Technical Profile: WOKS

AM Technical Profile: WOKS

Frequency:: 1340
Format:: Adult R&B
Transmitter Location:: [map] [street view] Behind Riverdale Cemetery, on the northeast corner of 4th Street and Jackson Avenue in Columbus.
Power (ERP):: Day: 1 kW; Night: 1 kW
Antenna:: 1 tower
Other Information:: [FCC]
[FCCdata.org]; [Radio-Locator]; [Wikipedia]
[Facebook]
[Studio] Google Street View of the Davis Broadcasting company's offices in Columbus.
// W231AO Columbus, GA
Owned by Davis Broadcasting, Inc. of Columbus
History:: This frequency goes back to 1941, when WDAK landed here after the NARBA re-alignment shifted most of the country's broadcasters to new channels. They camped here until 1958, when they lit out for the better coverage and more power on 540 kHz. With this channel vacant, it became available for a new broadcaster to sign on with programming.

In 1958 Eathel Holley, John A. O'Shields and Mary W. O'Shields applied for a station on this frequency as Radio Muscogee. It signed on in May 1959 as WOKS, with black-oriented programming, and has had the same call sign and target audience ever since. At debut the station had both the transmitter and studio on the Columbus-Muscogee Expressway (now US-27) between 21st and 23rd Streets in Columbus, and broadcast using an RCA 250K running 250 watts full-time. It later moved to Brickyard Road in Phenix City, across the river, at or near the same spot where WDAK transmitted from during that era. Before signing on, the company name changed to OK Radio, Inc.

Prior to being sold to Pam Radio, Inc. in November 1962, the station installed a new RCA BTA-1R1 transmitter and inaugurated 1 kW daytime power broadcasts. Pam Radio sold it to WOKS Broadcasting Company in 1966. In 1969 the studios moved downtown to the Martin Building at 1328 Broadway, Suite 256. Two years later, the station was sold again, this time to Hertz Broadcasting of Columbus.

The station's transmitter moved to its current location behind Riverdale Cemetery in 1972. The license was transferred to Associated FM Broadcasting, Inc. in 1974. In 1975, they moved the studio to 1115 14th Street in Columbus.

The license was transferred to Silver Star Communications in 1982. In 1985, they transferred the license to The Woodfin Group (President of the company, Ken Woodfin, was also president of WOKS Broadcasting, which owned the station back in 1966.) They in turn transferred the license to Davis Broadcasting in 1986.

The station signed on its first FM translator in July 2018.