Journey Of The Traveling Calls: WWCD
Audio Of The Various WWCD Pitstops In Columbus, Including Last Week's Sign Off
I wrote a couple of weeks ago that WWCD 1580 Columbus would be changing call letters to WXGT on February 1st and posted some airchecks of the old “92X” top 40 formats from when those calls were used in the market on 92.3. Indeed, WWCD changed calls to WXGT on February 1st. However, the WWCD calls will be back — on its fourth frequency in the Columbus market — as the FCC has granted iHeart’s request to change the calls of its modern rock WXZX 105.7 Hilliard to WWCD effective February 12 next week.
It’s not often, but some call letters do find themselves re-used over and over again in the same market. KFRC has been used in the San Francisco market over the decades on 610, 1550, 99.7, 106.1, and its current home on 106.9. WWCD has been on 101.1, 102.5, 1580, and soon to be on 105.7.
So, let’s take an audio journey to the previous homes of the WWCD calls and modern rock “CD” format.
Aircheck: WWCD 101.1 “CD101, The Alternative Station” July 30 2009
WWCD’s first home was on the new 101.1 facility licensed to Grove City OH when it signed on the air in 1990. As a class A signal, its coverage area was pretty limited. This aircheck is from 2009, near the end of its time on 101.1. No DJ on duty for this audio.
Bush/“Comedown”
Temple Of The Dog/“Hunger Strike”
Amy Winehouse/“Tears Dry On Their Own”
Franz Ferdinand/“No You Girls”
Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears/“Sugarcoat”
U2/“Bad”
Legal ID: WWCD 101.1 Grove City-Columbus
Manchester Orchestra/“I’ve Got Friends”
Weezer/“Buddy Holly”
White Rabbits/“Percussion Gun”
INXS/“What You Need”
Red Hot Chili Peppers/“Higher Ground”
Current format: classical WOSA
Aircheck: WWCD 102.5 “CD102-5” July 3 2012
The 102.5 facility was formally WHIZ-FM Zanesville that was re-engineered and moved into the Columbus market. The modern rock format and WWCD calls moved to it in 2010. This is the first of two airchecks from their time on 102.5. This one is with DJ Tom Butler.
Jack White/“Sixteen Saltines”
Oasis/“Don’t Look Back In Anger”
The Royal Concept/“Gimme Twice”
Imagine Dragons/“It’s Time”
Gotye (Featuring Kimbra)/“Somebody That I Used To Know”
The Hives/“Go Right Ahead”
Nirvana/“The Man Who Sold The World” (Live Acoustic)
Silvers Pickups/“Bloody Mary (Nerve Endings)
Cloud Nothings/“Stay Useless”
The Gaslight Anthem/“45”
Love And Rockets/“Sweet Lover Hangover”
The Smashing Pumpkins/“The Celestials”
Arcade Fire/“Keep The Car Running”
Mark Lanegan Band/“Riot In My House”
Young The Giant/“Cough Syrup”
Fun./“Some Nights”
WWCD 102.5 “CD102-5” June 26 2017
Here is another audio aircheck from 102.5 from Monday morning, June 26 2017 with Brian Phillips.
The White Stripes/“The Hardest Button To Button”
Sonic Youth/“Kool Thing”
The Head And The Heart/“All We Ever Knew”
Warpaint/“So Good”
Death Cab For Cutie/“Black Sun”
Muse/“Dig Down”
The Killers/“Somebody Told Me”
The War On Drugs/“Holding On”
The Lumineers/“Ophelia”
Nathaniel Ratliff & The Night Sweats/“S.O.B.”
Foo Fighters/“Run”
Legal ID: WWCD 102.5 Baltimore-Columbus
Cage The Elephant/“Cold Cold Cold”
Run River North/“29”
My Chemical Romance/“I’m Not Okay (I Promise)”
Depeche Mode/“Personal Jesus”
Current format: regional Mexican WWLG “La Grande 102.5”
Aircheck: WWCD 1580/W225CS 92.9 Columbus “CD92-9” January 31 2024
In 2020, WWCD’s time on 102.5 ended and the calls and format moved to 1580 Columbus and its FM translator W225CS 92.9. The format was simulcast on WQCD 1550 Delaware OH and its FM translator W225CM, also on 92.9. This aircheck is from last week, January 31 2024, and is the last hour of CD92-9 and the calls on the 1580 facility. The aircheck features the farewell by the staff and ends with the legal ID with the new WXGT calls (now home to modern rock “93X”).
Blue October/“Down Here Waiting”
Q Lazzarus/“Goodbye Horses”
Ocean Alley/“Confidence”
Legal ID: WWCD 1580 / W225CS 92.9 Columbus and WQCD 1550 / W225CM 92.9 Delaware
The Rolling Stones/“It’s Only Rock ’N’ Roll (But I Like It)”
Nine Inch Nails/“Head Like A Hole”
Rage Against The Machine/“Killing In The Name”
Soundgarden/“Blow Up The Outside World”
Billie Eilish/“Bad Guy”
Stone Temple Pilots/“Dead & Bloated”
Hole/“Violet”
Thirty Seconds To Mars/“The Kill (Bury Me)”
Blondie/“One Way Or Another”
Johnny Cash/“The Man Comes Around”
Queen/“Don’t Stop Me Now”
Legal ID: WXGT 1580 Columbus and WQCD 1550 Delaware
As always, the logos and other intellectual property belong to the stations. The recordings were made from over the air broadcasts.