WWWC (1240 AM), also known as 3WC, is a 24-hour Southern gospel radio station located in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, United States, serving Wilkes County. The station is owned by Foothills Media, Inc. and broadcasts with 1 kilowatt at 1240 kHz on the AM band, as well as over the internet.

History

On November 20, 1968, Paul Cashion and J.B. Wilson, doing business as Wilkes County Radio, obtained the construction permit for a new 100-watt radio station in Wilkesboro. WWWC signed on January 26, 1970, with a country format.^[4][1] Power was increased to 500 watts day/250 night later that year.^[5] Not long after, the station shifted toward a Top 40 format, which remained for most of the next 30 years.

Tomlinson Broadcasting acquired WWWC in 1983 for $410,000.^[6] However, the company filed for bankruptcy reorganization in 1991, owing most of its debt to original owners Cashion and Wilson. The station went off the air on November 12, 1992, and returned to the air on December 4 with Cashion and Wilson again running it.^[7] This was short-lived; Cashion had a stroke and decided to withdraw, leaving the station to close again on January 7, 1993.^[8]

WWWC remained off the air until the station was purchased by Ken Byrd, Alan Combs, and John Wishon and adopted its Southern gospel format on July 11, 1994.^[9] 3WC is currently owned by John Wishon, who bought out the station from co-owner Alan Combs in 2006 for $200,000.^[10]

Translators

In addition to the main station, WWWC is relayed by translators to widen its broadcast area. Cumberland Communities Communications Corporation, owner of WDVX, sold the Wilkesboro frequency to Foothills Media Inc. for $20,000.^[11] In July 2019, a second transmitter was put in place near Elkin, adding an FM signal to the northeast of Wilkesboro.