WWCO

Infobox Radio station
name = WWCO


city = Waterbury, Connecticut
area =
slogan =
branding = "The Talk of Connecticut"
frequency = 1240 kHz
repeater =
airdate =
share =
share as of =
share source =
format = News Talk Information
power = 1,000 watts unlimited
erp =
haat =
class = C
facility_id = 40678
coordinates = coord|41|33|59.00|N|73|3|23.00|W|region:US_type:city
callsign_meaning =
former_callsigns =
owner = Buckley Broadcasting of Connecticut, LLC
licensee =
sister_stations = WMMW, WSNG, WDRC
webcast =
website = official|http://www.talkofct.com
affiliations = AP Radio, Talk Radio Network, Westwood One

WWCO (1240 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a News Talk Information format. Licensed to Waterbury, Connecticut, USA. The station is currently owned by Buckley Broadcasting of Connecticut, LLC and features programing from AP Radio, Talk Radio Network and Westwood One. [ cite web|url=http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?call=WWCO |title=WWCO Facility Record |work=United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division ] [cite web|url=http://www1.arbitron.com/sip/displaySip.do?surveyID=SU08&band=fm&callLetter=WWCO|title=WWCO Station Information Profile|publisher=Arbitron] The station provides a blend of issues-oriented talk, news and information, a small amount of music programming in addition to being Waterbury's home for New York Yankees baseball.

History

WWCO went on the air in 1946 with a 250 Watt signal as a Mutual Network affiliate with studios in the Mattatuck Historical Society Building at 119 West Main Street. In the 1950s, their format was mostly popular music records, and they were the first Waterbury radio station to play rock and roll records. On-air personalities during that era included Bob "Records" Crager, Les Davis, [http://www.sun-herald.com/NewsArchive4/061002/tp3de3.htm?date=061002&story=tp3de3.htm Joe Mulhall] (later known as Ken Griffin in Hartford and Los Angeles), Bob Rouge, and [http://www.wildmansteve.org/aboutwildman.htm “Wildman Steve" Gallon] who went on to forge a 40-year career as a DJ, media personality, comedian, recording artist and movie actor. WWCO and Les Davis were featured in an article in the [http://www.2neatmagazines.com/life/1955.html April 25, 1955 issue of "Life Magazine"] .

During the 1960s and the 1970s, WWCO was owned by Merv Griffin and operated as "1240 Super Music C-O," a Top 40 station. Dr. Chris Evans, Danny Lyons, The Mad Hatter (Ed Maglio) and others rules the C-O airwaves in the 1970s. Additionally, [http://www.joecipriano.com/ Joe Cipriano] , who got his start on WWCO in the 1970s while in high school, is now a voice over talent on the Fox, CBS, NBC, and Food TV networks. Another popular WWCO dj during the late 1970s and early 1980s, Doc Holiday now known as Jon Holiday is Senior Director of Programming for [http://www.jonesradio.com Jones Radio Networks] . Waterbury, Connecticut native Stefan Rybak, currently a Senior Manager with the Long Island Radio Group in New York, began his career at WWCO in 1977. Rybak's on-air name was "Stef in the Night Time."

The station evolved from top 40 to an adult contemporary format (called "All-Star Music WWCO" at about the time beautiful music WKCI-FM switched to adult contemporary top 40 as "KC-101." Many believe that WKCI's switch to the new format quickened WWCO's departure from top 40. In fact, some WWCO personalities left to take jobs at KC-101. Popular full-time personalties such as Dr. Chris Evans and Danny Lyons, as well as part-time jocks like Stef Rybak, ended up at KC-101. WWCO eventually abandoned the "All-Star" format around 1984 and returned to its top 40 roots as "Super Music C-O," under the direction of veteran Steve Skipp as Program Director. Still later, C-O, then owned by Westport, CT resident Sam Brownstein's "Greater Radio," bounced between top 40 and adult contemporary formats. For a time, Connecticut radio veteran Ed Flynn (now with WATR-AM) functioned as Program Director, with Dan Walker (Angelo Vecchiarelli) and Suzanne Haze as "Connecticut's First Co-Ed Morning Team." oldies format in 1984. The station found success with a nighttime Urban Contemporary format called "Nightflight" from 1984 to 1989. Later, WWCO, due to financial issues, eliminated Ricky J, as well as the midday announcer, and carried Unistar's "Niche 29" AOR format, while maintaining live morning and afternoon drive, as well as weekend announcers. Next, began the era of the constantly-relocating WWCO, moving from one location to another for a variety of reasons. WWCO, having beens sold by Greater Radio to "Winthrop Broadcasting," whose relatives owned Waterbury's WQQW-AM-1590, relocated from its longtime studio location at 2030 Straits Turnpike in Middlebury, to a brand new studio at 2 Lakewood Road (the intersection of Lakewood Road and North Main Street) in Waterbury, with studios overlooking Lakewood Park. By then (1990), WWCO again returned to its top 40 roots as "1240 Super Music 'C-O," even distributing music surveys with its DJ's pictures on them in local stores as it had one in the 60's and 70's. Steve returned as Program Director by then, but later left a year or so later. Wally Mann then served as Program Director, and continued to do so even as the station flipped to oldies later on. Several years later, WWCO relocated to the same building ("Broadcast Center") that housed WQQW at 101 South Main Street (the former Leeward Building) in Waterbury. That move didn't last long, as WWCO was again sold. This time 'C-O General Manager Tom Coffey, along with former WWYZ-FM salesman Rob Johnson, formed Mattatuck Communications, and moved WWCO out of WQQW's building (WQQW had already turned its license in to the FCC and gone dark permanently). WWCO's new location was in four rooms at the Red Bull Inn on Schraffts Drive in Waterbury. By then, Coffey & Johnson flipped WWCO to an oldies format as "Classic Oldies 1240 'C-O." WWCO's final Waterbury location was at 2 Mattoon Road in Watebury (near the Oakville border). WWCO was then sold to Buckley Broadcasting (parent of WDRC) and moved to WDRC's studios in Bloomfied. When most AM stations had already abandoned contemporary music formats, WWCO and its on-air talent pushed forward into the early 1990s with a personality-driven hot adult contemporary music format. While earlier personalities such as Bob Rouge, Doc Holiday, and Stef Rybak were popular in their day, there was still a long list of 'C-O air talent that were very popular. That list includes: Tom Coffey, Steve Skipp, Danny Lyons, The Mad Hatter, Dr. Chris Evans, Rick O'Connor, Bill Raymond, Wally Mann, Rick Talbot, Dan Walker, George Simpson, John "JB" Bunnell, Mike Dowling, Dennis Donovan, Glenn Richards, Kristine Stone, Ricky J, and many more. Arguably the most successful (ratings-wise) of ALL the WWCO personalities listed on this page, was Ricky J. Washington. From 1985 through 1991, Ricky J. had the highest ratings on C-O, even beating the more powerful FM stations (KC-101 included), with ratings averaging 14 shares! Some may deny it, but Ricky J's urban a/c formatted "Night Flight" had huge numbers. In the end, ALL of the personalities on WWCO throughout the years were popular, not just in the 50's, 60's and 70's but the 80's as well.

Buckley Broadcasting purchased WWCO in the late 1990s, and it now broadcasts the same programming as WDRC-AM in Hartford.

References

External links

*AM station data|WWCO