WWGO (92.1 FM) is a

radio station Radio broadcasting is transmission 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 radi ...

broadcasting a

Classic rock Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, prim ...

format. Licensed to

Charleston, Illinois Charleston is a city in, and the county seat of, Coles County, Illinois, United States. The population was 17,286, as of the 2020 census. The city is home to Eastern Illinois University and has close ties with its neighbor, Mattoon. Both are p ...

, the station is owned by

Cromwell Radio Group Cromwell Radio Group is a privately held radio broadcasting company based in Nashville, Tennessee. They currently own and operate 32 stations: History The company was founded in 1969 when founder and president of the Company, Bayard H. Walters ap ...

, through licensee The Cromwell Group, Inc. of Illinois.

History

The station began broadcasting October 1, 1965, and originally held the call sign WEIC-FM.History Cards for WWGO
fcc.gov. Retrieved July 11, 2018. The station was originally owned by Friendly Broadcasters, Inc. In 1967, the station was sold to Community Communications Associates, along with its AM sister station. The station originally simulcast the

MOR Mor or MOR may refer to: Names and titles * Mór (given name), a list of people named Mór or Mor * Mor (surname), a list of people named Mor or Mór * Mor (honorific), or Mar, in Syriac Radio and television * Middle of the road (music) genre * ...

format of its sister station WEIC 1270, but in December 1971, the station adopted a

progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Init ...

format, while its sister station adopted a

top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or "conte ...

format. By 1973, the station was simulcasting the top 40 programming of WEIC 1270 during the day, while airing

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, o ...

from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. and progressive rock 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. In the following years, the station would return to simulcasting AM sister station most of the time.
Broadcasting Yearbook 1979
',

Broadcasting Broadcasting is the distribution of audio or video content to a dispersed audience via any electronic mass communications medium, but typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum (radio waves), in a one-to-many model. Broadcasting began ...

, 1979. p. C-63. Retrieved July 13, 2018. The station was purchased by

Withers Broadcasting Withers Broadcasting Companies is a radio broadcasting company based in southern Illinois. Founded in 1972 by the late W. Russell Withers, Jr., and now owned by his daughter Dana Withers, the company owns several radio stations across the United ...

in 1975. In 1980, the station was sold to Macomb Broadcasting Co., along with its AM sister station, for $700,000. By 1984 the station was airing an

adult contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quiet ...

format, separate from its AM sister station.
Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1984
', Broadcasting/Cablecasting, 1984. p. B-76. Retrieved July 13, 2018. In 1984, the station was sold to Steve Garman, along with its AM sister station, for $628,000. The station continued airing an adult contemporary format into the early 1990s. In 1993, the station's call sign was changed to WHQQ, and the station adopted an

oldies Oldies is a term for musical genres such as pop music, rock and roll, doo-wop, surf music (broadly characterized as classic rock and pop rock) from the second half of the 20th century, specifically from around the mid-1950s to the 1980s, as wel ...

format, playing music from the late 1950s to the early 1970s. The station was sold to The Cromwell Group later that same year. In 1997, the station's call sign was changed to WWGO, and the station's format was changed from oldies to dance/ CHR, branded "The Party", with the

WHQQ WHQQ (98.9 FM, "98.9 The Game") is a radio station licensed to serve Neoga, Illinois, United States. The station is owned by the Cromwell Radio Group and the broadcast license is held by The Cromwell Group, Inc. of Illinois. WHQQ broadcasts a ...

call sign and its oldies format moving to 98.9. By 2002, the station was airing a

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

format.Devine, Cathy (2002).
The M-Street Radio Directory
'. 11th Edition 2002-2003. p. 185. Retrieved July 14, 2018.

References

External links

Cromwell Radio MattoonWWGO's website
* * * {{coord, 39, 31, 40, N, 88, 21, 23, W, type:landmark_region:US-IL, display=title

WGO WGO may refer to: * KWGO, known as WGO, radio station in Burlington, North Dakota, US * World Gastroenterology Organisation * Winnebago Industries Winnebago Industries, Inc. is an American manufacturer of motorhomes, a type of recreational vehi ...

1965 establishments in Illinois Radio stations established in 1965 Classic rock radio stations in the United States