More of the History of 50 years at WCBC

WCBC AM & FM has remained focused on its mission: to serve the community since 1976.

Service to the community has manifested itself in various partnerships including working with the Miss Maryland Scholarship Program to sponsor the Miss Allegany County Scholarship Pageant for 20 years. The station was the founder of Christmas for the Kids of the Maryland Salem Children’s Trust for 25 years and the West Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind. WCBC’s High School Salute Program focuses on student academic success partnering with Frostburg State University, Allegany College of Maryland, the County Board of Education and the Chamber of Commerce to present annual scholarships.
Additionally, station coverage of major local events has included Cumberland City and Allegany County Bicentennial parades, the opening of the Downtown Cumberland Mall in 1978, Dapper Dan Parades and Dinners, Halloween Parades, the opening of the Country Club Mall, and the dedication of Interstate 68. Also covered was the Rocky Gap Music Festival, and the opening of UPMC Western Maryland, earning the station’s catch phrase of “We Sound Like Cumberland.”

From day one, local news has been an integral component of WCBC’s history. Newscasters Jim Robey, Tom Singleton, Bill Rice, Charlie Harris, Bryan Gowans, Paul Mullen, Bridget Nolan Manley, Dick Yoder, Chris Myers, and Kathy Cornwell have provided live newscasts keeping listeners up to date on stories that affect them. They have also provided special coverage of the Annapolis PACE Reception, Elections, the Maryland and West Virginia legislative assemblies, disasters and other news events including the closing of the Kelly Springfield Tire plant along with other industries in the community, the Flood of 1996, and more recently coverage of the ribbon cutting for the revitalized Baltimore Street in Downtown Cumberland.