WOGR (AM)

WOGR (1540 AM) is a radio station in Charlotte, North Carolina. The station has an urban gospel radio format with some Christian talk and teaching programs. It is owned by Victory Christian Center, Inc. 
Programming is simulcast on WOGR-FM (93.3) in Salisbury, WGAS (1420 AM) in South Gastonia and FM translator W202BW (88.3 MHz) in Harrisburg.
WOGR is a daytimer, powered at 2,400 watts, using a directional antenna. Because AM 1540 is a clear channel frequency reserved for Class A stations KXEL in Waterloo, Iowa and ZNS-1 in Nassau, Bahamas, WOGR must sign-off the air at sunset.
Translators.
In addition to the main station and WOGR-FM, WOGR (AM) is relayed by an additional translator to widen its broadcast area.
History.
The station was originally constructed and owned by Risden Allen Lyon. The call sign was WRPL (the initials of Lyon's father, Robert Phillip Lyon). WRPL signed on in 1964, broadcasting with 1,000 watts, daytime only, from radio studios in a building that Lyon owned at 1402 East Morehead Street in Charlotte. The tower was located near the intersection of Monroe Road and East 5th Street. Over the years many people referred to WRPL as "Ripple Radio."
The earliest format for WRPL was adult middle of the road music, by artists such as Frank Sinatra, Perry Como and Ella Fitzgerald. During that time the station gained fame with its "all girl" disc jockeys and a big pink bus that shuttled the staff to various events.
WRPL changed formats in the late 1960s to R&B. For several years during this format the studios were located in the White House Inn Hotel in uptown Charlotte (formerly Hotel Charlotte). The on-air personalities, among them Chattie Hattie and Rockin' Ray Gooding, were visible to passersby on the sidewalk while they were doing their shows.
WRPL moved the studios back to the original location on East Morehead Street and changed to a progressive rock format in the early 1970s. This format found much popularity in Charlotte. Among the staff members during this period were music genius Calvin Walker and Al Cafaro, who went on to become Chairman of A&M Records. Other DJs during that period were Daniel 'This is Daniel' Brunty, Dave Bell and Edward Theodore Faircloth. Daniel went on to WQDR in Raleigh, North Carolina. Following 2 years in Afghanistan, where he served as a Sr NATO Advisor to the Afghan Army Communications Directorate, Edward is now a software executive with Xytech Systems in Los Angeles.
During the late 1970s, the station played progressive rock and jazz as "The Ripple". In one TV commercial, a disc jockey showed a small stack of 45s and said that represented what other stations played. Then he showed a large stack of 45s and said this was what "The Ripple" played.
In October 1976, WRPL announced it would play classical music on a Sunday morning show hosted by Harold Lynne of New World Records.
WRPL switched to a three-fourths disco and one fourth jazz on January 22, 1979, with progressive rock limited to a Sunday program called "Eclectic Corner".
In October 1979, the station changed its call letters to WQCC. It started a country music format (the call letters stood for "Charlotte Country"). This did not work so a switch to "Charlotte's solid gold radio" with oldies and beach music took place in April 1980.
The format later evolved into a more 70s-based sound. Then "The PTL Club" engineer and Heritage Village Church manager Terry White bought a 40 percent interest in the station from Risben Lyon. On October 13, 1980, WQCC switched to "varied types of Christian music, from hymns to gospel to rock" along with teaching and Christian-oriented news.
The Lyon family sold the radio station in 1983.
WQCC upgraded its signal from 1,000 watts. On October 3, 1986, Charlotte Mayor Harvey Gantt officially turned on the 10,000-watt transmitter.
Charlotte-based Satellite Radio Network started a 24-hour gospel music service July 4, 1987, with hopes for affiliates across the U.S. WQCC carried the programming part-time. Satellite Radio Networks of Dallas, Texas later distributed the programming for American Gospel Network.
In the 1990s, with the call letters WOGR, the station added additional signals--WGAS in Gastonia, North Carolina on 1420 AM, and WOGR-FM in Salisbury, North Carolina on 93.3 FM.
Call sign history.
The station's call letters were changed to WQCC from WRPL on 11/01/1979, and to WOGR on 03/27/1989.