WILB
Encyclopedia
WILB is an AM radio
station in Canton, Ohio
, USA, that offers Catholic programming. The station broadcasts daytime only with a power of 5,000 watts on 1060 kHz. Much of the station's programming is supplied by EWTN Radio.
Because WILB shares the same frequency as "clear channel
" station KYW
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, it broadcasts only during the daytime hours
. However, much of the programming webcasts 24 hours daily.
(now WQMX
) signed on. By 1961 the AM station had become WHOF, and it was a Top 40 outlet in the early 1960s.
In 1967 the call letters were changed again, this time to WOIO. After going through several more format changes, it once again became a Top 40 station in the fall of 1976 as WQIO (using the slogan "Q-10") and was successful for the next few years in the waning days of AM Top 40 radio, drawing the highest ratings in the history of the station, and driving competitor WINW
-AM (also a daytime station) out of the format. When 106.9 FM in Canton (co-owned with WINW) changed to WOOS with an automated Top 40 format in 1978, WQIO's days as a Top 40 radio station were numbered, and by the fall of 1979 it began to head in a more adult contemporary direction.
In 1980, WQIO filed an application with the FCC
to move the station from Canton to Canal Fulton
, and broadcast full-time on 1070 kHz with 1,000 watts daytime and 500 watts nighttime. While this would have allowed WQIO to operate 24 hours a day, a Pittsburgh station also applied for the same frequency, and neither of the applications were granted, nor was WQIO able to acquire an FM station (it had passed on the chance to acquire 106.9, which went to WINW, and later pursued 95.9 in New Philadelphia, Ohio
with an eye towards moving its tower closer to Canton, but was unsuccessful). Faltering in the ratings, WQIO switched to a short-lived country music
format in 1981, but soon was put up for sale.
The station was purchased by Arcey Broadcasting, which changed the call letters to WRCW on June 14, 1982. The RC in the Arcey name and the call letters came from the initials of owner Ronald D. Colaner, who had joined the station in 1965 as a part-time engineer. Over the years, WRCW ran a varied mixture of talk shows and adult contemporary music, as well as specialty programming on weekends, most notably an oldies show hosted by local personality Ricco that ran for 18 years (Ricco later landed at WDPN
) and a live Sunday-morning broadcast featuring the South Land Gospel Boys that had aired since the early 1960s.
In 1998 Arcey tried to sell the station to Otter Communications, headed by Dan Ott of Youngstown, but the sale did not go through. The call sign was briefly changed to WTOF on December 7, 1998, but it was changed back to WRCW on February 1, 1999. After 22 years, Arcey Broadcasting finally sold the station to Living Bread Radio for $300,000 in April 2004
http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?Category=26&ID=156184&r=1, and it became WILB on July 1, 2004, adopting a Catholic-oriented format.
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 in Canton, Ohio
Canton, Ohio
Canton is the county seat of Stark County in northeastern Ohio, approximately south of Akron and south of Cleveland.The City of Caton is the largest incorporated area within the Canton-Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, USA, that offers Catholic programming. The station broadcasts daytime only with a power of 5,000 watts on 1060 kHz. Much of the station's programming is supplied by EWTN Radio.
Because WILB shares the same frequency as "clear channel
Clear channel
A clear-channel station is an AM band Radio station in North America that has the highest protection from interference from other stations, particularly concerning night-time skywave propagation. Usually known as class A stations since 1982, they are occasionally still referred to by their former...
" station KYW
KYW (AM)
KYW is a class A AM radio station on 1060 kHz licensed to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. KYW is owned by the CBS Radio unit of CBS Corporation, and has broadcasted an all-news format since 1965. The station's studios are located on Market Street in Center City Philadelphia, and it transmitters...
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, it broadcasts only during the daytime hours
Daytime (astronomy)
On Earth, daytime is roughly the period on any given point of the planet's surface during which it experiences natural illumination from indirect or direct sunlight....
. However, much of the programming webcasts 24 hours daily.
History
The station was founded in 1946 by Stark Broadcasting Co. as WCMW, which established WCMW-FM at about the same time on 94.9 MHz. The FM station went off the air around 1953, and the frequency went unused until 1960 when WDBNWQMX
WQMX — branded FM 94.9 WQMX — is a commercial country radio station serving to the Akron, Ohio metro area. It is licensed to nearby Medina, Ohio and is owned by the Rubber City Radio Group, Inc. which also owns Akron's WAKR and WONE-FM....
(now WQMX
WQMX
WQMX — branded FM 94.9 WQMX — is a commercial country radio station serving to the Akron, Ohio metro area. It is licensed to nearby Medina, Ohio and is owned by the Rubber City Radio Group, Inc. which also owns Akron's WAKR and WONE-FM....
) signed on. By 1961 the AM station had become WHOF, and it was a Top 40 outlet in the early 1960s.
In 1967 the call letters were changed again, this time to WOIO. After going through several more format changes, it once again became a Top 40 station in the fall of 1976 as WQIO (using the slogan "Q-10") and was successful for the next few years in the waning days of AM Top 40 radio, drawing the highest ratings in the history of the station, and driving competitor WINW
WINW
WINW was an AM radio station that was licensed to Canton, Ohio. For its entire history the station broadcast at 1520 kHz during daytime hours only...
-AM (also a daytime station) out of the format. When 106.9 FM in Canton (co-owned with WINW) changed to WOOS with an automated Top 40 format in 1978, WQIO's days as a Top 40 radio station were numbered, and by the fall of 1979 it began to head in a more adult contemporary direction.
In 1980, WQIO filed an application with the FCC
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...
to move the station from Canton to Canal Fulton
Canal Fulton, Ohio
Canal Fulton is a city in Stark County in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 5,479 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Canton–Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, and broadcast full-time on 1070 kHz with 1,000 watts daytime and 500 watts nighttime. While this would have allowed WQIO to operate 24 hours a day, a Pittsburgh station also applied for the same frequency, and neither of the applications were granted, nor was WQIO able to acquire an FM station (it had passed on the chance to acquire 106.9, which went to WINW, and later pursued 95.9 in New Philadelphia, Ohio
New Philadelphia, Ohio
New Philadelphia is a city in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, United States, 71 miles south of Cleveland on the Tuscarawas River. It was first incorporated in 1808. Coal and clay are found in the vicinity...
with an eye towards moving its tower closer to Canton, but was unsuccessful). Faltering in the ratings, WQIO switched to a short-lived country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
format in 1981, but soon was put up for sale.
The station was purchased by Arcey Broadcasting, which changed the call letters to WRCW on June 14, 1982. The RC in the Arcey name and the call letters came from the initials of owner Ronald D. Colaner, who had joined the station in 1965 as a part-time engineer. Over the years, WRCW ran a varied mixture of talk shows and adult contemporary music, as well as specialty programming on weekends, most notably an oldies show hosted by local personality Ricco that ran for 18 years (Ricco later landed at WDPN
WDPN
WDPN is an AM radio station in Alliance, Ohio, operating on 1310 kHz. The station airs an adult contemporary format. It is owned by the family company of Don Peterson who is the former publisher of The Alliance Review, and is co-owned with FM station WDJQ....
) and a live Sunday-morning broadcast featuring the South Land Gospel Boys that had aired since the early 1960s.
In 1998 Arcey tried to sell the station to Otter Communications, headed by Dan Ott of Youngstown, but the sale did not go through. The call sign was briefly changed to WTOF on December 7, 1998, but it was changed back to WRCW on February 1, 1999. After 22 years, Arcey Broadcasting finally sold the station to Living Bread Radio for $300,000 in April 2004
http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?Category=26&ID=156184&r=1, and it became WILB on July 1, 2004, adopting a Catholic-oriented format.