WIAC (AM)

WIAC
City San Juan, Puerto Rico
Broadcast area Puerto Rico
Branding WIAC 740 AM
Slogan La Original
Frequency 740 kHz
First air date March 1947
Format News Talk/Spanish Variety
Power 10,000 watts
Class B
Transmitter coordinates 18°21′24″N 66°14′5″W / 18.35667°N 66.23472°W / 18.35667; -66.23472
Callsign meaning West
Indies
Advertising
Company
Former callsigns WIBS (1947-1951)
Former frequencies 580 kHz (1942-1951)
Affiliations Square Multimedia
Owner Bestov Broadcast Group
(Bestov Broadcasting, Inc.)
Sister stations WYAC
WISA
Website www.wiac740.com

WIAC (740 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a News Talk Information and Spanish Variety format. Licensed to San Juan, Puerto Rico (a possession of the United States), it serves the Puerto Rico area. The station is currently owned by Bestov Broadcast Group.

The station was rebroadcast through a synchronous repeater, WI2XAC Ponce, which also broadcasts at 740 kHz. On April 19, 2017 the Federal Communications Commission ruled that WI2XAC's license will not be renewed. The ruling stated that it must discontinue operation on May 29, 2017 and the license would be cancelled on May 30, 2017.[1][2][3]

A petition for review of the order to cancel WI2XAC's license was submitted on April 24, 2017.[4]

History

Puerto Rico's first advertising agency, the West Indies Advertising Company (WIAC), was founded in San Juan in 1933, by the Abarca family, which also owned a successful structural steel company. By 1942 the advertisement agency's management founded WIAC-AM at 580 kHz, with Félix Muñiz, the brother of Tomás Muñiz (and uncle of Tommy Muñiz, as its administrator. Due to the untimely death of Félix, Tomás became the station's administrator soon after.

WIAC was operating on 580 kHz in San Juan from 1942 to 1947, and it is currently occupied by WKAQ. WIAC officially began operations in March 1947 moving to the current frequency, 740 AM, replacing WIBS in Santurce.

During the 1950s & 1970s, WIAC was the only radio station broadcasting weather forecasts every 10 minutes & public affairs programming.

In 1961, Bestov Broadcasting, Inc. (a radio company owned by Alan Mejía and his brother, Luis Mejía) acquired the station, along with WIAC-FM 102.5 FM (formerly Sistema 102), which began operations that same year. In 1962, Bestov acquires WISA 1390 AM in Isabela serving the western and north area, and it is owned by Mejia's subsidiary, Isabela Broadcasting, Inc., this serving as a satellite of WIAC. In 1982, WIAC changed its news programming, with the branding of WIAC NotiReloj. In 1998, WIAC NotiReloj became Cadena Radio Puerto Rico, with a News/Talk format. In 1999, Bestov Broadcast Group acquires WEKO 930 (now WYAC) in Cabo Rojo from David Ortiz Cintron, a radio entrepreneur from Cabo Rojo, which becomes a repeater of WIAC. Bestov also acquires WTIL 1300 AM in Mayaguez and would become the repeater of WEKO until 2003.

In 2009, WIAC reached an Agreement with Boricua-JE Broadcasting, inc., the station's licensee to change to Boricua 740.

On February 1, 2012 WIAC's owner Bestov Broadcast Group joined in an alliance with Noti-Luz, buying from Empower Media Group, forming Puerto Rico's only AM & FM news & talk station. The Noti-Luz Network was conformed by WGIT 1660 AM in Canóvanas, WIAC 740 AM in San Juan/Ponce, WYAC 930 AM in Cabo Rojo/Mayagüez, WISA 1390 AM in Isabela, WJDZ 90.1 FM in Pastillo, WNNV 91.7 FM in San Germán, WEKO 1580 AM in Morovis & WXRF 1590 AM in Guayama.

On June 1, 2012, it changed name from Radio 740 to "Acción 740", later, "Acción Radio" with news at the top of the hour. that same month, WIAC was purchased by Héctor Marcano Martínez's subsidiary, Metro Media Broadcasting, which also owns WWXY-LD Channel 8.1 (Tiva TV) in San Juan.

On October 2, a legendary Broadcast Pioneer Alan Mejía & former owner Bestov Broadcast Group returned to WIAC and changed their news/talk programming to a Spanish Variety format as WIAC 740 La Original. In November 2012, the station's programming was changed.

From March 2016 to June 2017, WIAC 740 AM broadcasts Monday-Friday from 3AM to 10PM, Saturdays from 4AM to 11PM and Sundays from 5AM to 10PM, while its station website, WIAC740.com, continues on the air during the overnight hours for more programming.

On May 29, 2017, WIAC 740 ceased operations on its synchronized station transmitter located at Peñuelas and cancelled the license on May 30, 2017. As a result, WIAC 740 is no longer heard in the southern Puerto Rico Area.

In June 2017, WIAC 740 AM switched back to broadcast operations, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. However, In August WIAC would return to broadcast operation until 10PM. On Saturdays from 4AM to 11PM and Sundays from 5AM until 9PM. Due to the passage of Hurricane Maria, WIAC was forced to resume operations because of damages in the transmitter antenna caused by the Hurricane. WIAC will reduced its operations from a Diesel generator until 6PM. In 2018, WIAC returns to its full 24-hour broadcast operation. However, In June, WIAC returns to reducing operations, ending their broadcast day at 6PM, occasionally on Wednesdays, Thursdays and weekends at 7PM.

Programming

  • 3AM Amanecer Jíbaro con Tito Rivera (programa con mas de 40 años en el aire)
  • 6AM Sin Tapujos
  • 9AM El Show de la Mañana con Guillermo Rios Sanchez
  • 10AM La Ley Deportiva
  • 11AM Machacando Con Susa y Epifanio
  • 12PM De Todo Un Poco Con Manolo Almeida
  • 1PM Musica 740
  • 2PM Trayectoria con Jay Torres
  • 3PM Auto Control
  • 5PM Al Ritmo del Deporte
  • 6PM Sign Off

References

  1. ↑ Application for Renewal of License Federal Communications Commission - November 7, 2016
  2. ↑ Petition for Reconsideration Federal Communications Commission - April 19, 2017
  3. ↑ "Field Trial Results of AM Transmitter Carrier Synchronization" (PDF). Thomas F. King; Stephen F. Smith. Retrieved May 24, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Petition for Review" (PDF). Luis A. Mejia. April 24, 2017. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
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