WMGG
WMGG (1470 kHz, "Caliente 96.1") is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Egypt Lake, Florida.[1] WHBO serves the Tampa Bay area and is owned by Nia Broadcasting, Inc. WMGG airs a Spanish-language Regional Mexican music radio format, simulcast from 96.1 WTMP-FM. The two stations use the moniker "Caliente 96.1 and 1470" (Hot 96.1 and 1470). WMGG and WTMP-FM are the Spanish-language flagship stations for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Radio Network.
 | |
| City | Egypt Lake, Florida |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Tampa Bay area |
| Frequency | 1470 kHz |
| Branding | Caliente 96.1 |
| Programming | |
| Format | Regional Mexican (WTMP-FM simulcast) |
| Affiliations | Tampa Bay Buccaneers Radio Network |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Ned Ardman (Nia Broadcasting Inc.) |
| Sister stations | WTMP, WTMP-FM, W248CA |
| History | |
| First air date | 1954 (as WDCL in Tarpon Springs) |
| Former call signs | WDCL (1954-?) WCWR (?-?) WFNN (?-1984) WVTY (1984-1986) WLVU (1986-1998) WTBL (1998-2000) WLVU (2000-2005) WHBO (2005-2009) WWBA (2/2-10/2009) |
| Call sign meaning | W MeGGa (former branding) |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 67135 |
| Class | B |
| Power | 2,800 watts (day) 800 watts (night) |
| Transmitter coordinates | 28°03′23″N 82°44′13″W |
| Translator(s) | W270DU (101.9 MHz, Tampa) |
| Links | |
| Website | Caliente96.com |
WMGG's transmitter is off Cavacade Drive in Egypt Lake.[2] It is powered at 2,800 watts by day. But at night, to protect other stations on AM 1470, WMGG reduces power to 800 watts. It uses a directional antenna at all times.
History
In 1954, the station first signed on as WDCL.[3] Its city of license was Tarpon Springs, Florida, and it was a 5,000 watt daytimer, required to go off the air at sunset. WDCL was owned by the Freede-Miller Broadcasting Company, with Hal Freede serving as president and sales manager. J. McCarthy Miller was the general manager.
In the late 1960s and 1970s, the station played a mix of Top 40 and Oldies with the call sign WCWR.
Prior to June 5, 2009, WMGG was an adult standards music station branded as "Mega 1470."
Prior to December 29, 2008, WMGG was an all-sports station as an ESPN Radio Network affiliate.[4]
As a result of Genesis Communications' announced purchase of AM 1470,[5] where the news/talk format of WWBA now airs at 820 AM, WHBO's sports format moved to WWBA's former frequency, 1040 AM, in October 2008, and simulcast on 1470 in the short-term. The WHBO call sign moved to 1040, with 1470 receiving new call letters, WMGG.[6]
In 2011, WMGG switched to a talk radio format, picking up programs formerly on sister station 1040 WWBA (now WHBO).
WMGG was sold to Nia Broadcasting, Inc. It switched to a simulcast of the Regional Mexican music format heard on co-owned 96.1 WTMP-FM in Dade City, Florida.
WMGG also switched its transmitter facilities to Egypt Lake, a suburb of Tampa, and no longer identifies Dunedin, Florida as its city of license. WMGG is diplexed with co-owned AM 1150 WTMP.
References
- FCC.gov/WMGG
- Radio-Locator.com/WMGG
- Broadcasting Yearbook 1956 page 98
- Genesis Launches 'Mega Memories' On WHBO/Tampa - Radio Ink (released December 29, 2008)
- Manning, Maggie (September 29, 2008). "Genesis Communications to buy powerful Mega radio station". Tampa Bay Business Journal.
- http://www.allaccess.com/site/netNews/story.php?bs=sk&ng=industryTools&storyID=46593&searchTerm=wwba&from=0&to=19
External links
- WMGG in the FCC's AM station database
- WMGG on Radio-Locator
- WMGG in Nielsen Audio's AM station database