WGPA
Encyclopedia
WGPA is a Class D daytimer radio station
in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
, USA. It is currently owned by a local polka
musician, Jolly Joe Timmer, and plays a mixture of local and syndicated talk radio
programs, oldies
, and polka music.
, Artie Shaw, Glenn Miller
, Doris Day and others. By the late 1950s - early 1960s, rock & roll made inroads and popular music meant playing Elvis, Buddy Holly and other types in addition to the previously mentioned artists. WGPA never became a rock station. In the early fifties, a young man fresh out of Liberty High School named Bob Wolken,started at the station performing odd jobs. He would eventually hire on and became an on-air announcer, who would remain through changes in ownership and formats into the 1990s.
WGPA AM was and continues to be a daytime only station, its broadcast hours limited to dawn-dusk operation. Because of this limitation, WGPA-FM would pick up local live sports coverage after 6 PM. This included high school basketball and football. The FM station's daytime programming was beautiful music featuring the likes of Mantovani, Ferrante and Teicher, Ray Conniff and Henry Mancini
to name a few.
By 1973 Bethlehem Globe Publishing Authority aka A-B-E Broadcasting was compelled by the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) to divest itself of its radio holdings. WGPA AM/FM went to Holt Broadcasting for approximately $125,000. There was a succession of format changes, including oldies, automation, even syndication. Through it all, Bob Wolken remained in some on air capacity. The FM station would become WEZV, "Easy 95", playing easy listening music in stereo. By the late 1970s, WEZV would become WZZO
, "Z-95", and play rock. It has remained in that format for more than 25 years. Eventually, Holt sold WGPA AM to Henry Chadwick in 1978 for approximately $400,000.
The WGPA-AM offices and studios would eventually be moved to the Dodson Building on North New Street, where they are today. WZZO's offices and studio moved to the Westgate Mall in Bethlehem, and then to Whitehall Township.
In 1992, Bethlehem Polka personality Joe Timmer acquired WGPA AM 1100 from Chadwick Broadcasting. WGPA AM 1100 became known as "Sunny 1100" and Timmer, also known as "Jolly Joe" programmed polka music three times daily. In addition, the station defies traditional format philosophies by playing mixed music, as well as locally produced specialty programming which has included advice/call-in shows for subjects such as parenting, local politics, local sports, as well as locally-produced music shows. Also available are syndicated shows such as The Dennis Miller Show, The Laura Ingram program, Jimmy Sturr
, Duke and the Doctor as well as USA Radio Network
News on the hour. WGPA Sunny 1100 also streams live over the internet. As a result, WGPA-AM may be heard after dusk; thus far, all off hours programming is polka variety.
Today in addition to the syndicated shows, WGPA is staffed by highly regarded local DJs like Jarret Brown, Alex Fydryszewski, Ned Richards, Dennis Christman, Mike McMillan, Michael Sweigart and Rick Hasonich. These DJs' programs range from doo-wop\oldies(Richards) to polka(Fydryszewski, Hasonich)to disco(Brown), Rock/pop variety/country (Christman), 80's-90's pop/ Christian (Sweigart) and even big band\swing(Capwell). Richard T. Mindler, Jr. is the station technical/computer tech who also makes appearances with select DJ's from time to time and on the Jolly Joe Timmer Polka Show on RCN-TV. He has created a large following for the station on twitter. The station also features the premiere sports talk show in the Valley "Jack, Joe, and Company", hosted by Jack Logic and Joe Craig. Prominent local attorney Bruce Davis has hosted a weekly talk show called "The Lehigh Valley Means Business" for many years. The show features interviews with local business leaders and has aired Friday mornings since the 1990s.
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...
in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Bethlehem is a city in Lehigh and Northampton Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 74,982, making it the seventh largest city in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie,...
, USA. It is currently owned by a local polka
Polka
The polka is a Central European dance and also a genre of dance music familiar throughout Europe and the Americas. It originated in the middle of the 19th century in Bohemia...
musician, Jolly Joe Timmer, and plays a mixture of local and syndicated talk radio
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
programs, 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....
, and polka music.
History
WGPA, "Sunny 1100", was formerly owned by Chadwick Broadcasting. Originally, it was a part of the Bethlehem Globe Publishing Authority (the GPA in WGPA). The station, along with sister WGPA-FM 95.1 began February 16, 1946 and was headquartered in studios and offices on Brodhead Avenue, next to the Globe-Times daily newspaper building. The FCC license stated ownership as A-B-E Broadcasting a division of the Bethlehem Globe Times Newspapers signifying Allentown Bethlehem Easton as coverage area. WGPA AM 1100 originally broadcast popular music, which from the late forties to the late fifties was primarily big band/swing featuring artists like Perry Como, Frank SinatraFrank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
, Artie Shaw, Glenn Miller
Glenn Miller
Alton Glenn Miller was an American jazz musician , arranger, composer, and bandleader in the swing era. He was one of the best-selling recording artists from 1939 to 1943, leading one of the best known "Big Bands"...
, Doris Day and others. By the late 1950s - early 1960s, rock & roll made inroads and popular music meant playing Elvis, Buddy Holly and other types in addition to the previously mentioned artists. WGPA never became a rock station. In the early fifties, a young man fresh out of Liberty High School named Bob Wolken,started at the station performing odd jobs. He would eventually hire on and became an on-air announcer, who would remain through changes in ownership and formats into the 1990s.
WGPA AM was and continues to be a daytime only station, its broadcast hours limited to dawn-dusk operation. Because of this limitation, WGPA-FM would pick up local live sports coverage after 6 PM. This included high school basketball and football. The FM station's daytime programming was beautiful music featuring the likes of Mantovani, Ferrante and Teicher, Ray Conniff and Henry Mancini
Henry Mancini
Henry Mancini was an American composer, conductor and arranger, best remembered for his film and television scores. He won a record number of Grammy Awards , plus a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously in 1995...
to name a few.
By 1973 Bethlehem Globe Publishing Authority aka A-B-E Broadcasting was compelled by the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC) to divest itself of its radio holdings. WGPA AM/FM went to Holt Broadcasting for approximately $125,000. There was a succession of format changes, including oldies, automation, even syndication. Through it all, Bob Wolken remained in some on air capacity. The FM station would become WEZV, "Easy 95", playing easy listening music in stereo. By the late 1970s, WEZV would become WZZO
WZZO
WZZO, popularly known as "95.1 WZZO", is a popular rock radio station located in Whitehall Township, outside of Allentown, in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, in the United States.WZZO broadcasts locally at 95.1 MHz FM...
, "Z-95", and play rock. It has remained in that format for more than 25 years. Eventually, Holt sold WGPA AM to Henry Chadwick in 1978 for approximately $400,000.
The WGPA-AM offices and studios would eventually be moved to the Dodson Building on North New Street, where they are today. WZZO's offices and studio moved to the Westgate Mall in Bethlehem, and then to Whitehall Township.
In 1992, Bethlehem Polka personality Joe Timmer acquired WGPA AM 1100 from Chadwick Broadcasting. WGPA AM 1100 became known as "Sunny 1100" and Timmer, also known as "Jolly Joe" programmed polka music three times daily. In addition, the station defies traditional format philosophies by playing mixed music, as well as locally produced specialty programming which has included advice/call-in shows for subjects such as parenting, local politics, local sports, as well as locally-produced music shows. Also available are syndicated shows such as The Dennis Miller Show, The Laura Ingram program, Jimmy Sturr
Jimmy Sturr
James W. "Jimmy" Sturr, Jr. is a polka musician, trumpeter/clarinetist/saxophonist and leader of Jimmy Sturr & His Orchestra. His recordings have won 18 out of the 24 Grammy Awards given for Best Polka Album. Sturr's orchestra is on the Top Ten List of the All-Time Grammy Awards, and has acquired...
, Duke and the Doctor as well as USA Radio Network
USA Radio Network
The USA Radio Network is a syndicator of talk radio programming established in 1985. It provides programming to approximately 1,100 radio stations around the world, plus the American Forces Network and XM Satellite Radio, and can be heard on the internet from USA Radio's website.On March 5, 2008,...
News on the hour. WGPA Sunny 1100 also streams live over the internet. As a result, WGPA-AM may be heard after dusk; thus far, all off hours programming is polka variety.
Today in addition to the syndicated shows, WGPA is staffed by highly regarded local DJs like Jarret Brown, Alex Fydryszewski, Ned Richards, Dennis Christman, Mike McMillan, Michael Sweigart and Rick Hasonich. These DJs' programs range from doo-wop\oldies(Richards) to polka(Fydryszewski, Hasonich)to disco(Brown), Rock/pop variety/country (Christman), 80's-90's pop/ Christian (Sweigart) and even big band\swing(Capwell). Richard T. Mindler, Jr. is the station technical/computer tech who also makes appearances with select DJ's from time to time and on the Jolly Joe Timmer Polka Show on RCN-TV. He has created a large following for the station on twitter. The station also features the premiere sports talk show in the Valley "Jack, Joe, and Company", hosted by Jack Logic and Joe Craig. Prominent local attorney Bruce Davis has hosted a weekly talk show called "The Lehigh Valley Means Business" for many years. The show features interviews with local business leaders and has aired Friday mornings since the 1990s.