WRGA (AM)

WRGA
City	Rome, Georgia
Broadcast area	Rome GA area
Slogan	Local News Now
Frequency	1470 kHz 98.7 MHz
First air date	1929
Format	News Talk Information
Power	5,000 watts day 5,000 watts night
Class	B
Facility ID	40856
Transmitter coordinates	34°18′5.00″N 85°9′19.00″W / 34.3013889°N 85.1552778°W / 34.3013889; -85.1552778
Affiliations	ABC Radio , CNN Radio
Owner	Rome Radio Partners, LLC
Webcast	wrga.streamon.fm Listen Live
Website	wrgarome.com

WRGA AM 1470 and W254CF FM 98.7 ( "News Talk 98.7 and AM 1470 ") is a radio station broadcasting a news talk information format. Licensed to serve Rome, Georgia, USA, the station serves Floyd and adjacent counties of northwest Georgia and a sliver of northeast Alabama. The station is currently owned by Rome Radio Partners, LLC and features programing from ABC Radio and CNN Radio.^[1]

Prior to spring 2009, WRGA was owned by McDougald Broadcasting, and was run by Southern Broadcasting Company, which is the owner-operator of WSRM FM 93.5, WQTU FM 102.3, WTSH FM 107.1, and WGJK AM 1360, from its studios on John Davenport Drive in Rome.

From spring 2004 to July 9, 2009, WRGA simulcast a substantially stronger and better quality signal on WSRM-FM. Until spring 2009, WSRM's radio tower was located in Coosa, Georgia; however after the ownership change the tower was moved to Mount Alto in Rome, and the carrier frequency was changed from 95.3 to 93.5 FM. The result was a substantial increase in the size of WSRM's coverage area, which led to issues which resulted in Rome Radio Partners having to end the five-year-old FM simulcast. WSRM's format was changed on July 9, 2009, to "Life FM", an "eclectic blend of Christian and secular adult contemporary" music.

WRGA operates under the tagline "Rome's NewsTalk". In addition to running radio network programming from ABC Radio and CNN Radio, WRGA carries Neal Boortz, Clark Howard, and Sean Hannity during their daily program schedule. WRGA also carries Georgia Bulldogs football play-by-play. For state news coverage, WRGA carries hourly reports from the Georgia News Network.

Locally produced programming on WRGA includes Hometown Radio Headlines, hosted by John Druckenmiller. "Druck" typically works four topics per morning, 7-9am, one per half-hour segment, and has local newsmakers as guests in-studio or by phone. Each segment is brief, a maximum of about 12 minutes with a 60-second commercial break, because the program has hard boundaries to coincide with news and feature breaks. Other locally produced programming includes Talk of the Town (9am to 10am weekdays), hosted by Nelle Reagan.

WRGA is the only station in Rome with a full-time news team including Andrew Carter and Kim Jarrett. Local news reports can be heard at four minutes past the hour 24/7; extended news reports air at 6:04am, 6:33am, 7:04am, 7:33am, 8:04am, 8:33am, 12:04pm, and 12:33pm weekdays. Spot news coverage is provided as situations necessitate. Election coverage live from the Floyd County Courthouse is provided beginning at 7 pm any day the polls are open.

As of March 1, 2014, WRGA also simulcasts on a broadcast translator at 98.7, with broadcast callsign W254CF. This change was partly to extend the coverage area at night, when skywave RF interference reduces the AM station's broadcast range. (Previously this was prohibited by the FCC, with translators reserved only for FM stations to cover gaps caused by terrain, a change which blocks frequencies that community LPFM stations could otherwise use locally.) The addition of the FM signal was soon followed by a rebranding as "News Talk 98.7 and AM 1470, WRGA". The station has also been using the tag line "Local News Now" more heavily in 2014.

History

The station began operation in 1929 as WFDV,^[2] operating on 1500 kHz.^[3] On May 16, 1948, WRGA changed its frequency from 1490 kHz to 1470 kHz with a concurrent increase in power from 250 W to 5 KW.^[2]

References

↑ "WRGA Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
1 2 "WRGA Moves to 1470 kc, Increases Power to 5 kw" (PDF). Broadcasting. May 24, 1948. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
↑ "Rome". The Georgia Radio Hall of Fame and Museum. Retrieved 14 December 2014.

External links

Radio stations in the Rome / northwest Georgia market

By FM frequency	WMBW – 88.9 W215BA – 90.9 WCCV – 91.7 WIPK – 94.5 WSRM – 95.3 WATG – 95.7 WGPB – 97.7 WQTU – 102.3 WTSH-FM – 107.1

By AM frequency	WROM – 710 WQRX – 870 WEBS – 1030 WZQZ – 1180 WGJK – 1360 WLAQ – 1410 WRGA – 1470

Defunct stations	WGTA – 950

Georgia radio markets Albany Atlanta Augusta Brunswick Columbus Macon Savannah Valdosta Other Georgia radio regions Rome Thomasville/Bainbridge Waycross See also List of radio stations in Georgia

News/Talk radio stations in the state of Georgia

All-News	WYAY – Gainesville

News & Talk	WALG – Albany WAOK – Atlanta WAYX – Waycross WBLJ – Dalton WBMQ – Savannah WCHM – Clarkesville WCHZ-FM – Warrenton WDAK – Columbus WDMG – Douglas WDUN – Gainesville WGAC – Augusta WGAU – Athens WGIG – Brunswick WGST – Atlanta WJBB – Winder WJRB – Young Harris WKWN – Trenton WLBB – Carrollton WMAC – Macon WRCG – Columbus WRDW – Augusta WSB – Atlanta WSBB-FM – Doraville WSRM – Coosa WTKS – Savannah WTRP – La Grange WVGA – Lakeland WVLD – Valdosta WWNS – Statesboro WYXC – Cartersville

Defunct	WGHC – Clayton

See also adult contemporary classic hits college country news/talk NPR oldies religious rock sports top 40 urban other radio stations in Georgia

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