies Radio. Retrieved 2008-10-13.
- ^ "Resume". stevethatdjguy.com. Steve Willett. Retrieved 2008-10-13.
- ^ Chambers, Steve. "Jobs, Jobs, & More Jobs". stevec.us. Steve Chambers. Retrieved 2008-10-13.
- ^ "98 Rock's Lopez Dies of Lung Cancer". WTOP-FM. Hubbard Broadcasting. May 23, 2005. Retrieved February 4, 2014.
- ^ "WILC Facility Data". FCCData.
- ^ Venta, Lance (February 2, 2014). "WILC Shifts to Talk". RadioInsight. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
- ^ http://rbr.com/wilc-am-flips-to-libertarian-talk-in-dc/
- ^ "Monday, February 3, 2014". Talk Media, Inc. February 3, 2014. Retrieved February 4, 2014.
- ^ Venta, Lance (2 February 2018). "Station Sales Week Of 2/2". RadioInsight.
- ^ Venta, Lance (January 15, 2021). "Station Sales Week Of 1/15". RadioInsight. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
External links[]
- WACA in the FCC AM station database
- WACA on Radio-Locator
- WACA in Nielsen Audio's AM station database
- Radio stations in Maryland
- News and talk radio stations in the United States
- Laurel, Maryland
- Spanish-language radio stations in Maryland