WRFC (AM)
| Company type | Commercial radio station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Broadcasting |
| Founded | May 1, 1948 |
| Headquarters | Athens, Georgia , United States |
Area served | Athens, Georgia |
| Products | Sports radio programming |
| Owner | Cox Media Group |
| Parent | Cox Enterprises |
WRFC (960 kHz) operates as a commercial AM radio station based in Athens, Georgia, featuring a sports radio format predominantly sourced from ESPN Radio. The station is owned by Cox Media Group, a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, and shares ownership with sister stations such as WNGC, WGAU, WGMG, WPUP, WXKT, and the WSB group located in nearby Atlanta. Its studios are situated in downtown Athens, while the transmitter is positioned off West Vincent Drive in North Valley.
Programming
Weekday mornings and afternoons on WRFC include locally produced sports talk segments, along with a dedicated one-hour block at noon focused on the Georgia Bulldogs. The remaining schedule is filled with content from ESPN Radio. The station also carries live coverage of University of Georgia athletics, alongside broadcasts of Atlanta Braves MLB games and Atlanta Falcons NFL contests.
History
WRFC commenced broadcasting on May 1, 1948, initially under the ownership of L. H. Christian. The call letters pay tribute to his father, Robert Franklin Christian. Originally operating as a 1,000-watt daytime-only station, its first studios were located at 279 North Lumpkin Street in Athens.
Subsequently, WRFC upgraded to 5,000 watts during daylight hours with non-directional transmission and reduced power to 500 watts at night using a directional three-tower array northeast of Athens. Over time, the station’s programming shifted through various formats including Top 40, middle of the road (MOR), and adult contemporary music combined with news and sports coverage.
A significant event occurred on February 20, 1971, when WRFC took part in an emergency broadcast test prompted by a mistaken activation by the U.S. Air Force that briefly triggered emergency protocols for north Georgia broadcasters.
In 1981, WRFC transitioned from Top 40 to MOR before adopting an adult contemporary format in 1982 under the brand name Stereo One. It was among the pioneering AM stations in Georgia to implement AM Stereo broadcasting and to utilize Compact Disc technology early on. By 1993, talk shows and ESPN sports content were incorporated alongside adult contemporary music until the latter was discontinued in 1994.
In January 2008, Cox Radio purchased WRFC along with sister stations WGMG, WPUP, WNGC, and WGAU, consolidating them into its Atlanta-based operations while retaining Southern Broadcasting of Athens as a Cox subsidiary.
Former on-air staff
- John Holliman (news; later affiliated with CNN) (deceased)
- Bill Hartman (sports and news)
- Johnny Jay (Howard Toole)
- Larry Melear (1965–75; chief engineer 1965–70, 1971–75) (deceased)
- Jim Byard (1968–70)
- Tom Collins (1968–71)
- Earl Pledger (1969–71)
- Everett Langford (1967–71; chief engineer 1970–71)
- Ed Thilenius (sports)
- A.O. "Red" Healan
- Kate Murphy (Kathleen Emerson-Lambert)
- Jim Koger
- Morris "Night Owl" Knight
- Larry Johnson
- Charles Pinckney
- Craig Williams
- Jim Powell
- Chris Jones (sports and news 1970–74)
- Bob Burton (news)
- Phil Scoggins (sports and news)
- Garry Glenn (sports and news)
- Tony McVeigh (news)
- Andrew McElhannon (on-air talent)
- Gerald Bonney (as Gerry Marshall)