WGAC (AM)

WGAC (580 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station in Augusta, Georgia. The station carries a talk radio format simulcast with co-owned 95.1 WGAC-FM Harlem, Georgia. The stations are owned by Beasley Broadcast Group, Inc., through licensee Beasley Media Group Licenses, LLC. The radio studios and offices are on Jimmie Dyess Parkway in Augusta.
WGAC is a rare radio station that uses transmitter sites in different states. In the daytime, WGAC is powered at 5,000 watts, using a non-directional antenna off King Street in Martinez, Georgia. But at night, to avoid interfering with other stations on 580 AM, WGAC reduces power to 840 watts, using a directional antenna with a four-tower array, off Old Sudlow Lake Road in North Augusta, South Carolina. Programming is also heard on 250 watt FM translator W270CY at 101.9 MHz.
Programming.
On weekdays, WGAC has local shows in AM and PM drive time, with nationally syndicated shows heard the rest of the day. Weekdays begin with "Austin's Morning News" with John Patrick, Mary Liz Norton and Steve Smith. In late afternoons, Austin Rhodes hosts a conservative talk call-in show. Also on the schedule are Glenn Beck, Dave Ramsey, Mark Levin, "Coast to Coast AM with George Noory" and "America in the Morning with John Trout".
Weekends feature shows on money, gardening, golfing, cars, technology, religion and law. Syndicated weekend shows include Kim Komando, "The Motley Fool", "Bill Handel on the Law" and "Somewhere in Time with Art Bell" as well as repeats of weekday shows. WGAC broadcasts games of the Augusta GreenJackets minor league baseball team. Most hours begin with world and national news from Fox News Radio.
History.
In 1940, WGAC signed on the air. It originally broadcast on 1210 kilocycles at only 250 watts, a fraction of its current power. It was owned by Twin States Broadcasting. WGAC was an [[NBC Blue Network]] [[network affiliate|affiliate]], carrying its schedule of dramas, comedies, news, sports, [[soap opera]]s, [[game show]]s and [[big band]] broadcasts during the "[[Golden Age of Radio]]."
In 1941, after the enactment of the [[North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement]] (NARBA), WGAC moved to [[AM 1240]]. A few years later, WGAC got approval from the [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC) to move to 580 [[Hertz|kHz]], with a big increase in power, 5,000 [[watt]]s by day and 1,000 watts at night. The Blue Network became the [[ABC Radio News|ABC Radio Network]].
In 1992, the [[Beasley Broadcast Group]] acquired WGAC-AM-FM.
External links.
[[Category:Radio stations in Augusta, Georgia|GAC]]
[[Category:News and talk radio stations in the United States]]
[[Category:Radio stations established in 1981]]
[[Category:Beasley Broadcast Group radio stations|GAC]]