“W” is for WSPA. WSPA in Spartanburg became South Carolina’s first commercial radio station when it signed on the air at 6:45 P.M. on February 13, 1930. It was the beginning of many broadcasting “firsts.” Over the years the station provided diverse programming to its upstate audience. This was reflected from the first night when it broadcast a speech by Governor John G. Richards as well as musical performances by a classical violinist and a local yodeler—all live from its studios atop the Montgomery Building. By 1935 the station had established a commitment to upstate news coverage. Regularly scheduled live music programming became a WSPA staple. In 1947 the station launched South Carolina’s first FM station and, in 1957—combining both its AM and FM signals. WSPA-Television went on the air in 1956.
“W” is for WSPA
