WFIS (1600 AM) was a radio station broadcasting a News Talk Information format to the Fountain Inn/Simpsonville, South Carolina, United States, area. The station was last owned by Timeless Media, Inc.
In 1956, the station went on the air with Fountain Inn-Simpsonville Enterprises INC. It was founded by Melvin Younts the original owner was LeRoy Hamilton with 9 local investors from the Fountain Inn-Simpsonville Community. The station licensed at 1600AM was originally licensed with a power of 50,000 watts but local investors though it too much expensive so the FCC offered 5,000 watts and again too much expense, so WFIS was given 1,000 watts in 1956. In 1970, the corporation purchased a weekly newspaper, The Tribune Times which was then located in Mauldin and struggling to stay in business they re-co-located it with the radio station facility on 1314 North Main Street then later the station was moved next door to 1318 North Main Street in Fountain Inn. WFIS won 5 Small Market Radio Station awards with the South Carolina Broadcasters Association. In 1987, the newspaper was sold to Multi-Media INC which owned The Greenville News and then both were sold to Gannett INC the owner of USA Today Newspapers. In 1988, WFIS was sold to Steven D Blair (from Kentucky), and Golden Strip Broadcasting INC was formed. In 1999, Joe LaStringer (AKA Super Joe) purchased WFIS for $199,000 and it was run until it sold in 2013. WFIS won 4 Best of the Upstate Awards, The South Carolina Broadcasters Association STAR Award for Public Service Announcement "Crime Solutions". It broadcast Hillcrest Sports but notably the 94-0 Lady Rams Softball run which was the longest winning streak in all of high school sports in South Carolina High School League History Which Super Joe was Voice of the Rams! WFIS signed off the air after 57 years Broadcasting to the Golden Strip Community at Noon December 31, 2013. The last song played was the Star-Spangled Banner by the Gaither Vocal Band after LaStringer told the history of the station.
On January 2, 2014, the station licensee was surrendered to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for cancellation. The licensee indicated that the surrender was related to their pending application to increase the broadcast power of co-owned station WTZQ in Henderson, North Carolina.FCC CDSB Application Search for WFIS. Accessed March 5, 2014 On January 3, 2014, the FCC cancelled the station license.
Translators WFIS was relayed by an FM translator in Fountain Inn, to improve coverage in areas of the community where reception was poor: First on Frequency 105.5FM (later turned into WCCP-Clemson) then co broadcast WFIS 1600AM on 94.9FM.
References
External links Facility details for Facility ID 24530 (WFIS) in the FCC Licensing and Management System FCC History Cards for WFIS (covering 1955-1979)