WGIV

WGIV (1370 kHz) is a mainstream urban radio station licensed to Pineville, North Carolina, and serves the Charlotte metropolitan area. The station broadcasts at 1370 kHz, and simulcasts on translator W277CB (103.3 FM), which is licensed to Charlotte. WGIV is owned by Frank Neely, but the station is operated by Steve Hedgwood's Core Communications, which owns the identical trimulcast of W233BF/WIPK/WFDR in Atlanta.

This is the second station in the market to use the WGIV call letters, the other being the more well-known 1600 AM frequency (now WBCN at 1660 AM). It was the first station in the market to target the African-American audience.

The first WGIV era (1947–2003)

History of Black Radio

The struggle for racial equality in the broadcasting industry was a major concern for African Americans in the 20th century. Since World War II, Black Radio has played a major role in the broader African American racial struggle in the United States. Blacks in the radio industry were largely responsible for the struggle against the Jim Crow employment laws, as well as for counteracting the derogatory stereotypes that Whites had given Blacks on broadcasting media. During the civil rights movements in the 1950s and 1960s, African Americans in the radio industry played a crucial role in the spreading of awareness and information to their listeners.