WIAC (740

kHz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), often described as being equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose formal expression in terms of SI base uni ...

) is an AM

radio station Radio broadcasting is the broadcasting of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based rad ...

broadcasting a

News Talk Information Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. They may feature monologues, dialogues between the hosts, interviews wi ...

and

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

variety format. Licensed to

San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan ( , ; Spanish for "Saint John the Baptist, John") is the capital city and most populous Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality in the Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the ...

, it serves the Puerto Rico area. The station is currently owned by Bestov Broadcast Group.

History

Puerto Rico's first advertising agency, the West Indies Advertising Company (WIAC), was founded in San Juan in 1933, by the Abarca family, which also owned a successful structural steel company. By 1942 the advertisement agency's management founded WIAC at 580 kHz, with Félix Muñiz, the brother of Tomás Muñiz (and uncle of

Tommy Muñiz Lucas Tomás Muñiz Ramírez (4 February 1922 – 15 January 2009), better known as Tommy Muñiz, was a Puerto Rican comedy and drama actor, media producer, businessman and network owner. He is considered to be one of the pioneering figures of ...

, as its administrator. Due to the untimely death of Félix, Tomás became the station's administrator soon after. WIAC operated on 580 kHz in San Juan from 1942 to 1947, a frequency later occupied by WKAQ. WIAC officially began operations in March 1947, moving to 740 AM, replacing WIBS in Santurce. During the 1950s and 1970s, WIAC was the only radio station broadcasting weather forecasts every 10 minutes and public affairs programming. In 1961, Bestov Broadcasting, Inc. (a radio company owned by Alan Mejía and his brother, Luis Mejía) acquired the station, along with WIAC-FM 102.5 FM (formerly Sistema 102), which began operations that same year. In 1962, Bestov acquired WISA 1390 AM in Isabela serving the western and north area, and it is owned by Mejia's subsidiary, Isabela Broadcasting, Inc., this serving as a satellite of WIAC. In 1982, WIAC changed its news programming, with the branding of "WIAC NotiReloj". In 1998, WIAC NotiReloj became Cadena Radio Puerto Rico, with a News/Talk format. In 1999, Bestov Broadcast Group acquired WEKO 930 (now WYAC) in Cabo Rojo from David Ortiz Cintron, a radio entrepreneur from Cabo Rojo, which becomes a repeater of WIAC. Bestov also acquired WTIL 1300 AM in Mayaguez and would become the repeater of WEKO until 2003. In 2009, WIAC reached an agreement with Boricua-JE Broadcasting, inc., the station's licensee to change to Boricua 740. On February 1, 2012 WIAC's owner Bestov Broadcast Group joined in an alliance with Noti-Luz, buying from Empower Media Group, forming Puerto Rico's only AM and FM news and talk station. The Noti-Luz Network consisted of WGIT 1660 AM in Canóvanas, WIAC 740 AM in

San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John (disambiguation), Saint John, most commonly refers to: * San Juan, Puerto Rico * San Juan, Argentina * San Juan, Metro Manila, a highly urbanized city in the Philippines San Juan may also refer to: Places Arge ...

/ Ponce, WYAC 930 AM in Cabo Rojo/ Mayagüez, WISA 1390 AM in Isabela, WJDZ 90.1 FM in Pastillo, WNNV 91.7 FM in San Germán, WEKO 1580 AM in Morovis and WXRF 1590 AM in

Guayama Guayama (, ), officially the Autonomous Municipality of Guayama (), is a Guayama barrio-pueblo, city and Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality on the Caribbean Sea, Caribbean coast of Puerto Rico. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 ...

. On June 1, 2012, it changed its slogan from "Radio 740" to "Acción 740", later, "Acción Radio" with news at the top of the hour. that same month, WIAC was purchased by Héctor Marcano Martínez's subsidiary, Metro Media Broadcasting, which also owns WWXY-LD Channel 8.1 (Tiva TV) in San Juan. On October 2, a legendary broadcast pioneer Alan Mejía and former owner Bestov Broadcast Group returned to WIAC and changed their news/talk programming to a Spanish Variety format as "WIAC 740 La Original". In November 2012, the station's programming was changed. From March 2016 to June 2017, WIAC 740 AM broadcast Monday-Friday from 3AM to 10PM, Saturdays from 4AM to 11PM and Sundays from 5AM to 10PM, while its station website, WIAC740.com, continued operating during the overnight hours for additional programming. In June 2017, WIAC 740 AM switched back to broadcast operations of 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. However, in August WIAC returned to broadcast operations until 10PM, on Saturdays from 4AM to 11PM and Sundays from 5AM until 9PM, due to the passage of

Hurricane Maria Hurricane Maria was an extremely powerful and devastating tropical cyclone that affected the northeastern Caribbean in September 2017, particularly in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, which accounted for 2,975 of the 3,059 deaths. It is the ...

, as WIAC was forced to reduce operations because of damages in the transmitter antenna caused by the Hurricane. WIAC reduced its operations from a Diesel generator until 6PM. In 2018, WIAC returned to its full 24-hour broadcast operation. However, in June, WIAC returned to reduced operations, ending their broadcast day at 6PM, occasionally on Wednesdays, Thursdays and weekends, at 7PM.

Synchronous relay station

Until late 2016, WIAC's programming was relayed through an experimental synchronous booster station that also transmitted on 740 kHz, WI2XAC in Ponce, which was originally licensed on November 24, 2009."In re: WI2XAC(AM), Ponce, Puerto Rico: Application for Renewal of AM Experimental Booster Station License"
correspondence from FCC Audio Division, Media Bureau, November 29, 2016. On November 29, 2016 the

Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, internet, wi-fi, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains j ...

(FCC) stated that WI2XAC's license would only be renewed for 6 months, after which the station would be deleted. The reason given was that the station had exceeded the 6 year maximum permitted for experimental authorizations. A reconsideration petition was denied, and WI2XAC's license was deleted on November 30, 2016. As a result, WIAC's programming was no longer heard in southern Puerto Rico.

References

External links

FCC History Cards for WIAC
(covering 1946-1980 as WIBS / WIAC)

in the FCC Licensing and Management System {{Puerto Rico Radio IAC (AM) IAC (AM) Radio stations established in 1947 1947 establishments in Puerto Rico IAC (AM)