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For the radio station in Tafton, Pennsylvania which held the call sign WPGP from 2002 to 2006, see WLKA.
WPGP
Broadcast areaPittsburgh metropolitan area
Frequency1250 kHz
BrandingAM 1250 The Answer
Programming
Language(s)English
FormatConservative talk
AffiliationsSalem Radio Network
Ownership
Owner
History
First air date
May 4, 1922; 102 years ago (1922-05-04)
Former call signs
WCAE (1922–61)
WRYT (1961–66)
WTAE (1966–98)
WEAE (1998–2010)
WDDZ (2011–15)
Former frequencies
833 kHz (1922)
750 kHz (1922–23)
650 kHz (1923–27)
560 kHz (1927)
650 kHz (1927–28)
1220 kHz (1928–41)
Call sign meaning
PittsburGh Pennsylvania
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID65691
ClassB
Power5,000 watts
Transmitter coordinates
40°23′50.00″N 79°57′43.00″W / 40.3972222°N 79.9619444°W / 40.3972222; -79.9619444 (WPGP)
Translator(s)92.5 W223CS (Pittsburgh)
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen live
Listen live (via Audacy)
Websitewww.theanswerpgh.com

WPGP (1250 AM) is a radio station in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, broadcasting with a power output of 5,000 watts. The station is owned and operated by the Salem Media Group.

History

The station is one of the five original Pittsburgh stations, signing on May 4, 1922 as WCAE.[2] It was originally owned by the Pittsburgh department store Kaufmann & Baer's, and operated at 833 kHz (as all stations did at that time);[3] it moved to 750 kHz in December[4] and to 650 in May 1923.[5] Kaufmann and Baer's was purchased in 1925 by Gimbels; this made WCAE the company's third radio station, after WIP in Philadelphia and WGBS in New York City.[6] The station became an affiliate of the NBC Red Network in January 1927.[7] It moved to 560 kHz on June 15, 1927,[8] but in November returned to 650;[9] a year later, WCAE moved to 1220 kHz[10]

WCAE was acquired by Hearst Corporation in 1931.[3] The North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement moved the station to 1250 kHz on March 29, 1941;[11] on November 1, it became a full-time affiliate of the Mutual Broadcasting System (which previously aired on both WCAE and KQV), with NBC Red moving to KDKA.[12] Another affiliation change took place on June 15, 1945, when WCAE swapped affiliations with KQV and joined the Blue Network,[13] which changed its name to the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) that same day. An FM sister station at 96.1 MHz was started in 1948;[14] WCAE-FM was shut down in 1953,[15] but was restarted August 8, 1960.[16] WCAE lost the ABC affiliation to WJAS on May 21, 1955.[17] The station expanded into television three years later, with the debut of WTAE (channel 4) on September 4, 1958, initially as a joint venture of Hearst and the former owners of KQV;[18] this arrangement had led to the sale of KQV to ABC in 1957 to avoid duopoly concerns.[19]

WCAE began stunting on May 27, 1961, promoting a new format to begin two days later; at that time, the station changed its call letters to WRYT and began playing beautiful music.[20] Another call letter change occurred five years later, when the station became WTAE to match its television sister station (which had become wholly owned by Hearst by this time);[21] soon afterward, the station shifted to a middle-of-the-road format.[7]

WTAE shifted its format again in 1973, this time to an oldies-heavy adult contemporary format under general manager Ted Atkins,[3] who used programming techniques he had learned from Bill Drake at KHJ in Los Angeles.[22] The widely popular morning show, O'Brien & Garry, featured Larry O'Brien and John Garry doing comedy skits, playing music, and other general morning fare. The format proved successful — by 1980, WTAE had become the number-two station in Pittsburgh, trailing only KDKA.[22] The station also had a heavy sports commitment; it became the flagship station of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1969,[3] and around the same time became the home of the Pittsburgh Panthers.[23] WTAE also aired a nightly sports show, hosted for many years by Myron Cope.[22] The station also added an affiliation with ABC's Entertainment Network by 1976.[24] In 1987, as at many AM radio stations, music was abandoned, and WTAE became a talk station.[25] Hosts included Jack Bogut, Lynn Cullen, Doug Hoerth and Phil Musick.

WEAE's final logo as "1250 ESPN", used from 2008 until December 31, 2010

After 66 years of ownership, Hearst sold WTAE, along with what had become WVTY (now WKST-FM), to SFX Broadcasting in 1997.[26] That December 1, SFX relaunched WTAE as an all-sports station.[27] Chancellor Media bought SFX's Pittsburgh stations a year later,[28] and then traded WTAE to Jacor Communications in exchange for WKNR in Cleveland, Ohio in August 1998.[29] Jacor changed the call letters to WEAE to disassociate the station from WTAE-TV, which remained owned by Hearst-Argyle.[3] Soon afterward, Jacor put the station up for sale, and in 1999, WEAE was acquired by ABC,[30] which affiliated the station with its ESPN Radio network.[3] ESPN programming such as Mike and Mike in the Morning was supplemented by local sports talkers Scott Paulsen,[31] Mike Logan,[31] Chris Mack,[32] Guy Junker,[31] Stan Savran,[31] and Stillers 365 (with Ken Laird).[32] Mark Madden was a host on the station from 1998[30] until his firing in May 2008 for making an on-air remark that he wished that Sen. Edward Kennedy be assassinated.[33] Madden returned to the Pittsburgh airwaves on October 13, 2008, with an afternoon drive show on competitor WXDX, which is otherwise a modern rock station.[34]

WDDZ's logo as "Radio Disney AM 1250", used from 2011 until 2013

Soon after the sale to ABC, WEAE lost the Steelers rights to WDVE (itself formerly owned by ABC) and WWSW (now WBGG) after nearly thirty years;[35] a year earlier, WTAE had lost the Pittsburgh Panthers to KQV.[23] The station subsequently picked up the Penn State Nittany Lions.[32][36]

Original logo after taking "The Answer" branding

Although WEAE was generally the top-rated sports station in Pittsburgh, ahead of WBGG, it was a financial failure (at one point losing as much as $2 million)—a problem that only worsened when KDKA-FM was launched as an FM sports station and wooed away some of WEAE's advertisers.[32] After attempts to sell the station ended without a buyer, ABC decided to not renew its lease of WWCS, which it had run as Pittsburgh's Radio Disney affiliate, upon its expiration on December 31, 2010, and move Radio Disney to WEAE,[32] with WBGG assuming the ESPN Radio affiliation[37] and Penn State men's basketball moving to KQV.[38] Local programming was largely canceled on September 25, 2010.[39] When the format change occurred on January 1, 2011, the call letters were changed to WDDZ (which were transferred from a former Radio Disney affiliate in Providence, Rhode Island).[40]

On August 13, 2014, Disney put WDDZ and twenty-two other Radio Disney stations up for sale, in order to focus more on digital distribution of the Radio Disney network.[41][42] Disney originally planned to temporarily shut down the station on September 26, 2014.[43] However, Disney changed their plans at the last minute, and all stations remained on the air and continued carrying Radio Disney programming until they were sold.[44]

On February 25, 2015, Sports Radio Group (the Disney subsidiary that held the station's license) filed to sell WDDZ to the Pennsylvania Media Associates, Inc.,[45] a subsidiary of the Salem Media Group.[46] Salem bought the station for $1 million.[47] Following the sale's completion, Salem introduced its "Answer" conservative talk format on the station on May 13.[48][49][50] The FCC granted the sale on April 13, 2015.[51] The sale was consummated on May 12, 2015,[52] and the call sign was changed to WPGP.[53]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WPGP". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ "A Chronology of AM Radio Broadcasting 1900-1960". History of American Broadcasting. Archived from the original on February 10, 2012. Retrieved December 24, 2010.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Roteman, Jeff. "From 833 to 1250…". Jeff Roteman's WTAE Radio Page. Archived from the original on October 9, 2010. Retrieved December 24, 2010.
  4. ^ "Radio Service Bulletin". Bureau of Navigation, Department of Commerce. January 2, 1923. p. 6. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 24, 2010.
  5. ^ "Radio Service Bulletin". Department of Commerce Bureau of Navigation. June 1, 1923. p. 10. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 24, 2010.
  6. ^ "Gimbel Growth". Time. December 14, 1925. Archived from the original on February 19, 2012. Retrieved December 25, 2010.
  7. ^ a b Salamon, Ed (2010). Pittsburgh's Golden Age of Radio. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 8–9. ISBN 978-0-7385-7223-9.
  8. ^ "Radio Service Bulletin". United States Department of Commerce Radio Division. May 31, 1927. p. 9. Archived from the original on November 25, 2006. Retrieved December 25, 2010.
  9. ^ "Radio Service Bulletin". United States Department of Commerce Radio Division. November 30, 1927. p. 8. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 25, 2010.
  10. ^ "Radio Service Bulletin" (PDF). United States Department of Commerce Radio Division. November 30, 1928. p. 9. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 25, 2010.
  11. ^ "Log of U. S. Broadcast Stations Effective March 29, 1941" (PDF). Supplement to Broadcasting. September 15, 1940. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 24, 2012. Retrieved December 25, 2010.
  12. ^ "KQV, Pittsburgh, and WCBM, Baltimore, Will Transfer to Blue Network in Fall" (PDF). Broadcasting. March 17, 1941. p. 9. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 24, 2012. Retrieved December 25, 2010.
  13. ^ "WCAE, KQV Switch Networks June 15" (PDF). Broadcasting. January 22, 1945. p. 49. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 24, 2012. Retrieved December 25, 2010.
  14. ^ Broadcasting-Telecasting Yearbook 1950 (PDF). 1950. p. 260. Retrieved December 25, 2010.[permanent dead link]
  15. ^ "For The Record" (PDF). Broadcasting-Telecasting. June 8, 1953. p. 85. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 24, 2012. Retrieved December 25, 2010.
  16. ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1961-62 (PDF). 1961. p. B-111. Retrieved December 25, 2010.[permanent dead link]
  17. ^ "WJAS Switches to ABC" (PDF). Broadcasting-Telecasting. April 25, 1955. p. 9. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 24, 2012. Retrieved December 25, 2010.
  18. ^ "Closed Circuit" (PDF). Broadcasting-Telecasting. July 22, 1957. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 24, 2012. Retrieved December 25, 2010.
  19. ^ "AB-PT Confirms Buy Of KQV for $700,000" (PDF). Broadcasting-Telecasting. September 2, 1957. p. 74. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 24, 2012. Retrieved December 25, 2010.
  20. ^ "Pitt. Station's Catchy Promotions a Catch-All". Billboard. March 27, 1965. Retrieved December 25, 2010.
  21. ^ "For The Record" (PDF). Broadcasting. June 6, 1966. p. 87. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 6, 2012. Retrieved December 25, 2010.
  22. ^ a b c Mehno, John (November 8, 1980). "Stumbling WTAE-AM Soars To Deuce Spot". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 28, 2011. Retrieved December 25, 2010.
  23. ^ a b "The Pederson Years". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. December 21, 2002. Archived from the original on December 6, 2004. Retrieved December 27, 2010.
  24. ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1977 (PDF). 1977. p. C-182. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 8, 2010. Retrieved December 25, 2010.
  25. ^ Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1988 (PDF). 1988. p. B-242. Retrieved December 25, 2010.[permanent dead link]
  26. ^ "HEARST TO ACQUIRE WPBF-TV, WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA" (Press release). Hearst Corporation. March 25, 1997. Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved December 25, 2010.
  27. ^ Tascarella, Patty (February 23, 1998). "Live from Green Tree". Pittsburgh Business Times. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012. Retrieved December 25, 2010.
  28. ^ "Station breakup". Pittsburgh Business Times. March 2, 1998. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012. Retrieved December 25, 2010.
  29. ^ "Changing stations". Pittsburgh Business Times. June 29, 1998. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012. Retrieved December 25, 2010.
  30. ^ a b Coleman, Murray (February 8, 1999). "ABC closes in on acquisition of WEAE-AM". Pittsburgh Business Times. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012. Retrieved December 25, 2010.
  31. ^ a b c d Smizik, Bob (July 28, 2008). "Paulsen, Savran additions highlight changes at 1250 ESPN". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on May 22, 2011. Retrieved December 27, 2010.
  32. ^ a b c d e Smizik, Bob (September 24, 2010). "Major changes next week at 1250 ESPN". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on September 27, 2010. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
  33. ^ "Madden removed from air by ESPN," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 28, 2008
  34. ^ "105.9 The X - Mark Madden page". wxdx.com. Archived from the original on 3 November 2008. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  35. ^ Finder, Chuck (February 18, 1999). "WDVE-FM secures rights as Steelers flagship station". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on February 3, 2012. Retrieved December 25, 2010.
  36. ^ "PSU Advertisement (1998 affiliate list)". Turnpike Traveller. Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. Archived from the original on March 8, 2012. Retrieved December 27, 2010.
  37. ^ McCoy, Adrian (November 3, 2010). "WBGG to gain some ESPN sports talk". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on November 7, 2010. Retrieved December 27, 2010.
  38. ^ Smizik, Bob (November 17, 2010). "Penn State basketball to KQV". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on September 29, 2010. Retrieved December 27, 2010.
  39. ^ Smizik, Bob (September 26, 2010). "Shutdown begins at 1250 ESPN". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on September 29, 2010. Retrieved September 27, 2010.
  40. ^ Fybush, Scott (January 3, 2011). "New Year Dawns with Format Changes". NorthEast Radio Watch. Archived from the original on January 23, 2011. Retrieved January 3, 2011.
  41. ^ Lafayette, Jon (August 13, 2014). "Exclusive: Radio Disney Moving Off Air to Digital". Archived from the original on August 16, 2014. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  42. ^ "Radio Disney to Sell the Majority of Its Stations". Billboard. Archived from the original on 16 August 2014. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
  43. ^ Venta, Lance (August 13, 2014). "Radio Disney To Sell All But One Station". Radio Insight. Archived from the original on August 14, 2014. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  44. ^ "NERW Extra: No Signoffs for Disney AMs". Northeast Radio Watch. Archived from the original on 29 September 2014. Retrieved 27 September 2014. (subscription required)
  45. ^ "Application for Consent to Assignment of Broadcast Station Construction Permit or License". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. February 25, 2015. Archived from the original on February 26, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
  46. ^ "Parties to the Application - FCC". fcc.gov. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  47. ^ Venta, Lance (February 25, 2015). "Salem Acquires Disney Properties In Atlanta & Pittsburgh". Radio Insight. Archived from the original on February 26, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
  48. ^ Fybush, Scott (February 25, 2015). Disney sells in Pittsburgh Archived 2015-02-27 at the Wayback Machine. NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
  49. ^ "The Salem Plan For Disney Stations". Radio Ink. March 10, 2015. Archived from the original on March 13, 2015. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
  50. ^ Venta, Lance (March 11, 2015). "Salem Reveals Pending Formats For Disney Acquisitions". RadioInsight. Archived from the original on March 13, 2015. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
  51. ^ "Application Search Details". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
  52. ^ Staff, FCC Internet Services. "Application View ... Redirecting". licensing.fcc.gov. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  53. ^ "Call Sign History - FCC". fcc.gov. Archived from the original on 22 October 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
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