WKFB
Encyclopedia
WKFB is an AM radio station licensed to Jeannette
, Pennsylvania
that serves the greater Pittsburgh
area. Known as 770 KFB, the station operates with 750 watts, and airs a mix of health talk and paid programming, with oldies music throughout the day and on weekends. The radio station is home to several Pittsburgh oldies personalities, including Frankie Day, "Caveman" Ralph, Glenn Raymer, "Big Ray" Edwards, Dale Jonez and "Suzie Q".
WKFB is co-owned with WKHB
(620), also near Pittsburgh. Because WKFB shares the same frequency as "clear channel" station WABC-AM
in New York City
; it broadcasts only during daytime hours
. However, WKFB also is simulcast on FM translator station W248AR Monroeville (97.5) and automated oldies are heard on that frequency during the nighttime hours when WKFB is off the air.
).
Very much a family business, Calisti did the engineering and hosted a provocative and often amusing local talk show, his wife Verna kept the books and sold airtime, and their daughter Jacqueline Rae served as program director. The station only had one employee outside of the Calisti family: Clair Thomas, who served as the station's news director.
The Calistis maintained ownership of the station with a primary local and syndicated talk format until 1996, when they sold it to Broadcast Communications, which had just acquired then-Greensburg-based WHJB-AM 620 . Al Calisti died of cancer seven years later.
Under the new ownership, the station moved from its original location at 111 South Fourth Street in Jeannette to WHJB's building at 245 Brown Street in Greensburg. A frequency change to 770 was made in early 2004, giving the station much better coverage of the Pittsburgh market and the ability to do so at a lower power, allowing the station to reach as far north as eastern Armstrong County. The call letters WKFB were selected to be similar to sister station WKHB.
businessman who has leased up to sixty hours of air time per week for various oldies
programs since Spring 2005. "The Morning Memory Show" has been broadcast during weekday morning drive time since April 2006, originally featuring "Caveman" Ralph and Frankie Day, later joined by Dale Jonez and Glenn Raymer. In May 2009, "Caveman" decided to cut back on his air time and concentrate on his Saturday morning show. Glenn Raymer replaced him on the morning show starting on June 1st of that year. With the return of "Big Ray" Edwards to the station in April 2011, oldies programming is now broadcast continuously from 7 am until 4 pm Monday through Friday (save for a one half hour health infomercial at 10:30 am). Pittsburgh chiropractor Dr. James Winer's alternative health show airs weekdays from 4 until 5, then Frankie returns from 5 until sign-off with a mix of live and recorded programs.
Weekends are full of ethnic and religious programs, as well as oldies all day Saturday, and afternoons on Sunday. Saturday oldies shows feature "Caveman" Ralph, "Suzie Q", and Frankie Day with Dale Jonez, while Frankie also appears on Sunday's schedule.
An Internet-only radio station, www.soundsofphillyradio.com, broadcasts "The Morning Memory Show" from 7 to 9 am weekdays and Frankie Day's afternoon show from 3 to 4 PM Monday through Thursday. They also carry The Frankie Day Oldies Show from 4 to 5 pm weekdays and Saturdays. The shows broadcast are a mix of new ones and those previously aired on WKFB.
Jeannette, Pennsylvania
Jeannette is a city in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 10,788 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Jeannette is located at ....
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
that serves the greater 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...
area. Known as 770 KFB, the station operates with 750 watts, and airs a mix of health talk and paid programming, with oldies music throughout the day and on weekends. The radio station is home to several Pittsburgh oldies personalities, including Frankie Day, "Caveman" Ralph, Glenn Raymer, "Big Ray" Edwards, Dale Jonez and "Suzie Q".
WKFB is co-owned with WKHB
WKHB
WKHB is an AM radio station licensed to Irwin, Pennsylvania, United States, which serves the greater Pittsburgh area. Known as 620 KHB, the station operates with 5,500 watts daytime and airs a mix of health talk and paid programming with oldies music in the morning, evening and overnight hours...
(620), also near Pittsburgh. Because WKFB shares the same frequency as "clear channel" station WABC-AM
WABC (AM)
WABC , known as "NewsTalkRadio 77 WABC" is a radio station in New York City. Owned by the broadcasting division of Cumulus Media, the station broadcasts on a clear channel and is the flagship station of Cumulus Media Networks...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
; it broadcasts only during 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, WKFB also is simulcast on FM translator station W248AR Monroeville (97.5) and automated oldies are heard on that frequency during the nighttime hours when WKFB is off the air.
History
For many years this station was WBCW (1530), and for a brief period, WKTW. The station originally operated at 1530 kHz with a daytime-only power of 1,000 watts, with 250 watts during critical hours, barely reaching the fringes of Westmoreland County. WBCW was founded by broadcast engineer Albert Calisti, who first put it on the air back in 1974, having completed an eight-year stint as general manager of competitor WTRA (now WCNSWCNS
WCNS is a commercially licensed AM radio station, licensed to Latrobe, Pennsylvania. WCNS broadcasts at the federally assigned frequency of 1480 kilohertz, with a daytime power output of 500 watts, and a nighttime power of 1,000 watts...
).
Very much a family business, Calisti did the engineering and hosted a provocative and often amusing local talk show, his wife Verna kept the books and sold airtime, and their daughter Jacqueline Rae served as program director. The station only had one employee outside of the Calisti family: Clair Thomas, who served as the station's news director.
The Calistis maintained ownership of the station with a primary local and syndicated talk format until 1996, when they sold it to Broadcast Communications, which had just acquired then-Greensburg-based WHJB-AM 620 . Al Calisti died of cancer seven years later.
Under the new ownership, the station moved from its original location at 111 South Fourth Street in Jeannette to WHJB's building at 245 Brown Street in Greensburg. A frequency change to 770 was made in early 2004, giving the station much better coverage of the Pittsburgh market and the ability to do so at a lower power, allowing the station to reach as far north as eastern Armstrong County. The call letters WKFB were selected to be similar to sister station WKHB.
On-air hosts and programs
The station's recent history has been heavily influenced by Frankie Day, a North Versailles, PennsylvaniaNorth Versailles, Pennsylvania
North Versailles is a first class township in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 10,229 at the 2010 census.-History:...
businessman who has leased up to sixty hours of air time per week for various 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....
programs since Spring 2005. "The Morning Memory Show" has been broadcast during weekday morning drive time since April 2006, originally featuring "Caveman" Ralph and Frankie Day, later joined by Dale Jonez and Glenn Raymer. In May 2009, "Caveman" decided to cut back on his air time and concentrate on his Saturday morning show. Glenn Raymer replaced him on the morning show starting on June 1st of that year. With the return of "Big Ray" Edwards to the station in April 2011, oldies programming is now broadcast continuously from 7 am until 4 pm Monday through Friday (save for a one half hour health infomercial at 10:30 am). Pittsburgh chiropractor Dr. James Winer's alternative health show airs weekdays from 4 until 5, then Frankie returns from 5 until sign-off with a mix of live and recorded programs.
Weekends are full of ethnic and religious programs, as well as oldies all day Saturday, and afternoons on Sunday. Saturday oldies shows feature "Caveman" Ralph, "Suzie Q", and Frankie Day with Dale Jonez, while Frankie also appears on Sunday's schedule.
An Internet-only radio station, www.soundsofphillyradio.com, broadcasts "The Morning Memory Show" from 7 to 9 am weekdays and Frankie Day's afternoon show from 3 to 4 PM Monday through Thursday. They also carry The Frankie Day Oldies Show from 4 to 5 pm weekdays and Saturdays. The shows broadcast are a mix of new ones and those previously aired on WKFB.