WWWC (AM)

WWWC (1240 AM), also known as 3WC, is a 24-hour Southern gospel radio station located in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, United States, serving Wilkes County. The station which is owned by Foothills Media, Inc., broadcasts with a power of 1 kilowatt at 1240 kHz on the AM band, as well as over the internet.

History
On November 20, 1968, Paul Cashion and J.B. Wilson, doing business as Wilkes County Radio, obtained a construction permit for a new 100-watt radio station in Wilkesboro. WWWC signed on January 26, 1970, with a country music format. Later that year, the station increased its power to 500 watts during the day and 250 watts at night. Shortly after, the station shifted towards a Top 40 format, which remained for most of the next 30 years.

In 1983, Tomlinson Broadcasting acquired WWWC for $410,000. However, the company filed for bankruptcy reorganization in 1991, owing most of its debt to the original owners, Cashion and Wilson. The station went off the air on November 12, 1992, and returned on December 4 with Cashion and Wilson once again at the helm. This revival was short-lived, as Cashion suffered a stroke and decided to withdraw, leading to the station's closure again on January 7, 1993.

WWWC remained off the air until the station was purchased by Ken Byrd, Alan Combs, and John Wishon and adopted its Southern gospel format on July 11, 1994. 3WC is currently owned by John Wishon, who bought out the station from co-owner Alan Combs in 2006 for $200,000.

Translators
In addition to the main station, WWWC is relayed by translators to widen its broadcast area. Cumberland Communities Communications Corporation, owner of WDVX, sold the Wilkesboro frequency to Foothills Media Inc. for $20,000. In July 2019, a second transmitter was put in place near Elkin, adding an FM signal to the northeast of Wilkesboro.