in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, wlac was legendary for its quartet of nighttime rhythm and blues shows hosted by gene nobles, "john r." (john richbourg), herman grizzard, and bill "hossman" (or simply "hoss") allen. thanks to the station's clear channel designation, the signal reached most of the eastern and midwestern united states. wlac described itself as the nighttime station for half the nation with african-american listeners, especially in the deep south as the intended audience of the programs. further, several foreign countries, particularly islands in the caribbean and southern canada, were within range of the station's nighttime signal; the music heard on wlac played a notable role in the development of ska music as a result. wlac was also popular with some young white teenagers. radio historians believe that the nightly "rhythm and blues" wlac shows, in part, laid the foundational audience for the rock and roll phenomenon that began in the late 1950s.