WRCS-AM 970 Ahoskie

[jmtillery]

Can anyone tell me if WRCS Ahoskie is still on the air, and if so, is its format still Gospel? I remember at one time many years ago the format was adult contemporary/Top 40. Its sister FM station WQDK-FM 99.3 was country. Sometime in 1986 the formats were swapped., e.g., country was moved to WRCS while adult contemporary was moved to WQDK. I don't think that lasted very long before the formats were swapped back. Then WQDK was sold seperately and re-licensed to Gatesville (did I spell it correctly) and WRCS became a Gospel station. Just wondering if anyone knows anything about that station and the market.

Mark Tillery,
Ocala, Florida
[email protected]

 

[ECRadioGuy]

WRCS is still gospel and WQDK is still country. Have been that way for years.

 

[EncSpy]

I personally know the owner of WRCS, there is some very good people in place there keeping it going. the station is locally owned and operated as well as live and local during the day..usually 6am to 5pm, now going 24/7 with 80 watts night which is enough to cover ahoskie. that building is a time machine, minus the tower which is replaced the last one that collapsed during hurricane isabel which replaced the original tower which fell during hurricane hazel..both suffered the same demise...uprooted guy anchors in soft soil. WRCS still on carts and most of its commercials still being cut on reel to reel at least as of 6 months ago. I have several pictures of the building, equipment..etc.. just ask and I will upload them. WQDK is owned by max media but the studios are still located in the same building along with WRCS, its a odd relationship considering different owners but they still share the same building.... up until about a year ago it was still using an anchient Harris/Gates stereo 80 board with RDS Phantom II (dos based automation system), now using scott studios & digital editing...

 

[jmtillery]

I personally know the owner of WRCS, there is some very good people in place there keeping it going. the station is locally owned and operated as well as live and local during the day..usually 6am to 5pm, now going 24/7 with 80 watts night which is enough to cover ahoskie. that building is a time machine, minus the tower which is replaced the last one that collapsed during hurricane isabel which replaced the original tower which fell during hurricane hazel..both suffered the same demise...uprooted guy anchors in soft soil. WRCS still on carts and most of its commercials still being cut on reel to reel at least as of 6 months ago. I have several pictures of the building, equipment..etc.. just ask and I will upload them. WQDK is owned by max media but the studios are still located in the same building along with WRCS, its a odd relationship considering different owners but they still share the same building.... up until about a year ago it was still using an anchient Harris/Gates stereo 80 board with RDS Phantom II (dos based automation system), now using scott studios & digital editing...

I would love to see those photos of WRCS if you don't mind passing along copies. The last time I was in that building was in 1983 while I was visiting with family. At that time WRCS and WQDK were still co-owned. WRCS was local, live Top 40 and WQDK was automated country. The first time I was in that building, I was 10 years old, again visiting with family on family vacation, and I remember getting to see the operation and thinking to myself "WOW...This would be fun to do", hence, the beginnings of my radio interest.

EncSpy, my email is below my signature here. It would be great hearing from you and seeing those photos of WRCS/WQDK.

Mark Tillery,
Ocala, Florida
[email protected]

 

[EncSpy]

I know the feeling, my father worked there from about 1981-1990, you got in there right before those two stations went thru the "dark ages"...,I have a 10 1/2" reel from 1982 full of airchecks, commercials and commercial outtakes...I haven't had a chance to go thru the tape and take anything off it yet...I got my start in radio there...learning on that old stereo 80 board.....im in my early 20's and know how to cut carts and splice reels....I know how to do radio the old fashioned way!!!!......I also have photos of several other stations in the area like WWDR/WDLZ that are pretty recent as well (that place is a time machine as well), the AM side is using a old Gates Yard II....I will send those along too...

 

[ZAX Double J]

I know the feeling, my father worked there from about 1981-1990, you got in there right before those two stations went thru the "dark ages"...,I have a 10 1/2" reel from 1982 full of airchecks, commercials and commercial outtakes...I haven't had a chance to go thru the tape and take anything off it yet...I got my start in radio there...learning on that old stereo 80 board.....im in my early 20's and know how to cut carts and splice reels....I know how to do radio the old fashioned way!!!!......I also have photos of several other stations in the area like WWDR/WDLZ that are pretty recent as well (that place is a time machine as well), the AM side is using a old Gates Yard II....I will send those along too...

I'd like to see the phtos too. I love looking at the studios and seeing the equipment.

 

[carlvenorden]

I'd like to put my email addy down as wanting to see all those pics too!
[email protected]

Or, why not post them?????? Looks like there is interest!
Thanks,
Carl

 

[EncSpy]

http://picasaweb.google.com/encguy

here we go...thats my little web album from ahoskie, murfreesboro, and roanoke rapids....

 

[ZAX Double J]

http://picasaweb.google.com/encguy

here we go...thats my little web album from ahoskie, murfreesboro, and roanoke rapids....

WOW pretty cool! I saw a rare blue colored Optimod in there too whatever happened to that? The pics of Roanoke Rapids were pretty interesting too. I remember when Mainquad bought that place. We had a Christmas party there and my feet like to froze off. It has been quite a long time since I went up there. I'm not sure if all the studios were done by Matt Lightner, but I notice some of his work in some of the pics. We have a few of the Harris transmitters like the one in the Nov 27 folder. Thanks for sharing.

 

[radioguybroadcasting]

http://picasaweb.google.com/encguy/Ahoskie#5196786172536579234
i recognize the automation in that pic... Raduga/ZaraRadio!

http://picasaweb.google.com/encguy/WGAIWCXLWSKY#5267529183064914498
That is "The Phantom" from RDS in Macon, GA (Who also own an AM/FM/TV station there!)

 

[EncSpy]

http://picasaweb.google.com/encguy

here we go...thats my little web album from ahoskie, murfreesboro, and roanoke rapids....

WOW pretty cool! I saw a rare blue colored Optimod in there too whatever happened to that? The pics of Roanoke Rapids were pretty interesting too. I remember when Mainquad bought that place. We had a Christmas party there and my feet like to froze off. It has been quite a long time since I went up there. I'm not sure if all the studios were done by Matt Lightner, but I notice some of his work in some of the pics. We have a few of the Harris transmitters like the one in the Nov 27 folder. Thanks for sharing.

that blue optimod is still down there at WQDK. all it takes to see the building down in ahoskie is a knock on the door at any time of the day, whoever is there will gladly show you around the building.

the studios in roanoke rapids were done by Matt Lightner, I've had the pleasure of meeting him a few times, most recently was when he installed a new soild state transmitter and optimod 9100 for WPTM, which is where i snapped that pic of the old transmitter, I have a pic of the new transmitter somewhere..I'll have to hunt for it.....

http://picasaweb.google.com/encguy/Ahoskie#5196786172536579234
i recognize the automation in that pic... Raduga/ZaraRadio!

http://picasaweb.google.com/encguy/WGAIWCXLWSKY#5267529183064914498
That is "The Phantom" from RDS in Macon, GA (Who also own an AM/FM/TV station there!)

yep...WRCS needed something simple and easy to do automation with....mainly for overnights and live assist....I actually installed raduga for them back in 2002 for them. and since they haven't called me to fix it...I would say its really redundant!...

yep..all Ray-D-O biz stations in NE NC at that time had phantoms...they were pretty decent systems and straightforward to use.

 

[radioguybroadcasting]

http://picasaweb.google.com/encguy

here we go...thats my little web album from ahoskie, murfreesboro, and roanoke rapids....

WOW pretty cool! I saw a rare blue colored Optimod in there too whatever happened to that? The pics of Roanoke Rapids were pretty interesting too. I remember when Mainquad bought that place. We had a Christmas party there and my feet like to froze off. It has been quite a long time since I went up there. I'm not sure if all the studios were done by Matt Lightner, but I notice some of his work in some of the pics. We have a few of the Harris transmitters like the one in the Nov 27 folder. Thanks for sharing.

that blue optimod is still down there at WQDK. all it takes to see the building down in ahoskie is a knock on the door at any time of the day, whoever is there will gladly show you around the building.

the studios in roanoke rapids were done by Matt Lightner, I've had the pleasure of meeting him a few times, most recently was when he installed a new soild state transmitter and optimod 9100 for WPTM, which is where i snapped that pic of the old transmitter, I have a pic of the new transmitter somewhere..I'll have to hunt for it.....

http://picasaweb.google.com/encguy/Ahoskie#5196786172536579234
i recognize the automation in that pic... Raduga/ZaraRadio!

http://picasaweb.google.com/encguy/WGAIWCXLWSKY#5267529183064914498
That is "The Phantom" from RDS in Macon, GA (Who also own an AM/FM/TV station there!)

yep...WRCS needed something simple and easy to do automation with....mainly for overnights and live assist....I actually installed raduga for them back in 2002 for them. and since they haven't called me to fix it...I would say its really redundant!...

yep..all Ray-D-O biz stations in NE NC at that time had phantoms...they were pretty decent systems and straightforward to use.

I used The Phantom in FLorida.. when it worked, it was fine. .but when it went down, it was a P.O.S.

 

[ZAX Double J]

Yeah Matt is a really nice guy. I have a few pics of our studios here in Rocky Mount that I can post on my website to show or I can email 'em to you.

 

[itzawlgud]

http://picasaweb.google.com/encguy
here we go...thats my little web album from ahoskie, murfreesboro, and roanoke rapids....

OH! MY! HEAVENS! EncSpy, I can't thank you enough for posting those photos of Ahoskie!

I worked at WRCS/WRCS-FM aka WQDK from 1977-80 and then summers and holidays through the early 80s and I STILL have dreams about being on the air there! I'm not kidding. I am sooo happy to see most of the building and equipment looking just like I left it. That old FM transmitter and that great old AM transmitter with the huge tubes were there. I could walk right in there today and sign either Xmitter on or off. LOL

I was a young teenager and, clearly, my fondest radio memories are of working in that building. Playing Top 40 on an AM station was the COOLEST thing ever! (That was back when you could still hear WABC,WNBC,WGAR at night and WGH Newport News/Norfolk all playing bigtime Top 40 radio!)

I don't check into this site all that much, but I'm glad it crossed my mind. This makes my week!