The History of WKGC

The History of WKGC

Before we can talk about the history of the Alternation, we have to go back to 1968 when WKGC was an idea. The station was a dream of two Gulf Coast Community College students, Charlie Wooten and Ron Johnson.

Charlie and Ron started with just a 10-watt FM transmitter that could not go past the school parking lot. But through determination, they pushed until they were able to get a 1,300-watt transmitter. Now, WKGC has a 100,000-watt signal that goes into 10 counties in Northwest Florida, Southwest Alabama, and Southeast Georgia. 

A Passion for Education

Because of their commitment to the station, other entities were born. There is a radio class but also a television studies program. A big donation from WGNE-AM was made to Gulf Coast State College and was eventually renamed the Alter-Nation AM 1480. This was the beginning of the Alternation studio you see today. Unfortunately, Hurricane Michael ended the AM station on October 10th, 2018. The college currently has three HD stations. They are the HD1 station that plays on 90.7. The HD2 which plays the jazz station, and the HD3 channel that you know as the Alternation. The HD2 and the HD3 can be heard on the TuneIn app or on wkgc.org.

How They Have Grown Over the Years

WKGC has grown over the years and serves as the community’s American Public Media. In addition to being a classroom and learning laboratory for students, it provides the community with a unique lineup of local and national shows. The shows range from local DJs who live here in Panama City to syndicated shows from Virginia. 

In March 2009, WKGC began broadcasting from a 420’ tower located at the College’s North Bay Campus in Southport, FL. The tower holds the new digital transmitters for FM, AM, and new HD broadcasts. It is also a huge part in the communications infrastructure for the new Gulf Coast State College/Bay County Emergency Operations Center (EOC).

All Types of Programming

The station, WKGC, has a diverse lineup of programming. There is a 60’s show with Boomer Bill, 70 and 80’s genres with resident 2000’s baby Sophie Rose, blues and classic R&B show with Blues w/ B Maxwell, and much more! The station is striving to be the community’s stop for news, music, and local engagement. You can check out www.wkgc.org/local-shows/ for a list of local shows that play on 90.7 WKGC FM and HD. 

The station also plays a variety of specialty music formats and talk programming. The type of music you’ll hear has ranges like Jazz, Blues, Oldies, Soul, and Classic R &B. Every weekday morning, there is a morning talk show called, “The Mix.” The show interviews local guests about topics affecting the Florida Panhandle. On the HD2 channel from WKGC, most of the shows are from national jazz programming and are provided by the African American Radio Consortium.

Due to the hard work and dedication that these few had during this category 5 storm, WKGC was able to be the Community’s voice, giving live updates from the Bay County Emergency Management. A community that was in need was able to get answers in real-time, and know that it was coming from a trusted source. For a first-hand account of the storm and what happened in the EOC, check out this article (www.radioworld.com) from former Station Manager, Scott Kirkman. Even though the history of WKGC started in 1968, it is still a thriving station today. With a focus on community engagement. The phrase, “Here When You Need Us” is a true testament of the station today. 

The Alternation, A Place For Future Broadcasters

Even though The Alternation is a separate station from the main WKGC FM station, it is still a training ground for students. With proper training through the radio classes, students will learn the ways of broadcasting from professionals who have been in the business for years. Students will have the ability to move on to the main station to continue their passion for broadcast radio.

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