WCOA (AM)
WCOA is a commercial radio station licensed to Pensacola, Florida, United States, serving the Emerald Coast. It is owned by Cumulus Media and broadcasts a talk format. The studios and offices are on North W Street off Pensacola Boulevard.
The transmitter is on Hollywood Avenue near Massachusetts Avenue in Brent, Florida.
History
On February 3, 1926, hundreds of people gathered in Plaza Ferdinand in downtown Pensacola. They were there to hear the first sounds of radio in Northwest Florida. At precisely 8:30 p.m. WCOA went on the air, and the broadcast was piped over a large horn on top of City Hall. Locals who owned receivers could tune into the 250-watt signal that was broadcast from two 100-foot towers located behind City Hall.City Clerk John E. Frenkel Sr., who used the moniker Breezy Boy from the Gulf, hosted the first program. It featured local talent, city officials and representatives of area military bases. The grand finale was a rendition of a song called "Down Pensacola Way" that was composed especially for the big unveiling. According to letters and calls, over 700 people listened to the first broadcast.
When the city government changed form in 1931, WCOA was purchased by John C. Pace for $6,500. When he purchased the station on December 1, 1931, he indicated he would spend $20,000 in modernizing the station. The studios were moved to the San Carlos Hotel where they remained until 1949. Pace eventually sold the station to the company that owned the Pensacola News Journal newspaper, which sold it in 1957.
The station increased its power to 5,000 watts September 8, 1947.
WCOA operated for many years as a network affiliate of NBC Radio. The programming featured middle of the road music, news and sports. The station's popularity grew. In 1956, when WCOA celebrated 30 years on the air, congratulatory telegrams were received from musicians such as Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra.
The station changed ownership, location and network affiliation several more times over the years. In 1991, the programming switched to a news-talk format.
WCOA also has a place in the Congressional Record, recognizing the 80th anniversary of WCOA.