WETC

WETC (540 kHz) is an AM radio station, licensed to the cities of Wendell and Zebulon, North Carolina. It is owned by Divine Mercy Radio, Inc., a 501(c)(3) corporation. It is an all-volunteer, independently owned, non-commercial radio station that airs a Catholic radio format. The call letters now stand for We're EveryThing Catholic. The station's is known as Catholic 540-AM Divine Mercy Radio and is 100% listener supported. The station's signal targets the Research Triangle region of North Carolina, including the Raleigh radio market. In addition to Raleigh and Durham, other North Carolina cities and towns within the station's primary broadcast radius include Apex, Butner, Cary, Chapel Hill, Clayton, Fuquay-Varina, Garner, Goldsboro, Hillsborough, Holly Springs, Kinston, Knightdale, Morrisville, Rocky Mount, Smithfield, Wake Forest, Wendell, Wilson & Zebulon.

WETC-AM
CityWendell-Zebulon, North Carolina
Broadcast areaRaleigh/Durham
Research Triangle
Frequency540 kHz
BrandingCatholic 540-AM Divine Mercy Radio
Slogan100% Catholic. 100% Listener Supported
Programming
FormatCatholic
AffiliationsEWTN Global Catholic Radio Network, Ave Maria Radio Network
Ownership
OwnerDivine Mercy Radio
(Divine Mercy Radio, Inc.)
Sister stationsWSHP-LP, WFNE-LP
History
First air dateJune 21, 1960
(first license granted)
Call sign meaningWe're Every Thing Catholic
Technical information
Facility ID18269
ClassB
Power10,000 watts day
500 watts night
Links
Websitewww.catholic540am.org

History

On June 16, 1959, WETC first signed on the air.[1] It was a 250 watt daytimer. Because AM 540 is a clear-channel frequency reserved for Canada and Mexico, WETC had to sign-off every evening at sunset to avoid interfering with skywave signals of other radio stations. It was later allowed to broadcast at night, but only with reduced power.

WETC's call letters originally were said to stand for "We Entertain Tobacco Country." It was a long-time country music station. In 1992 it became the first radio station to target the Research Triangle's Spanish-speaking community. It went completely Spanish by the late 1990s. WETC was owned by East Wake Broadcasting and later Carolina Regional Broadcasting before being sold to Prieto Communications in 2004.

Prieto Communications sold WETC to Marta Sanchez's Sanchez Broadcasting Corporation for consideration of the forgiveness of $1.45 million in debt; the transaction was consummated on January 4, 2013.

WETC's programming was once simulcast on AM 1490 WDUR in Durham, North Carolina.[2] That station now airs a South Asian format.

On March 25, 2016, WETC was granted a construction permit from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to increase its daytime power to 10,000 watts.[3]

On October 1, 2018, Divine Mercy Radio filed a Remain Silent Authority application with the FCC, citing major technical issues. At the time the station was expected to remain off the air for 120 days while technicians made repairs. WETC resumed regular operations at 3:55 p.m. EST on February 4, 2019.[4]

References
  1. Broadcasting Yearbook 1961-62 page B-123
  2. http://www.radio-info.com/site/markets/grid/raleigh-durham, Retrieved on 2010-03-18.
  3. "Application for Construction Permit for Commercial Broadcast Station". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission.
  4. "540AM Status Update: We Are On the Air!" (posting made on February 4, 2019 at WDMR.org)


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