WGRP
Encyclopedia
WGRP is a licensed Class D AM radio station
broadcasting from Greenville, Pennsylvania
at 940 kHz. WGRP broadcasts full-time. However, it only sends out 2 watts in the nighttime hours, in order to protect a Canadian
clear-channel which is reserved by international treaty.
WGRP and WLOA
, along with WLVX
107.1 FM in Greenville, PA, are owned by Educational Media Foundation
. Previously, all three stations were owned by Beacon Broadcasting, operated by Warren-based steel supply magnate Harold Glunt. After his death in January 2010, Glunt's surviving son put the stations up for sale.
EMF
has announced their intentions to spin off WGRP and WLOA to separate owners. In June 2011, Vilkie Communications announced their intention to purchase WGRP and WLOA.
requires WGRP to broadcast at only 2 watts during night hours. This is to allow uninterrupted broadcasting of CINW
in Montreal, Quebec which occupied the same frequency until signing off permanently in January 2010. In CINW's absence, and despite the night-time power limitation, listeners have reported hearing WGRP across much of northeast North America
at night.
In 1964, Greenville Broadcasting Company was issued the construction permit for WGRP-FM 107.1, known today as WLVX
. Once it went on the air in July of 1965, WGRP-FM simulcast its AM sister, but was able to provide nighttime radio service independently after WGRP was mandated to close at sundown.
In early 1978, Kenneth Anderson died. After his death, Merle Anderson assumed the duties of president and general manager.
Prior to Glunt's death, WGRP was simulcasting sister station WLOA
with a Classic Country format, then moving briefly to all-sports, then oldies, and then reverted back to country with local broadcasters such as, Tony Horn (in the morning), & Johnny Rogers (Afternoons), with a short stint by local talent Gregg Allen as “Porky” broadcasting Porky’s Pen at 10. Both stations were once Mercer County
outlets for Pittsburgh
Pirates
baseball, which later moved to competing station WLLF
. Previously, the two stations carried an oldies
format that originated from then-sister station WANR.
WLOA and WGRP, along with WEXC
-FM in Greenville, Pennsylvania
, and Ohio stations WANR and WRTK
were all stations of Beacon Broadcasting.
announced its purchase of WLOA, WGRP and WEXC for a combined $225,000; all three stations since changed formats to relay the national non-commercial K-LOVE
feed, while EMF will sell WLOA and WGRP in the coming day to different owners.
WGRP, and WLOA-AM Farrell-Youngstown are being sold to former LMA operator of WGRP, Vilkie Communications of Meadville, Pa. VCI radio, Inc., Is a locally owned broadcast company.
repaint the WGRP(AM) antenna structures. Beacon Broadcasting was fined $15,000 for the violations.
On October 29, 2010, WGRP was issued a NOTICE OF APPARENT LIABILITY FOR FORFEITURE (NAL) for failing to maintain a public inspection file and exceeding nighttime broadcast power. FCC inspectors determined that nighttime transmission power was 26 watts (the transmitter was programmed to reduce to 28 watts at night), exceeding the licensed nighttime power output of 2 watts.
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...
broadcasting from Greenville, Pennsylvania
Greenville, Pennsylvania
Greenville is a borough in Mercer County, Pennsylvania. Located along the Shenango River, Greenville is roughly 80 miles from both Pittsburgh and Cleveland. Greenville is part of the Youngstown–Warren–Boardman, OH-PA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is home to 570,000 people...
at 940 kHz. WGRP broadcasts full-time. However, it only sends out 2 watts in the nighttime hours, in order to protect a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
clear-channel which is reserved by international treaty.
WGRP and WLOA
WLOA
WLOA is a radio station licensed to Farrell, Pennsylvania. It serves the Sharon, Pennsylvania and Youngstown, Ohio areas. Though licensed to Farrell, WLOA transmits from a facility on South State Line Road in Masury, Ohio...
, along with WLVX
WLVX
WLVX is a radio station licensed to Greenville, Pennsylvania. It operates 24 hours per day, 7 days per week at 2100 watts.The station is owned by Educational Media Foundation, who officially received assignment of the licenses of WEXC, WLOA and WGRP from Beacon Broadcasting on December 23, 2010...
107.1 FM in Greenville, PA, are owned by Educational Media Foundation
Educational Media Foundation
Educational Media Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that operates the K-LOVE and Air 1 radio networks. EMF is based in Rocklin, California....
. Previously, all three stations were owned by Beacon Broadcasting, operated by Warren-based steel supply magnate Harold Glunt. After his death in January 2010, Glunt's surviving son put the stations up for sale.
EMF
EMF
- Music :* EMF , a British band** "EMF", a bonus track on EMF's album Schubert Dip* E.M.F. , a 1983 album by GG Allin* English Music Festival, a British music festival- Organizations :...
has announced their intentions to spin off WGRP and WLOA to separate owners. In June 2011, Vilkie Communications announced their intention to purchase WGRP and WLOA.
2 watt nighttime broadcast
International treatyTreaty
A treaty is an express agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely sovereign states and international organizations. A treaty may also be known as an agreement, protocol, covenant, convention or exchange of letters, among other terms...
requires WGRP to broadcast at only 2 watts during night hours. This is to allow uninterrupted broadcasting of CINW
CINW (AM)
CINW was an English language Canadian radio station located in Montreal, Quebec.Owned and operated by Corus Quebec, it broadcasted on 940 kHz with a power of 50,000 watts as a clear channel station, using a slightly directional antenna solely for the purpose of improving reception in downtown...
in Montreal, Quebec which occupied the same frequency until signing off permanently in January 2010. In CINW's absence, and despite the night-time power limitation, listeners have reported hearing WGRP across much of northeast North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
at night.
History
WGRP first signed on September 19, 1959 under the ownership of Greenville Broadcasting Company, headed by Kenneth Anderson (November 8, 1911 - January 1978), who served as general manager and chief engineer, with his brother Merle Anderson (August 31, 1919 - September 19, 2000) serving as station manager and program director. The station first operated from studios located at 2 Water Street in downtown Greenville, and operated at its current frequency, daytime power output and directional antenna pattern. However, the station did not have nighttime power authorization in these early years. In later years, the station would move all of its operations to an office constructed at its transmitter facility at 44 McCracken Road in West Salem Township, just outside of the Greenville corporate limits.In 1964, Greenville Broadcasting Company was issued the construction permit for WGRP-FM 107.1, known today as WLVX
WLVX
WLVX is a radio station licensed to Greenville, Pennsylvania. It operates 24 hours per day, 7 days per week at 2100 watts.The station is owned by Educational Media Foundation, who officially received assignment of the licenses of WEXC, WLOA and WGRP from Beacon Broadcasting on December 23, 2010...
. Once it went on the air in July of 1965, WGRP-FM simulcast its AM sister, but was able to provide nighttime radio service independently after WGRP was mandated to close at sundown.
In early 1978, Kenneth Anderson died. After his death, Merle Anderson assumed the duties of president and general manager.
First Sale
Greenville Broadcasting Company continued its ownership of the stations into the 1990s, when both were sold to Beacon Broadcasting.Second Sale
In December 2003, Vilkie Communications LMA'ed then dark WGRP-AM until changes in management at Beacon decided not to sell. At this time, Harold Glunt took over operations of Beacon Broadcasting.WLOA
WLOA is a radio station licensed to Farrell, Pennsylvania. It serves the Sharon, Pennsylvania and Youngstown, Ohio areas. Though licensed to Farrell, WLOA transmits from a facility on South State Line Road in Masury, Ohio...
with a Classic Country format, then moving briefly to all-sports, then oldies, and then reverted back to country with local broadcasters such as, Tony Horn (in the morning), & Johnny Rogers (Afternoons), with a short stint by local talent Gregg Allen as “Porky” broadcasting Porky’s Pen at 10. Both stations were once Mercer County
Mercer County, Pennsylvania
Mercer County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 116,638. Its county seat is Mercer; Sharon is its largest city....
outlets for Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
baseball, which later moved to competing station WLLF
WLLF
WLLF is a commercial FM radio station in Mercer, Pennsylvania, USA, serving the Youngstown, Ohio market broadcasting at 96.7 MHz with a sports format. It is one of seven radio stations in the Youngstown market owned by Cumulus Broadcasting...
. Previously, the two stations carried 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....
format that originated from then-sister station WANR.
WLOA and WGRP, along with WEXC
WLVX
WLVX is a radio station licensed to Greenville, Pennsylvania. It operates 24 hours per day, 7 days per week at 2100 watts.The station is owned by Educational Media Foundation, who officially received assignment of the licenses of WEXC, WLOA and WGRP from Beacon Broadcasting on December 23, 2010...
-FM in Greenville, Pennsylvania
Greenville, Pennsylvania
Greenville is a borough in Mercer County, Pennsylvania. Located along the Shenango River, Greenville is roughly 80 miles from both Pittsburgh and Cleveland. Greenville is part of the Youngstown–Warren–Boardman, OH-PA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is home to 570,000 people...
, and Ohio stations WANR and WRTK
WRTK
WYCL — branded 1540 WYCL — is a news/talk radio station licensed to Niles, Ohio, and serving the Youngstown-Warren area from its studio/transmitter facility in Mineral Ridge. The station is only allowed to broadcast with 500 watts during the daytime hours...
were all stations of Beacon Broadcasting.
Sale to Current Owner
On September 10, 2010, Educational Media FoundationEducational Media Foundation
Educational Media Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that operates the K-LOVE and Air 1 radio networks. EMF is based in Rocklin, California....
announced its purchase of WLOA, WGRP and WEXC for a combined $225,000; all three stations since changed formats to relay the national non-commercial K-LOVE
K-LOVE
K-LOVE is a Contemporary Christian music radio programming service in the United States operated by the Educational Media Foundation. As of January 2011, K-LOVE's programming is carried on over 440 FM stations and translators in 45 states. K-LOVE claims an audience of 250,000 people each week via...
feed, while EMF will sell WLOA and WGRP in the coming day to different owners.
WGRP, and WLOA-AM Farrell-Youngstown are being sold to former LMA operator of WGRP, Vilkie Communications of Meadville, Pa. VCI radio, Inc., Is a locally owned broadcast company.
FCC Violations
On November 15, 2002, WGRP was issued a NOTICE OF APPARENT LIABILITY FOR FORFEITURE (NAL). The violations involved Beacon's failure to post the Antenna Structure Registration (ASR) numbers on the WGRP(AM) antenna structures, failure to notify the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that the obstruction lighting was improperly functioning, and failure torepaint the WGRP(AM) antenna structures. Beacon Broadcasting was fined $15,000 for the violations.
On October 29, 2010, WGRP was issued a NOTICE OF APPARENT LIABILITY FOR FORFEITURE (NAL) for failing to maintain a public inspection file and exceeding nighttime broadcast power. FCC inspectors determined that nighttime transmission power was 26 watts (the transmitter was programmed to reduce to 28 watts at night), exceeding the licensed nighttime power output of 2 watts.