WNCC (AM)
| City | Barnesboro, Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Northern Cambria, Pennsylvania / Johnstown |
| Branding | "The Cambria County Radio Network" |
| Frequency | 950 kHz |
| First air date | October 15, 1950 |
| Format | Defunct (was classic hits) |
| Power | 500 watts (Daytime) 29 watts (Night) |
| Class | D |
| Facility ID | 18059 |
| Callsign meaning | Northern Cambria County |
| Owner | Vernal Enterprises, Inc. |
WNCC was a commercial AM radio station, licensed to the Borough of Northern Cambria, Pennsylvania. WNCC operated on a federally assigned frequency of 950 kHz with a maximum power output of 500 Watts.
WNCC first signed on the air back in 1950, licensed to the coal-mining community of Barnesboro (which would later merge with Spangler to form Northern Cambria) and like many small stations of its day, served the local area with a combination of local news, sports, and music. The station first operated from the American Legion post in Barnesboro and under the ownership of North Cambria Broadcasters, Inc. William Thomas served as the station's first general manager.
The station first changed hands in January 1960 when it was sold to WNCC Inc., a company headed by J. Howard Bair. Studios were then moved to 803 Maple Avenue. Ownership changed again on December 26, 1975 when the station was purchased by Bland Group, Inc., a company headed by William Bland. Bland brought major market radio know-how to Barnesboro. He had been successful in radio sales at KQV in Pittsburgh and at WLS in Chicago. Bland had also done well as a disc jockey in the 1960s, working on Mexican Radio at XEMO in Tijuana and, most notably, at WPOP in Hartford, CT.
Bland's strategy for the Barnesboro station included terms like "Serving Coal Country" and "Your Radio Station, WNCC." With a strong focus on local news and information, the top 40 records being spun by "The Real" Johnny Dial and Tom "Rambling" Scantling were secondary to the emphasis on being a local station. Bland's eureka moment was deciding to have the station sound as if it were broadcasting exclusively for the local coal miners and their families. News Director Pat Cloonan ended up with several Associated Press awards for small market news. It was a winning strategy. The 500 watt station was a powerhouse under Bland's leadership; no other station could touch it in Northern Cambria and Southern Clearfield counties. Dial and Deal and Radio Blackout Bingo were two incredibly successful mid-morning programs. In 1980 studios were moved to 1015 Philadelphia Avenue, formerly a funeral home, which later became known as "Broadcast House."
During the final years of Bland Group's ownership, WNCC successfully applied for a construction permit for a new FM station. The permit for 94.3 WRHB-FM was issued in the late 1980s, but as it turned out, would never sign on the air under Bland's ownership. The demise of the coal business in Cambria and Clearfield Counties in the mid-1980s was the beginning of the end for the highly successful station. Bland was forced to turn the station over to a bankruptcy receiver, which then proceeded to sell WNCC to Johnstown-based Eagle Broadcasting in 1990.
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