WGOP

WGOP (540 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Pocomoke City, Maryland. The station features a classic oldies/MOR radio format, without regular on-air personalities. The station is owned by Birach Broadcasting, and has long been under a local marketing agreement (LMA) with Mike Powell. It is one of the few stations to have a general entertainment format, owned by Birach, whose specialty is brokered ethnic formats.

By day, WGOP is powered at 500 watts. But because 540 AM is a clear channel frequency reserved for Canada and Mexico, WGOP must reduce power at night to 243 watts to avoid interference. Programming is heard around the clock on FM translator W293DN at 106.5 MHz.

History[]

The 540 AM frequency signed on in 1955 with the WDVM call sign which in later years was changed to WDMV ("Wonderful Delmarva") and an older MOR music format imaged as "Delmarvarama...America's Best Loved Music And Song." In the late 1950s local radio legend "Choppy" Layton began his association with WDMV at the age of fifteen. He left the station for several years, ultimately becoming one of the principals in a new FM Station in Ocean City, Maryland, WKHI.

After divesting himself of his interest in that station, "Choppy" returned to WDMV/WGOP several years ago and lends his voice to commercials and other programming, including a live interview show, broadcast from various businesses in Pocomoke on Friday mornings. WDMV was silent for several years in the mid-1990s. WDMV has had a longstanding application to move to Damascus, Maryland. The station used the WDMV call letters up until July 1, 2004.

In April 2015, WGOP switched formats from Oldies to Sports Talk Radio, branded as SportsRadio 540. Later the format changed to classic country music, and is now classic oldies/classic MOR and includes some sports such as Baltimore Orioles baseball.

Former programming[]

Over the years, the station has been home to several formats. It once programmed an urban gospel format, as well as oldies, country music and even simulcast LMA partner WBEY-FM (97.9 FM). Party Line on WBEY-FM was once simulcast on WGOP, until the station went to a sports radio format. Circa late 1950s "Mama's Country Youngin" Eddie Matherly was a popular WDMV personality.

In the early 1960s the station's music format "Delmarvarama" featured "America's Best Loved Music And Song." During that era the station promoted itself as "Big Signal Radio" in reference to its 540 AM frequency which in those days covered much of the lower and mid Eastern Shore with a strong signal. Its low frequency and abundance of water in the Eastern Shore area still allows the signal to blanket up to DC's southern suburbs, down to all of the Tidewater/Virginia Beach metro and into North Carolina.

Radio shows that formerly aired on both WBEY and WGOP include The Oldies but Goodies Show on Saturday nights, The Old Country and Bluegrass Show on Sunday nights and Light and Easy Cafe on Monday nights.

References[]

External links[]

• Oldies 106.5 FM and 540 AM - Listen live

• WGOP in the FCC AM station database
• WGOP on Radio-Locator
• WGOP in Nielsen Audio's AM station database

Coordinates: 38°03′11″N 75°34′11″W / 38.05306°N 75.56972°W / 38.05306; -75.56972