Since June 28, 2012, the station has broadcast an oldies music format to the Montgomery, Alabama, area. The music mix, described as the "greatest hits of all time", is hosted by live, local personalities including Fred Randall Hughey, Lamar Godwin, local ministers Rick Dorley and Fr. Mateusz Rudzik, Michael Bird, and Scott Adcock. This programming traces its origins to the June 1979 sign-on of then-WACQ in Tallassee, Alabama. WACQ provides coverage to the Reeltown High School athletic teams, a commitment that began when WACQ signed on in 1979. The first song ever played on WACQ in 1979 was "Let Your Love Flow," by The Bellamy Brothers. The first record was played by owner and general manager Fred Randall Hughey. Today, the Listen Live application on the website, wacqradio.com, as well as the TuneIn app available on smartphones and other devices, give WACQ an audience far beyond the Tallassee area it calls home. Weekday programming includes "Way of the Cross" with Brother Rick Dorley; "What's Going On?" with Lamar Godwin of Godwin's Flowers and station owner Fred Randall Hughey; and local news, weather, and sports at 6:00, 7:00, 8:00, 9:00, and 12:00 each day. Weekend programming consists of "The Saturday Morning Show" with Michael Bird and Scott Adcock; ReeltownHigh School football replays; Atlanta Braves baseball; Troy University Trojans football; and, on Sundays, gospel music and church services from St. Vincent de PaulCatholic Church, First Baptist Church, and First Baptist Church of Tallassee. Before this change, WACQ broadcast a Gospel music format featuring programming from Citadel Media and branded as "Rejoice 580".
History
This station, then known as WABT, received its license to cover from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission on September 3, 1952. In November 2005, Tiger Communications Inc. reached an agreement to acquire the station, by then known as WBIL, and WQSI from H&H Communications LLC for a reported combined sale price of $350,000. The FCC approved the deal on February 13, 2006, and the transaction was completed on April 6, 2006. In retaining partial ownership in WBIL and rights to the WACQ call sign, Fred Randall Hughey and his wife Debra began programming AM 580 effective June 28, 2012. On July 27, 2012, the station changed its call sign from WBIL to WACQ.
Early history
In 1977, Hughey Broadcasting Company, Inc., applied to the FCC for a construction permit for a new broadcast radio station. The FCC granted this permit on February 8, 1979. This new station would broadcast with 1,000 watts of power on a frequency of 1130 kilohertz, but only during daylight hours to protect KWKH in Shreveport, Louisiana, CKWX in Vancouver, British Columbia, and WBBR in New York City from skywave interference. The station was assigned call sign "WACQ". After construction and testing were completed, the station was granted its broadcast license on August 6, 1979. In August 2006, Hughey Communications applied to the FCC to increase this class D station's daytime-only power from 1,000 to 25,000 watts. The FCC granted a construction permit for this change on August 21, 2007. WACQ began broadcasting as 580 WACQ, replacing WBIL's signal, in June 2012. From 2006 until 2019, the translator W266BJ broadcast WACQ's programming on FM 101.1. On February 14, 2019, WACQ moved to W253CZ and broadcasts on 98.5 FM.
Translators
WACQ uses a broadcast translator to expand and enhance its coverage area, adding an FM signal to its existing AM broadcast.
