WVOC listeners are temporarily without the station’s AM signal. The outage stems from an apparent tower-related incident.
What We Know: WVOC, the iHeartMedia news/talk station serving Columbia, South Carolina, is experiencing problems. The 5,000-watt Class B AM signal is down after what appears to have been an incident at its transmission tower. As a result, listeners can’t currently receive the station on its AM frequency. However, the station remains available on FM 103.5 and through the iHeartRadio app. The issue surfaced Monday morning, and station officials haven’t provided additional details about the cause. Likewise, no estimated timetable has been announced for restoring the AM signal. In a video published on Facebook, morning host Kelly Nash detailed the struggles.
What They Said: “I woke up to a message this morning. For Columbia radio listeners who like WVOC Radio, where I do the morning show, the AM station had some sort of incident at the tower. I think that they’re going to be off for an extended period of time. Meaning the only way you can listen to WVOC from now until whenever is either listen on FM 103.5 or, I always recommend, download the iHeartRadio app.” -Kelly Nash
What Remains Unclear: It’s unknown what malfunction affected the AM transmission facility or whether the issue involves the tower, transmitter, or another piece of broadcast equipment. Additionally, iHeartMedia hasn’t indicated how long the station’s AM signal will remain off the air. It is also unknown whether temporary operating authority will be needed if repairs extend beyond a brief outage.
What It Means: AM transmission outages remain significant for news/talk stations because many listeners still rely on the band for live programming. The incident also highlights the importance of multiple distribution platforms as broadcasters work to keep audiences connected.
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Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing daily news stories, features, and opinion columns. He joined Barrett Media in 2022 after a decade leading several radio brands in several formats, as well as a 5-year stint working in local television. In addition to his work with Barrett Media, he is a radio and TV play-by-play broadcaster. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.