WIAC 740 AM "BORICUA 740"

[NostalgicFan]

Hello all,

I am doing some research on PR's AM news stations for a college journalism class. One of the stations I chose was WIAC 740AM, currently "BORICUA 740". I haven't been able to find a lot of information about this station; I do know it has gone through several name changes through the years (one of them being "Cadena Radio Puerto Rico"). Is there anything noteworthy about this station that I should know about?? The only piece of information I have is that the station started broadcasting in 1947.


Any help will be appreciated, thanks in advance!

 

[DavidEduardo]

Hello all,

I am doing some research on PR's AM news stations for a college journalism class. One of the stations I chose was WIAC 740AM, currently "BORICUA 740". I haven't been able to find a lot of information about this station; I do know it has gone through several name changes through the years (one of them being "Cadena Radio Puerto Rico"). Is there anything noteworthy about this station that I should know about?? The only piece of information I have is that the station started broadcasting in 1947.


Any help will be appreciated, thanks in advance!

The station started as Radio Internacional, owned by a joint Venezuelan and Puerto Rican group (within the legal limits, of course) and was block programmed through the early 80's. For a while, it was all news, as CRPR, but did not get ratings.

CRPR was in competition with news giants WKAQ, the historical leader and newer and equally successful NotiUno and significant PDP affiliated Radio Isla, and was always number four out of the four. Luis Penchi was news director, brought in from WPAB in Ponce (which if I recall was an affiliate of the network of CRPR.

The transmitter site, in a mangrove swamp ENE of the military base, later became prime commercial land and was sold and the transmitter moved about 10 years ago. For most of its history, it was manged by first the father and then the son of the Mejias family. It never was a significant ratings player, even in the 50's and most of us did not pay it much attention. I can't think of a San Juan station I personally know less about.

You can trace the station by means of the Broadcasting Yearbook issues or the Radio Annual ones at www.americanradiohistory.com

 

[thathoustonradiogeek]

Wasn't WIAC once owned by the father of Don Tommy Muñiz?

I think the calls stood for West Indies Advertising Company and it started in 1942.

The WIAC calls actually belonged to a radio station (or most probably a license for a station that never went on the air) in Galveston,TX pre-1923.

 

[DavidEduardo]

Wasn't WIAC once owned by the father of Don Tommy Muñiz?

I think the calls stood for West Indies Advertising Company and it started in 1942.

The WIAC calls actually belonged to a radio station (or most probably a license for a station that never went on the air) in Galveston,TX pre-1923.

Tomás Muñíz was originally sales manager. The ownership group was headed by one of the Abarca family members; Abarca interests were a major importer of steel for construction and such. Muñíz rose to GM in the later 40's. He continued there into start of the 60's, up until the sale to Bestov and the Mejía family in 1961, I believe.

Tommy, of course, put WLUZ - Bayamón, on the air in late 1965 with studios near the Darlington Hotel in Miramar... I want to say around Stop 12. And his name was "Lucas Tomás Muñíz" as it appeared on the license.

This all makes me want to watch "Los García."