At night, when AM radio signals travel farther, in order to protect other stations on AM 1380 it reduces power to 4,200 watts and uses a directional antenna.

[5] With the implementation of the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement (NARBA) in 1941, the frequency was shifted to 1400 kHz, but the station still only transmitted with 250 watts.

Featured performers included legendary R&B disc jockey Zenas "Daddy" Sears and local musician Piano Red, as well as early shock jock Alley Pat Patrick and singer Zilla Mays, the "Dream Girl", who broadcast sultry talk and soft music in the early-morning hours.

At a WAOK-sponsored concert held at Herndon Stadium in Atlanta on May 28, 1959, Sears used an Ampex monaural recorder and a single microphone to make one of the most famous live albums of its time, Ray Charles in Person (Atlantic 8039).

The recording is famous not only as a documentary of Ray Charles's music before he became a crossover star, but also for its technical excellence, capturing the band, the crowd, and the singer in balance.

The studios moved in 1959 to 110 Edgewood Road, Northeast, and the station's licensee name was changed to the WAOK Broadcasting Company.

On November 29, 1963, Stan Raymond and Zenas Sears became fifty percent owners of WAOK's licensee, acquiring the late Dorothy Lester's 33% interest for $57,786 from a local bank serving as the executor of her estate.

The FCC granted approval for the sale of the station on April 1, 1974, to Broadcast Enterprise Network, Inc. Ragan Augustus Henry, a Philadelphia attorney, headed the new organization as President and 53% owner.

On January 1, 1988, all DKM-owned properties were sold for $200 million, including stations in Denver, Baltimore, Akron, Dayton and Dallas, as well as WAOK and WVEE in Atlanta.

In March 1995, Summit sold its interests in WAOK and WVEE to Granum Communications, Inc. (Herbert W. McCord, Peter Ferrara, and Michael Weinstein).

On March 15, 1996, Granum Communications sold WAOK and WVEE to Infinity Broadcasting, a division of CBS Radio.

On December 26, 2001, WAOK switched from urban contemporary gospel to a talk radio format aimed at the African American community in Atlanta.