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WISW
WISW (1320 AM) was a radio station licensed to Columbia, South Carolina. The Cumulus Media outlet was licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to broadcast with 5,000 watts daytime and 2,500 watts nighttime, directional. Until going silent in March 2025, WISW was a sports radio station that went by the name ESPN Radio 1320.
WISW was formerly known as "News Talk 1320 WIS" or "WIS Radio", taking the base of its call sign from the former WIS. The latter station was the longtime sister station of WIS-TV, Columbia's long-dominant NBC affiliate. The WIS portion of the call letters stood for "Wonderful Iodine State". The former WIS is now WVOC 560 & 103.5.
Cumulus Media also owned WTCB 106.7, WOMG 98.5, WNKT 107.5, and WLXC 103.1 in the Columbia radio market. All 5 stations shared studios located at the Granby Building in Cayce; the WISW transmitter was in West Columbia. The station operated from 1945 to 2025.
The station signed on as WKIX in 1945. The station featured local and national programing from the CBS Radio Network. In 1947, the station became WMSC, retaining the CBS Radio affiliation. The transmitter site was later used by WZLD and WXRY 99.3.
In 1962, WMSC was sold to new owners and the station became WOIC. WOIC had begun on 1470 and was the first station to target the African American community in Columbia. In 1976, WOIC applied for an FM on 103.1, which was dismissed and awarded to another group. WOIC appealed, which caused the application to be held up. The case was dismissed in October 1981 and 103.1 became WDPN (now WOMG) in 1982. WDPN was acquired by WOIC's parent company, Nuance Corporation, by 1985.
By the 1980s, WOIC's ratings started to decline due to the growth of new urban contemporary outlet WWDM. In the fall of 1989, it was announced by then-owners Price Broadcasting that the station would change over to a simulcast of WOMG-FM's oldies format. In order to prevent any community backlash, an arrangement was worked out with 1230 WODE to move the staff and programing over to their station. WODE became WOIC, while WOIC became WOMG, simulcasting the majority of WOMG-FM's programming, breaking off at times for broadcasting various Clemson University sporting events.
In 1995, WOMG became all-news WISW under a local marketing agreement with Cosmos Broadcasting, then-owners of NBC television affiliate WIS; the "WIS" call letters had previously resided on AM 560 (now WVOC) from 1930 to 1986. The station featured AP News as well as simulcasts of WIS's newscasts. In 1997, the syndicated Imus In The Morning show was added. Despite the changes as well as exposure from WIS-TV, ratings did not materialize as hoped.
In August 1999, Imus was dropped for "Good Morning Columbia", hosted by longtime former WSCQ air personalities Bill Benton, Doug Enlow, and Gene McKay (who died in 2007). Both McKay and Benton began in the Columbia market on the original WIS until leaving in the mid-1970s for WSCQ, which they were part-owners. Benton's son Charlie, a WISW sales manager, joined the show in 2007 after McKay's death.
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WISW
WISW (1320 AM) was a radio station licensed to Columbia, South Carolina. The Cumulus Media outlet was licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to broadcast with 5,000 watts daytime and 2,500 watts nighttime, directional. Until going silent in March 2025, WISW was a sports radio station that went by the name ESPN Radio 1320.
WISW was formerly known as "News Talk 1320 WIS" or "WIS Radio", taking the base of its call sign from the former WIS. The latter station was the longtime sister station of WIS-TV, Columbia's long-dominant NBC affiliate. The WIS portion of the call letters stood for "Wonderful Iodine State". The former WIS is now WVOC 560 & 103.5.
Cumulus Media also owned WTCB 106.7, WOMG 98.5, WNKT 107.5, and WLXC 103.1 in the Columbia radio market. All 5 stations shared studios located at the Granby Building in Cayce; the WISW transmitter was in West Columbia. The station operated from 1945 to 2025.
The station signed on as WKIX in 1945. The station featured local and national programing from the CBS Radio Network. In 1947, the station became WMSC, retaining the CBS Radio affiliation. The transmitter site was later used by WZLD and WXRY 99.3.
In 1962, WMSC was sold to new owners and the station became WOIC. WOIC had begun on 1470 and was the first station to target the African American community in Columbia. In 1976, WOIC applied for an FM on 103.1, which was dismissed and awarded to another group. WOIC appealed, which caused the application to be held up. The case was dismissed in October 1981 and 103.1 became WDPN (now WOMG) in 1982. WDPN was acquired by WOIC's parent company, Nuance Corporation, by 1985.
By the 1980s, WOIC's ratings started to decline due to the growth of new urban contemporary outlet WWDM. In the fall of 1989, it was announced by then-owners Price Broadcasting that the station would change over to a simulcast of WOMG-FM's oldies format. In order to prevent any community backlash, an arrangement was worked out with 1230 WODE to move the staff and programing over to their station. WODE became WOIC, while WOIC became WOMG, simulcasting the majority of WOMG-FM's programming, breaking off at times for broadcasting various Clemson University sporting events.
In 1995, WOMG became all-news WISW under a local marketing agreement with Cosmos Broadcasting, then-owners of NBC television affiliate WIS; the "WIS" call letters had previously resided on AM 560 (now WVOC) from 1930 to 1986. The station featured AP News as well as simulcasts of WIS's newscasts. In 1997, the syndicated Imus In The Morning show was added. Despite the changes as well as exposure from WIS-TV, ratings did not materialize as hoped.
In August 1999, Imus was dropped for "Good Morning Columbia", hosted by longtime former WSCQ air personalities Bill Benton, Doug Enlow, and Gene McKay (who died in 2007). Both McKay and Benton began in the Columbia market on the original WIS until leaving in the mid-1970s for WSCQ, which they were part-owners. Benton's son Charlie, a WISW sales manager, joined the show in 2007 after McKay's death.