WAZL
Encyclopedia
WAZL is an AM broadcasting
radio station
licensed to the city of Hazleton, Pennsylvania
with service area extending to the Wilkes-Barre
/Scranton
radio market. The station broadcasts in an Oldies
radio format. It broadcasts at a frequency of 1490 kHz with 1,000 Watt
s of power using a non-directional antenna
. WAZL is considered a Class-C AM broadcasting
station according to the Federal Communication Commission.
. WAZL originally started broadcasting at a frequency of 1420 kHz and had to time share the frequency with WILM in Wilmington, Delaware
in 1932. In 1941, a nationwide frequency reassignment took place by the Federal government which assigned WAZL to 1450 kHz where it stayed until 1948 when the station switched to its current broadcast frequency of 1490 kHz. WAZL was an affiliate of the NBC-Mutual
radio network during its early history.
The station has struggled in recent years with the station going silent for a time until Route 81 Radio bought the station and put it back on the air in 2004 as a full service operation serving the local Hazleton
community.
In mid-July 2008, Route 81 Radio fell into financial difficulty and went into foreclosure. WS2K Acquisition, originally a 50% owner in Route 81 Radio, took over the license. Soon afterwards in August 2008, Hazleton Radio, Inc., a locally-owned corporation, took over management of the station under a LMA
. On August 20, 2009, the Hazleton Standard Speaker reported the sale of WAZL to locally-owned Panorama Magazine. On April 25, 2011 the FCC approved the sale to WAZL Partners, LLP.
AM broadcasting
AM broadcasting is the process of radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation. AM was the first method of impressing sound on a radio signal and is still widely used today. Commercial and public AM broadcasting is carried out in the medium wave band world wide, and on long wave and short wave...
radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
licensed to the city of Hazleton, Pennsylvania
Hazleton, Pennsylvania
Hazleton is a city in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 25,340 at the 2010 census, an increase of 8.6% from the 2000 census count .-Greater Hazleton:...
with service area extending to the Wilkes-Barre
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Wilkes-Barre is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, the county seat of Luzerne County. It is at the center of the Wyoming Valley area and is one of the principal cities in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area, which had a population of 563,631 as of the 2010 Census...
/Scranton
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
radio market. The station broadcasts in an Oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
radio format. It broadcasts at a frequency of 1490 kHz with 1,000 Watt
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
s of power using a non-directional antenna
Antenna (radio)
An antenna is an electrical device which converts electric currents into radio waves, and vice versa. It is usually used with a radio transmitter or radio receiver...
. WAZL is considered a Class-C AM broadcasting
AM broadcasting
AM broadcasting is the process of radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation. AM was the first method of impressing sound on a radio signal and is still widely used today. Commercial and public AM broadcasting is carried out in the medium wave band world wide, and on long wave and short wave...
station according to the Federal Communication Commission.
History
The radio station has a rich and long broadcast history dating back to 1932 serving the city of Hazleton, PennsylvaniaHazleton, Pennsylvania
Hazleton is a city in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 25,340 at the 2010 census, an increase of 8.6% from the 2000 census count .-Greater Hazleton:...
. WAZL originally started broadcasting at a frequency of 1420 kHz and had to time share the frequency with WILM in Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
in 1932. In 1941, a nationwide frequency reassignment took place by the Federal government which assigned WAZL to 1450 kHz where it stayed until 1948 when the station switched to its current broadcast frequency of 1490 kHz. WAZL was an affiliate of the NBC-Mutual
Mutual Broadcasting System
The Mutual Broadcasting System was an American radio network, in operation from 1934 to 1999. In the golden age of U.S. radio drama, MBS was best known as the original network home of The Lone Ranger and The Adventures of Superman and as the long-time radio residence of The Shadow...
radio network during its early history.
The station has struggled in recent years with the station going silent for a time until Route 81 Radio bought the station and put it back on the air in 2004 as a full service operation serving the local Hazleton
Hazleton, Pennsylvania
Hazleton is a city in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 25,340 at the 2010 census, an increase of 8.6% from the 2000 census count .-Greater Hazleton:...
community.
In mid-July 2008, Route 81 Radio fell into financial difficulty and went into foreclosure. WS2K Acquisition, originally a 50% owner in Route 81 Radio, took over the license. Soon afterwards in August 2008, Hazleton Radio, Inc., a locally-owned corporation, took over management of the station under a LMA
Local marketing agreement
In U.S. and Canadian broadcasting, a local marketing agreement is an agreement in which one company agrees to operate a radio or television station owned by another licensee...
. On August 20, 2009, the Hazleton Standard Speaker reported the sale of WAZL to locally-owned Panorama Magazine. On April 25, 2011 the FCC approved the sale to WAZL Partners, LLP.