History
WMC is one of the few surviving radio stations in the United States to use its original call letters; the station first broadcast on January 19, 1923. Among its unique features was late night concerts from blues singers. Although Memphis was segregated, Bessie Smith performed at WMC on October 5, 1923 ("Hit On Radio," Chicago Defender, October 6, 1923, p. 8)
It was reported that explorers from Great Britain heard WMC in the Arctic.
In the 1930s, WMC was still owned by The Commercial Appeal and carried the NBC Radio Red Network, while WMPS, owned by the Press-Scimitar, aired the Blue Network.
During the 1960s, WMC had a MOR format. In 1973, WMC became the first 24 hour full time country station in Memphis and was often #1 in the ratings. KIX 106 went country in 1983 and was the first full signal FM country competition. By 1989, WMC switched to News/Talk.
In 1997, "News/Talk 790" gave up Rush Limbaugh to WREC as well as its morning news show.
In July 2001, WMC-AM was called "SPORTSPLUS 790," with a sports radio format. The GoodTimes Show, with news about casino gambling in Tunica, Mississippi, made its debut on the station at that time.
In December 2005, CBS Radio changed WMC to a classic country format, since there were so many sports stations. Most programming was provided by Jones Radio Networks' Classic Hit Country network, which subsequently became Dial Global's Classic Country network. The station returned to an all-sports format on October 17, 2011, taking the Fox Sports Radio affiliation from KQPN; additionally, Entercom will move The Jim Rome Show from WMFS to WMC.
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