WGVL

Infobox Radio station
name = WGVL


city = Greenville, South Carolina
area = Upstate South Carolina
branding = "Radio Mix 1440"
slogan = "La Radio De Todos" ("The Radio Of All")
airdate = 1950
frequency = 1440 AM
format = Spanish
power = 5,000 Watts full-time, directional pattern at night only
erp =
class = B
callsign_meaning =
former_callsigns =
owner = Clear Channel Communications (as Capstar TX)
licensee = Clear Channel Communications
sister_stations =
webcast =
website = http://www.radiomix1440.com
affiliations =

WGVL is a Spanish language radio station located in Greenville, South Carolina. The station is licensed by the FCC to broadcast on 1440 AM with 5 kW full-time with a separate directional pattern at night.

History

WQOK-AM (1440 kHz - 5KW Directional) A Greenville, South Carolina Radio Station "(1956 - 1982)"that at one time had the call letters WMRC-AM (1941-1953)and WAKE-AM (1953- 1956)

In 1958 many radio stations were fighting what was considered a losing battle to TV.Many stations were searching for ways to bring back their faltering listeners. Sponsors that usually bought radio exclusively were now spending the bulk of their advertising budgets on TV. One Greenville radio station's management had an idea. WQOK-AM 1440 started featuring a format called "Top 40 Radio." At the time, the station was owned by Dick Broadcasting, with stations in Chattanooga and Knoxville, TN. The station was being programmed by veteran Greenville radio programmer Jerry Mosteller. The sales manager was a young man named T.C. Hooper from Chattanooga, TN. When Hooper moved into the General Manager's office, he tapped Gordon Collins, to become the station's sales manager. The station quickly became number one in the market with an endless stream of rock'n roll as well as R & B music emitting from the "Four Towers Of Power" on White Horse Road. WQOK had found it's place in Greenville's radio market. Every "Mom and Pop" store(Example: Marys and Lowes Record Shop ); Mobile Home Dealer's; service station's, Drive-In Theatre's, Soft Drink Distributor; Automobile Dealer and Loan Company was buying lots of "time" on "1440 Greenville." "The Big Q" was one of the first stations in the area to use fast talking, big voiced deejays that would talk up the intro of the records with a lot of "jive talk" and take telephone requests from the teenage listeners. The station also did a lot of live remotes so as to get up close and personal with its listeners. That paid off in a big big way. [Greenville News 1969] WQOK had a stable of legendary deejays from 1958 - through the late 60's. Personalities such as Ken Dee (Dockins), Lake Cely, John Hudson, Ken Rogers, Sonny Epps, Bo Sanders, Carl Stubbs, Mal Harrison, Lee Sims, Paul Gold, Wayne Seal (later to become Governor Robert McNair's press secretary), Rick Fight, Dan Ellis, Charlie "Byrd" Lindsey, "Wild" Bill West, Noel Belue, Mike Jones, Teddy Vee (aka Ted Vigodsky), Little Davey Dee (aka Dave Dannheisser, Jim McAlister and dozens more.The station was very popular with the younger demographics (12-24), one survey in 1961, (Pulse, Spring 1961) Ken Dee had 62% of the total radio audience during his afternoon show. Noel Belue's morning show in 1961 garnered a hefty 40% of Greenville's total radio audience. Rick Fight's "Crazy" afternoon show in 1959 had an astounding 55% (Pulse, Spring 1959) of the Greenville radio audience. Rick later moved to WFBC morning drive when management there made him an offer he couldn't refuse, thanks to his soaring popularity and unique humor while at the Big Q. WQOK was truly a dominant station.There were jingles for just about everything…."Weather jingles." "News jingles," "Time Jingles," "Dee Jay Identification Jingles" … all of which were sang with happy voices, horns honking and guitars twanging. The lyrics to one of the early jingles:

[Pams Music Library 1958] "The best sound in town on radio,""Is W-Q-O-K, one- four- four-, oh,""Exciting listening, take your "Q"""For Music and News designed just for you,""It's W-Q-O-K, Greenville for your""Hot Top Forty Radio……"

Of course jingles were a little bit longer and "rather cheesy" by today's standards, but the golden days of rock'n roll radio in Greenville, SC were on WQOK. American radio had found it's "silver bullet" to fight Television.

[Broadcasting Yearbook Aug. 1961] In 1961, T.C. Hooper purchased WQOK from Dick Broadcasting. For many years, in fact into the early 80's, WQOK was always one of Greenville's top stations. WQOK was a leader, it was Greenville's "Top 40" station for 25 years, always keeping the same basic format and making a positive and permanent impression on every young listener in the area. WQOK went dark in the early 80's. FM had taken over. AM radio was in "Limbo," trying to find itself again. The "Big Q" turned off its transmitters and was sold to Key Market Broadcasting and Kirby Confer. It could never be resurrected. Many people in Upstate radio circles have said, "If WQOK had been able to put their programming on an FM signal in the mid 70's, the station would still be a dominant factor in Upstate radio."Some of the great radio people that worked at the "Big Q," in the last decade of WQOK those that come to mind are:Lee Nolan, Gary Jackson, Lee Alexander, Russ Cassell, Steve Chris, Teddy "Vee" Vigodsky, Davey "Dee" Dannheisser, Chris Scott, John Foster (Dr. John) Brother Bill, Lisa Rollins….and dozens more.

If you grew up in Greenville, SC in the 60's and 70's, WQOK was a part of your life.

Prior to becoming the Greenville market's first Spanish station July 11, 1999, WGVL aired the programming of country music WSSL-FM. Other formats considered, according to Bill McMartin of AMFM, were Radio Disney and sports talk. The styles of music ranged from "hot Latin pop" such as Ricky Martin and Jennifer Lopez to salsa, merengue, Colombian tropical, Mexican and vallenato, with ballads, boleros and tangos at night. WGVL also aired news and sports programming, including soccer. Program director Carlos Garcia, a Colombia native, made sure that many cultures were served, not just one ["Radio Station Switches to 24-Hour Spanish Format," "The Charlotte Observer", July 15, 1999.] .

References

External links

* [http://www.radiomix1440.com/ WGVL official website]
* [http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/amq?list=0&facid=59821 WGVL's FCC entry]