WGTM

WGTM may refer to:

WGTM (defunct)

WGTM was an AM radio station licensed to and located in Wilson, North Carolina. Named for the World's Greatest Tobacco Market, WGTM was founded in the 1930s by the Wilson Tobacco Board of Trade. The station originally transmitted at 1310 kc. and last operated on 590 kHz with 5000 watts full-time. 106.7 WGTM-FM was silenced by Hurricane Hazel which destroyed the tower in October 1954.

Owned by Campbell Broadcasting in the 1960s until 1985, WGTM had a block-type format, featuring local news, country, AC, gospel, & rock. It was then sold to Willis Broadcasting and the format changed to black gospel and talk, with Red Hot Issues weekday mornings with host and owner Celestine Willis and Tawanna Fields.

The studios were located in the back of a church supply store on Hwy 42 West of Wilson. The transmitter site is near Rock Ridge and features a 4 tower array that covers a large part of eastern North Carolina.

In the 1950s and '60s the studios were located on US Highway 301 and later just off of I-95. Many singers and entertainers were known to stop by the studios while traveling through and drop off their latest record or do a quick interview. WGTM also featured one of the first African American D.J.s in the south, Ted Hooker. Hooker hosted "Ebany Hit Parade" and the "Sepia Serenade" later at night. Also a first for the Wilson station was a live teenage program which remoted from the Melody Park Fun land off of Highway 301 North of town. Dick Ellis took requests live from the local teens during the program "Night Beat." The park featured a broadcast booth on top of the former drive-in-theatre snack bar and a "stove-pipe-blower" devise that would send written song requests up to a basket in the booth from the dance floor. Each year, the winners of the yearly dance contest held at the park would win a free trip to appear on the Dick Clark "American Bandstand" show in Philly.

WGTM (AM)

WGTM (1520 AM) is a radio station broadcasting an Oldies/Adult Standards format. It is licensed to Spindale, North Carolina, USA, and is owned by Jesse A. Cowan.

History of call letters

The call letters WGTM used to be assigned to a station in Wilson, North Carolina.

References

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