WICC (AM)
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City | Bridgeport, Connecticut |
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Broadcast area | Bridgeport New Haven Fairfield County |
Frequency | 600 kHz |
Branding | WICC600 |
Slogan | Southern Connecticut News and Information Leader |
Programming | |
Format | Talk |
Affiliations | Westwood One NBC News Radio New York Yankees Radio Network |
Ownership | |
Owner | Connoisseur Media (Connoisseur Media Licenses, LLC) |
WEBE, WEZN-FM, WFOX, WPLR, WYBC-FM | |
History | |
First air date | November 8, 1926 |
Call sign meaning | "Industrial Capital of Connecticut" |
Technical information | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
Facility ID | 72345 |
Class | B |
Power |
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Transmitter coordinates | 41°09′36″N 73°09′53″W / 41.16000°N 73.16472°WCoordinates: 41°09′36″N 73°09′53″W / 41.16000°N 73.16472°W |
Repeater(s) | 99.1 WPLR-HD2 (New Haven) 107.9 WEBE-HD2 (Westport) |
Links | |
Public license information | Profile LMS |
Website | wicc600 |
WICC (600 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station in Bridgeport, Connecticut, owned by Connoisseur Media. It airs as a Talk radio format featuring local shows with Melissa Sheketoff, Lisa Wexler and Paul Pacelli. Nationally syndicated programs include Dave Ramsey, Ben Shapiro and Red Eye Radio. Weekends feature shows on money, real estate, technology, Italian music, oldies and adult standards. Weekends hosts include Kim Komando, Joe Pags and Jim Bohannon. Most hours begin with world and national news from NBC News Radio. WICC is a member of the New York Yankees Radio Network and also airs Sacred Heart University athletics.
The WICC studios are located on Wheelers Farms Road in Milford with other Connoisseur radio stations. The transmitter is on Pleasure Beach in Bridgeport on a peninsula extending into Long Island Sound. WICC's signal is heard in much of Southern Connecticut and reaches into Long Island, New York.[1]
History[]
WICC is Bridgeport's first radio station,[2] and one of the first in the state, signing on the air on November 8, 1926. Its call letters stand for "Industrial Capital of Connecticut," which described Bridgeport throughout the early and mid-20th century.
In the early days, as radio assignments were being formalized, WICC broadcast from various places on the AM dial, including 1060 kHz, 1400 kHz, 1130 kHz, 1190 kHz and 1430 kHz until finally settling down at 600 kHz in 1930.
Before March 1932, WICC affiliated with the Yankee Network.[3] The station became a CBS Radio network affiliate September 25, 1932.[4]
When network programming shifted from radio to television in the 1950s, WICC became a full service, middle of the road station, featuring popular music, news, talk and sports. Notably, Bob Crane was a host and Disc jockey from late 1951 through 1956.[5][6] In the 1970s and 80s, the music moved closer to an Adult Top 40 sound.
Over time, as music listening shifted from AM to FM radio, WICC added more talk programming, becoming an all-talk station in the 1990s. In 1992, WICC was acquired by Cumulus Media, which became one of the largest owners of radio stations in the U.S.[7]
On April 15, 2019, Cumulus Media announced that WICC and co-owned 107.9 WEBE would be swapped to Connoisseur Media, which began operating the stations under a local marketing agreement (LMA) on May 1.[8] The swap was consummated on June 26, 2019.
References[]
- ^ Radio-Locator
- ^ Collins, Michael. "Time Line For Connecticut Broadcasting". Connecticut Broadcasters Association.
- ^ "WFEA Joins Net" (PDF). Broadcasting. March 15, 1932. p. 6. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
- ^ "(untitled brief)" (PDF). Broadcasting. October 1, 1932. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
- ^ https://vote4bobcrane.org/biography/
- ^ https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/Bob-Crane-former-WICC-host-up-for-Radio-Hall-of-2670233.php
- ^ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2010 page D-125
- ^ Cumulus Media Sells KLOS To Meruelo Media Swaps Bridgeport To Connoisseur For Allentown
External links[]
- WICC600 official website
- WICC in the FCC AM station database
- WICC on Radio-Locator
- WICC in Nielsen Audio's AM station database
- Radio stations in Connecticut
- Mass media in Bridgeport, Connecticut
- Mass media in Fairfield County, Connecticut
- RKO General
- News and talk radio stations in the United States
- Radio stations established in 1926
- Connoisseur Media radio stations
- Boston Braves announcers