WCNU

WCNU (1010 AM) was a radio station located in Crestview, Florida, USA. The station served the Northwest Florida and South Alabama areas.

History

Samuel F. (Sam) Townsend became the general manager and first announcer on WCNU radio station in Crestview, Florida in April, 1948. The station began broadcasting on a frequency of 1010 kHz on the AM dial with 1000 watts of power. WCNU operated from its studio in Radio Valley on State Road 85 south of the city limits.

WCNU played a country-western format for its listeners in the Northwest Florida/South Alabama area. It was known as the "Community Station" and for playing "Dixie" before and after the news in the morning. The station was also known for signing off every evening to "Canadian Sunset."

In the late 1950s, WCNU and WDSP were owned and operated by W.D. "Cooter" Douglass and his wife, Marie. In 1959, citing his actions "in the spirit of emphasizing the public interest" and his "faithful reporting of the news and fearless comment thereon from Radio Stations WDSP, DeFuniak Springs and WCNU, Crestview", the Florida Legislature passed a resolution designating U.S. Route 90 passing through Walton and Okaloosa counties as the "William D. "Cooter" Douglass Highway."