WCCL
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| City | Central City, Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area |
Central City, Pennsylvania Johnstown, Pennsylvania |
| Branding | Cool 101.7 |
| Slogan | Good Time Oldies |
| Frequency | 101.7 MHz |
| First air date | October 19, 1972 (as WCCS) |
| Format | Oldies |
| ERP | 720 watts |
| HAAT | 196 meters |
| Class | A |
| Facility ID | 49026 |
| Callsign meaning | Variation of Central City (city of license) and CooL |
| Former callsigns | WCCS (1972-1981) WWZE (1981-1988) WYSN (1988-1997) WSRA (1997-2001) |
| Affiliations | Westwood One |
| Owner | Forever Broadcasting |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | http://www.foreverjohnstown.com |
WCCL is an American radio station physically located in Johnstown, Pennsylvania located at 101.7 FM, but licensed to the community of Central City, Pennsylvania. The oldies formatted station currently carries a syndicated feed of Westwood One's "Good Time Oldies" format. The station is owned by the Forever Broadcasting.
For many years, this station was known as WYSN, "Sunny 101". Licensed to Central City in Somerset County, the station first went on the air October 19, 1972 as WCCS, whose calls are used today by an AM station north of Somerset County in Homer City. The original owner of the station was Central Broadcasting Company, with Ben Jones serving as the company's president. The station initially played a mix of easy listening and country music, with polka programming on the weekends.
Coincidentally, the construction permit for WCCS in Homer City was once owned by the former Ridge Communications, this station's competitor, known then as WVSC (today as WNTI) and WVSC-FM (today as WLKJ). Ridge Communications had sold the license for the Homer City Station in 1982 after failing to raise enough capital to put it on the air.
The WCCS letters were given up in January 1981 for WWZE, after the station was sold to H.E.M.H. Corporation. The station took on a more middle-of-the-road approach to its programming, but the polka show remained. Jim Hancock served as company president, and Richard Eliot as general manager.
WWZE was purchased in 1988 by Nor-Lin Broadcasters, Inc., then the licensee of AM 1330 WADJ in Somerset, which itself was put on the air back in 1981. Nor-Lin was a company headed by Johnstown radio and television legend Ron Lorence and his wife Norma. Ron Lorence was a regular presence on WJAC-TV's locally produced shows such as "Seniors Today" and "Scholastic Quiz", and is still heard as the voice of Pennsylvania's Allied Milk Producers' radio commercials. Upon acquisition, the call letters were changed to WYSN, and it took the on the moniker "Sunny 101".
Under Nor-Lin ownership, WYSN operated with a format of adult standards music provided by WestWood One's "Adult Standards" format, a rather unusual move for an FM station. The station moved to a more current adult contemporary sound in the mid 90's following a format change of crosstown competitor WVSC-FM from adult contemporary to contemporary country. Ron Lorence managed the station, his wife Norma kept the books, and son Brad served as the station's operations manager, continuing in that role until long after the stations were sold.
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