WPWC
WPWC is a Spanish Christian formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Dumfries-Triangle, Virginia, serving Southern Prince William County, Virginia and Western Charles County, Maryland. WPWC is owned by JMK Communications, Inc.[1]
| City | Dumfries-Triangle, Virginia |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Southern Prince William County, Virginia Western Charles County, Maryland |
| Frequency | 1480 kHz |
| Branding | Radio Zion |
| Programming | |
| Format | Spanish Christian |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | JMK Communications, Inc. |
| History | |
| First air date | 1961 |
| Former call signs | WQVA (1962-1974) |
| Former frequencies | 1530 kHz (1962-1979) |
| Call sign meaning | W Prince William County |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 25995 |
| Class | B |
| Power | 5,000 Watts daytime 500 Watts nighttime |
| Transmitter coordinates | 38°34′6.0″N 77°20′20.0″W |
History
WPWC signed on in 1961 as WQVA, a 250-watt daytimer broadcasting on 1530 kHz and licensed to Quantico, Virginia. WQVA was first owned by Harold Hersch, W.T. Merchant, and H. Ewing Wall's Radio One Company, later WQVA, Inc. It was sold to Raymond W. Woolfenden's Happy Broadcasting Company in 1974, changing to its current callsign at the same time. A move to the current 1480 kHz occurred in 1979 along with a power upgrade. WPWC ran a country format from 1974 through 2000. That year, Woolfenden sold the station to JMK Communications of Los Angeles, California.[2][3]
From January 2012 through 2016, WPWC gained notoriety by running a progressive talk format known as We Act Radio.[4][5] WPWC features "Take Action News with David Shuster" produced live from We Act Radio's studios in the Anacostia neighborhood of Southeast, Washington, D.C..[6]
On May 6, 2012, WPWC added The Union Edge, "Labor's Talk Radio," to their line up.[7]
On September 16, 2012, WPWC started producing "Pivot Point with Maya Rockeymoore," a live public affairs radio show dedicated to aging issues and their intersection with politics, public policy, and popular culture.
On February 20, 2013, We Act Radio started producing the Rock Newman Show from their Anacostia studio.[8][9]
Two of WPWC's four towers collapsed on October 21, 2016, causing $140,000 in damage. At the time, it had dropped the progressive talk format and was broadcasting a Spanish-language Christian format under the name "Radio Zion".[2] We Act Radio continues as an Internet stream.
References
- "WPWC Facility Record". Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
- "WPWC Radio towers collapse". Potomac Local. 21 October 2016.
- "WQVA/WPWC history card". FCC.
- Holland, Joshua (February 4, 2012). "Crashing the Gates: How a Handful of Progressive Activists Brought Liberal Talk-Radio Back to the Nation's Capitol". AlterNet. Retrieved February 27, 2012.
- "DC gets new progressive talker". Radio Business Report, Inc. January 3, 2012. Retrieved February 27, 2012.
- ""We Act" from Anacostia" (PDF). East Of The River Magazine. January 3, 2012. Retrieved March 31, 2012.
- "Tune in to The Union Edge in D.C." AFL-CIO NOW. May 6, 2012. Retrieved May 20, 2012.
- "Rock Newman returns to D.C. for new radio show — with a little help from old friends". Washington Post. February 27, 2013. Retrieved May 12, 2013.
- "Rock Newman to Start Radio Show". Washington Post. February 20, 2013. Retrieved May 12, 2013.
External links
- WPWC in the FCC's AM station database
- WPWC on Radio-Locator
- WPWC in Nielsen Audio's AM station database