Ricky and Kristi Cothren of Surry County, owners of nonprofit Gospel Broadcasting Inc., recently purchased WCOK-1060 AM in Sparta.

WCOK under new ownership; to reopen on Thursday

Gospel Broadcasting Inc. based in Ronda, recently purchased WCOK-1060 AM and plan to have the station back in operation by tomorrow, July 15.

Ricky and Kristi Cothren of Surry County are the principals of the company. Ms. Cothren said Tuesday that the couple will be back on the air at 10 a.m.

The company also owns a station in Dobson, WYZD-1560 AM, which was purchased in 2002. While the broadcasting will be similar, Cothren said the stations will each have unique programming. Gospel Broadcasting Inc., a 501-C(3) nonprofit, purchased the station's license, building and contents, as well as the lease for the land for the antenna site. However, the broadcasting company owned by Bob Andrews, Mountain Empire Broadcasting Inc., was not part of the deal. Cothren explained that the radio station's employees worked for Mountain Empire and that he didn't buy that part of the business. "I didn't fire anyone," he said, addressing a rumor about the take-over. "His employees were his responsibility. I have not talked to them about jobs here. The people who worked here...I didn't have any feelings against those folks."

Cothren also noted that he gave the record collection of the station to Mr. Andrews as part of the deal.

New Format

The station will have a new format, changing from country music to gospel music, said Mr. Cothren in an interview late last week. He noted that he and his wife will be the only employees at the station right now, handling the task from accounting to broadcasting for the station.

Mr. Cothren, himself a preacher, has a long-running radio program on many stations. The program aired regularly on WCOK.

While the station is making changes, he noted that some things will remain the same. "A lot of people have a lot of questions," he said. "We're going to have gospel music and preaching, but we're going to continue airing programs including announcements from the funeral home. The community is going to like what we're doing."

Mr. Cothren added that community and church announcements also will continue to be broadcast on the air. However, when asked about the annual WCOK Heart Auction, he said, "I'm not going to make a decision about that right now. I know I'll have to do some thinking."

The fund-raiser has been on the air on WCOK every year since 1968.

He said the music mix will include bluegrass gospel and conservative southern gospel as well as professional choir music.

The station may also stay on the air longer. As a sunrise to sunset station, it can be on the air from 6:15 a.m. until 8:45 p.m. in the summer months, but has been signing off earlier than that in the evenings. The station's call letters will remain the same.

"Other than the gospel format, we're not planning many changes," he said.

One other change that was mentioned was the telephone numbers, which Cothren said will be announced at a later time.

He also said that the station will raise funds for operations through on-air fund-raisers and sponsorships. He said the station is considered mission work and is supported by a number of churches.

Churches helped raise large amounts of money to buy the Sparta station, he said. Included was $5,000 from a church in Mississippi, $10,000 from Cothren's home church and $1,000 from a donor who listens to the broadcasts over the Internet. "A girl in Galax, Va. with Down's Syndrome gave me one penny and I cried," he noted. "Money came in from everywhere. God's been with us."