WZGV (730 AM) is a commercial radio station, licensed to Cramerton, North Carolina and serving the Charlotte metropolitan area. It carries a sports radio format and is owned by Marty Hurney's 2G Media, Inc. Most programming comes from the ESPN Radio Network, with a local afternoon show called "The Afternoon Rush." The radio studios are on Morehead Street just outside downtown Charlotte.
WZGV’s daytime transmitter power is 10,000 watts, but because 730 AM is a Canadian and Mexican clear channel frequency, WZGV greatly reduces power at night to 190 watts to avoid interference. The transmitter is on Tar Heel Road in Charlotte. Programming is heard around the clock on 250-watt FM translator 97.5 W248CO, also in Charlotte.
History
WOHS
Robert Wallace formed Western Carolina Radio Corporation in 1945 with the intent to sign on a station in Western North Carolina. He was granted a construction permit for 730 AM with the call sign WOHS. The transmitter was located in Shelby just off Hwy 74 East. The station signed on the air August 21, 1946.
Wallace then turned over the programming to Hugh Dover. Dover was known as the 'Happy Birthday Man' for his daily renditions to whoever was celebrating that particular day. A mainstay of homes in the community, Dover's popular "Carolina in the Morning" show would run 38 years until Dover's semi-retirement in 1984. One popular guest on the show was Cleveland County native and bluegrass music legend, Earl Scruggs. Scruggs and Dover had been childhood friends, growing up in the Flint Hill Community of Cleveland County.
When Don Gibson hosted "Sons of the Soil" in the early 1950s, he told Jonas Bridges, an announcer on the show, that he would write a song that would make him rich. Bridges didn't believe him, but he ended up playing "Oh Lonesome Me" on WKMT in 1957.
Doug Limerick, later an ABC News Radio anchor, worked at WOHS at night while in high school, playing Top 40.
New ownership
In 1992, Calvin Hastings, who bought WCSL in Cherryville in 1983 and WGNC in Gastonia six years later, bought WOHS and began calling the three stations Piedmont Superstations.
On April 1, 1993, Hastings' KTC Broadcasting took over WLON in Lincolnton in a lease agreement. WLON's Tim Biggerstaff would remain as morning DJ, and his show would be heard on all four KTC stations. News for the entire area would be expanded. The four stations aired UNC-Chapel Hill football and basketball, Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins NFL football, and CBS coverage of such events as The World Series and The Super Bowl.
Sports broadcasts
WCSL, WGNC, WLON and WOHS began carrying Atlanta Braves baseball in 1993. The Braves are the closest Major League Baseball team to Charlotte.
WOHS added the NFL Carolina Panthers when the team began playing in 1995. It also aired games of the NBA Charlotte Hornets. In 2000, the stations began airing the Redskins again instead of the Panthers (WGNC aired the Panthers if there was no conflict).
Late in 1999, the four stations changed from country music to "Super Oldies." Biggerstaff, the program director, said country had moved away from its traditional sound. Lillie White remained as midday host, and Andy Foster was afternoon host. Local and sports remained important, and the stations aired the One-on-One sports radio network at night.
In 2004, Biggerstaff was still hosting his show on WCSL and WLON despite diabetes-related health problems. Later he moved to Lincolnton-based Hometown Radio's Shelby operation. On WADA he played classic country music and hosted a "Swap Shop" show on WGNC and WOHS. By this time he had experienced a kidney transplant and two pancreas transplants. On Memorial Day 2007, while on the air, Biggerstaff had a seizure and asked for help on the air, and a listener called 911. He ended up being interviewed by BBC London, Today and People Magazine.
WZGV
In April 2009, the station was listed as "silent" on the FCC database. HRN bought the dormant license, moved it to Cramerton in Gaston County, and changed its call letters to WZGV in 2009. Another Shelby radio station took the WOHS letters.
WZGV planned to return to the air playing classic hits/oldies as "Groove 730" in February 2010. WOLS morning host Ken Conrad would do mornings, Liz Luke of Magic 96.1 was to be midday host, and Glenn Trent, formerly a radio personality in Asheville, North Carolina, would have the afternoon slot. General manager Lanny Ford said late in February that weather-related "construction delays" were delaying the station's debut to March.