Eventually owned by the forerunner to Nationwide Communications, WGAR transitioned into a personality-driven adult contemporary format in the early 1970s, headlined by personalities Don Imus, John Lanigan, Norm N. Nite and Chuck Collier.

[7] WFJC's first license, for 100 watts on 1210 kHz, was issued in May 1924 under the station's original call sign, WDBK, to the M. F. Broz Furniture, Hardware & Radio Company at 13918 Union Avenue in Cleveland's Mount Pleasant neighborhood.

[31] A Beacon Journal column the next day was critical over WGAR's signal experiencing interference on multiple channels on the frequency as the evening progressed, denoting that WHK and nighttime skywave from Buffalo's WKBW were more easily accessible.

[57] The outbreak of World War II in Europe prompted the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) to adopt a self-regulating code on October 1, 1939, prohibiting member stations from airing sponsored programs that contained editorializing or controversial subjects,[63][64] written with Fr.

[57] John F. Patt, general manager for both WJR and WGAR, assailed the NARB code as "censorship and abridgement of free speech", suggesting it could lead to "an emasculation of private enterprise in broadcasting with a solar plexus blow to freedom in this country and an invitation for further government regulation".

A native of Canton,[69] Paar joined the station in 1938 after prior work at Jackson, Michigan's WIBM, Indianapolis's WIRE, Pittsburgh's WCAE and Youngstown's WKBN,[70] and was hired by WGAR announcer Wayne Mack (Vaino Mackey).

He also announced a late-night big band program WGAR also originated for CBS, coining phrases "it's Tommy Tucker time", "a rhythmic New Deal with Dick Stabile" and "Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye", quipping that "I learned to count by working with Lawrence Welk.

[82] From 1937 to 1947, WGAR originated Wings Over Jordan, a weekly religious radio program starring an a cappella spiritual choir of the same name[88] based at Gethsemane Baptist Church in Cleveland's Central neighborhood, where the Rev.

[89][90] After Settle approached WGAR program director Worth Kramer about adding a show aimed at Cleveland's black population to the station's existing Sunday lineup of ethnic fare, The Negro Hour was launched on July 11, 1937.

[88] The show was CBS's highest-profile sustaining program and has been attributed[94] to WGAR receiving the George Foster Peabody Medal for "distinguished service among medium-market stations" for 1940, the first such award bestowed in that category.

[102] The station heavily promoted the move to 1220 AM with a marketing campaign that included direct mail, billboards, cab signs and newspaper advertisements, all culminating with the switch at 12:20 p.m. on June 4, 1944, during CBS's Trans-Atlantic Call.

[116] One week after V-J Day ended World War II, on August 21, 1945, the station filed for the 50,000 watt upgrade, with an RCA BTA-50F transmitter to be installed in a newly constructed building, replacing the farm house.

[126] The station then launched a limited series of remote broadcasts titled More Power To You showcasing cities such as Dover, Canton, Kent, Elyria and Painesville now serviced by the upgraded signal; in several instances, a WGAR staffer was flown in via helicopter.

[128] Richards sought unflattering coverage on members of the Roosevelt family, Henry A. Wallace, the Truman administration and the New Deal, favorable reports on Gen. Douglas MacArthur and the spiking of any stories on Palestine so as not to "give aid and comfort to Jews and Communists".

[131] Another former KMPC staffer further alleged Richards demanded significant emphasis of Jewish backgrounds for multiple news figures and ordered the fabrication of a story regarding Edwin W. Pauley pursuing a Truman cabinet post.

[136] The FCC ordered an initial examination of all three stations on March 25, 1948,[137] then for public investigatory proceedings[138] after corroborating the Billboard evidence, which brought up "substantial questions" regarding Richards' qualifications as an owner.

In a filed affidavit, Richards admitted to portions of the charges and claimed his impulsive behavior was due to an 11-year bout with coronary thrombosis, while asserting other broadcast outlets and networks engaged in biased coverage to the commission's tacit approval.

[145] Hearings finally commenced in Los Angeles on March 13, 1950, with FCC chief counsel Frederick W. Ford's opening statement accusing Richards of "slanting" and distorting news on his stations to "substantiate his personal dislikes".

[151] Representatives Anthony F. Tauriello and Harry J. Davenport denounced Roberts on the House floor based on prior comments he made about southern Italians,[152] while Rep. Stephen M. Young considered the hearings an overreach of the FCC's authority "vested in it by Congress".

[154] KMPC manager Robert O. Reynolds—on the witness stand for over a month—stated Richards' prior thrombosis left him physically unable to walk or climb steps,[157] an x-ray specialist countered by saying little evidence existed of an abnormal enlargement on his heart.

[201] The FCC decided in WGAR's favor that June, but the commission's proposed power output and height above average terrain (HAAT) was significantly less than what the station had requested,[202] thus putting the application through another set of oral arguments.

[253] The new arrangement had Paul Tapie's morning show simulcast over both stations,[259] with WGAR featuring holdover midday host Steve Cannon and Satellite Music Network-fed programming the rest of the day.

[291] Barnes boasted to the Akron Beacon Journal that Cablevision's ownership interests allowed him to have "full authority and an unlimited budget",[287] but was fired on July 22; Calton was also dismissed in June after making an anti-Semitic slur on-air.

[288] Former WERE host Greg Brinda was then hired for middays, Philadelphia-based Peter Brown replaced Calton in the lineup,[292] and a morning show with onetime WGCL personality Robert J. Wright debuted on September 9, 1991, finally making WKNR a fulltime sports radio station.

[303] Cavs broadcaster Joe Tait, who viewed Brown as a cheap Pete Franklin imitation, posited that his shock jock approach revolved around carefully picking people "who wouldn't meet him in the parking lot and punch his lights out".

[309] Hosts were marketed according to their levels of expertise: Geoff Sindelar, who gained notoriety as a regular caller to Pete Franklin's Sportsline on WWWE,[310] was billed as "The Professor" playing off his knowledge of statistics[311] and collectables.

[322] Mike Wolfe did his morning show live from Baltimore the day the move was formally announced[323] while WKNR, in coordination with The Plain Dealer, gave out fax numbers for all other NFL teams for fans to submit direct letters of protests.

[343] It was argued that Score likely witnessed more bad baseball than any other broadcaster as his 34-year tenure spanned much of the team's 33-year-long stretch of futility,[344] and was beloved by fans even with a tendency to confuse player names and misidentify plays on-field.

[351] Published reports suggested Jacor's main objective was to move the Indians rights to WTAM and run WKNR as a heavily downscaled sports talker or drop the format altogether.

[381] Reports of Larry Dolan negotiating to buy WKNR and WRMR continued into early June 2001, and even included a possible purchase of WUAB as a bidding war for Indians television broadcast rights was taking place.