WIAC (AM)

WIAC (740 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a News Talk Information and Spanish Variety format. Licensed to San Juan, Puerto Rico, it serves the Puerto Rico area. The station is currently owned by Bestov Broadcast Group.

WIAC
CitySan Juan, Puerto Rico
Broadcast areaPuerto Rico
Frequency740 kHz
BrandingWIAC 740 AM
SloganLa Original
Programming
FormatNews Talk/Spanish Variety
AffiliationsSquare Multimedia
Ownership
OwnerBestov Broadcast Group
(Bestov Broadcasting, Inc.)
Sister stationsWYAC
WISA
History
First air dateMarch 1947
Former call signsWIBS (1947-1951)
Former frequencies580 kHz (1942-1951)
Call sign meaningWest
Indies
Advertising
Company
Technical information
ClassB
Power10,000 watts
Transmitter coordinates18°21′24″N 66°14′5″W
Links
Websitewww.wiac740.com

The station was rebroadcast through a synchronous repeater, WI2XAC Ponce, which also broadcasts at 740 kHz. On April 19, 2017 the Federal Communications Commission ruled that WI2XAC's license will not be renewed. The ruling stated that it must discontinue operation on May 29, 2017 and the license would be cancelled on May 30, 2017.[1][2][3]

A petition for review of the order to cancel WI2XAC's license was submitted on April 24, 2017.[4]

History

Puerto Rico's first advertising agency, the West Indies Advertising Company (WIAC), was founded in San Juan in 1933, by the Abarca family, which also owned a successful structural steel company. By 1942 the advertisement agency's management founded WIAC at 580 kHz, with Félix Muñiz, the brother of Tomás Muñiz (and uncle of Tommy Muñiz, as its administrator. Due to the untimely death of Félix, Tomás became the station's administrator soon after.

WIAC was operating on 580 kHz in San Juan from 1942 to 1947, and it is currently occupied by WKAQ. WIAC officially began operations in March 1947 moving to the current frequency, 740 AM, replacing WIBS in Santurce.

During the 1950s & 1970s, WIAC was the only radio station broadcasting weather forecasts every 10 minutes & public affairs programming.

In 1961, Bestov Broadcasting, Inc. (a radio company owned by Alan Mejía and his brother, Luis Mejía) acquired the station, along with WIAC-FM 102.5 FM (formerly Sistema 102), which began operations that same year. In 1962, Bestov acquires WISA 1390 AM in Isabela serving the western and north area, and it is owned by Mejia's subsidiary, Isabela Broadcasting, Inc., this serving as a satellite of WIAC. In 1982, WIAC changed its news programming, with the branding of WIAC NotiReloj. In 1998, WIAC NotiReloj became Cadena Radio Puerto Rico, with a News/Talk format. In 1999, Bestov Broadcast Group acquires WEKO 930 (now WYAC) in Cabo Rojo from David Ortiz Cintron, a radio entrepreneur from Cabo Rojo, which becomes a repeater of WIAC. Bestov also acquires WTIL 1300 AM in Mayaguez and would become the repeater of WEKO until 2003.

In 2009, WIAC reached an Agreement with Boricua-JE Broadcasting, inc., the station's licensee to change to Boricua 740.

On February 1, 2012 WIAC's owner Bestov Broadcast Group joined in an alliance with Noti-Luz, buying from Empower Media Group, forming Puerto Rico's only AM & FM news & talk station. The Noti-Luz Network was conformed by WGIT 1660 AM in Canóvanas, WIAC 740 AM in San Juan/Ponce, WYAC 930 AM in Cabo Rojo/Mayagüez, WISA 1390 AM in Isabela, WJDZ 90.1 FM in Pastillo, WNNV 91.7 FM in San Germán, WEKO 1580 AM in Morovis & WXRF 1590 AM in Guayama.

On June 1, 2012, it changed name from Radio 740 to "Acción 740", later, "Acción Radio" with news at the top of the hour. that same month, WIAC was purchased by Héctor Marcano Martínez's subsidiary, Metro Media Broadcasting, which also owns WWXY-LD Channel 8.1 (Tiva TV) in San Juan.

On October 2, a legendary Broadcast Pioneer Alan Mejía & former owner Bestov Broadcast Group returned to WIAC and changed their news/talk programming to a Spanish Variety format as WIAC 740 La Original. In November 2012, the station's programming was changed.

From March 2016 to June 2017, WIAC 740 AM broadcasts Monday-Friday from 3AM to 10PM, Saturdays from 4AM to 11PM and Sundays from 5AM to 10PM, while its station website, WIAC740.com, continues on the air during the overnight hours for more programming.

On May 29, 2017, WIAC 740 ceased operations on its synchronized station transmitter located at Peñuelas and cancelled the license on May 30, 2017. As a result, WIAC 740 is no longer heard in the southern Puerto Rico Area.

In June 2017, WIAC 740 AM switched back to broadcast operations, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. However, In August WIAC would return to broadcast operation until 10PM. On Saturdays from 4AM to 11PM and Sundays from 5AM until 9PM. Due to the passage of Hurricane Maria, WIAC was forced to resume operations because of damages in the transmitter antenna caused by the Hurricane. WIAC will reduced its operations from a Diesel generator until 6PM. In 2018, WIAC returns to its full 24-hour broadcast operation. However, In June, WIAC returns to reducing operations, ending their broadcast day at 6PM, occasionally on Wednesdays, Thursdays and weekends at 7PM.

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References
  1. Application for Renewal of License Federal Communications Commission - November 7, 2016
  2. Petition for Reconsideration Federal Communications Commission - April 19, 2017
  3. "Field Trial Results of AM Transmitter Carrier Synchronization" (PDF). Thomas F. King; Stephen F. Smith. Retrieved May 24, 2017.
  4. "Petition for Review" (PDF). Luis A. Mejia. April 24, 2017. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
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