WNTJ
Encyclopedia
WKGE is an American AM radio station licensed to broadcast on 850 kHz at 10 kW day and night, serving the community of Johnstown, Pennsylvania
. The station is a quasi-satellite of WWGE
in Loretto
.
in Louisville
and CJBC
in Toronto
.
St Francis College (now University) in Loretto subsequently filed for the soon to be vacant AM-1400 frequency. The 1965 Broadcast Yearbook lists the start date for WWSF-AM 1400 as October 7, 1963. Some radio historians date AM-1400 in Cambria County back as far as 1925, however the station owned by Johnstown Automobile Company (WHPB) originally broadcast in 1925 on AM-1170 then AM-1310, changed call letters to WJAC in 1930 but didn't move to AM-1400 until sometime between 1935 and 1942, probably 1941. WWSF now WWGE licensed to Loretto PA started broadcasting in 1963.
Forever Broadcasting moved the calls and format of WNTJ
over to 850 AM, where it had been operating as a simulcast of the news–talk programming on WNTW
in Somerset, Pennsylvania
. It has since moved back to 1490 kHz with Forever's divestiture of the 850 signal and subsequent LMA of the 1490 signal. Birach, who purchased the 850 signal in November 2007, now airs a simulcast of talk station WWGE-AM 1400 in Loretto. An interesting side note - The simulcast of WKGE and WWGE in a way brings the history of this station back around full circle. From 1941 to 1963 WJAC-AM broadcast on AM-1400. Now the programming of AM-1400 from Loretto, PA Cambria County is broadcast on AM-850 reuniting the two frequencies.
The station was the first to sign on in Johnstown as WJAC at 1400 kHz, then moved to 850 kHz in the early 1960s.
announced an agreement to sell WNTJ to Birach Broadcasting of Southfield, Michigan
, with the transfer of ownership finalized by the end of 2007, according to the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) website. Birach had acquired both WNTJ and WCND
in Shelbyville, Kentucky
in the transaction, but no studio or office building was acquired for WNTJ. Birach instead opted to simulcast talk station WWGE
in Loretto, Pennsylvania
via an agreement with WWGE's owner, Pennsylvania Radiowerks.
WKGE is operated using an unusual directional nine-tower array that requires a lot of maintenance, and Forever Broadcasting was trying to sell the station for a while. The array, sitting on 115 acre (0.4653889 km²) of land, is located in Paint Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania
.
WKGE airs the Pittsburgh Penguins http://www.tribune-democrat.com/local/local_story_318234744.html. According to the FCC filing, the proposed sales price for the station is $230,000.http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101206390&formid=314&fac_num=72964
, The Dennis Miller Show, and Sporting News Radio
, along with WWGE's sports programming. However, WKGE also carries Douglas Urbanski
, which WWGE does not.
Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Johnstown is a city in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States, west-southwest of Altoona, Pennsylvania and east of Pittsburgh. The population was 20,978 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Cambria County...
. The station is a quasi-satellite of WWGE
WWGE
WWGE is a commercially licensed AM radio station serving Cambria County, in west central Pennsylvania. WWGE operates at the federally assigned frequency of 1400 kilohertz and a maximum power output of 1,000 watts. Its programing is currently simulcast on Birach Broadcasting Corporation-owned WKGE...
in Loretto
Loretto, Pennsylvania
Loretto is a borough in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is officially part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area as recognized by the US Census Bureau, but local sources list it as part of the Altoona, Pennsylvania area due to its proximity to...
.
History
First signing on the air in 1922 on a number of frequencies including 833 kHz, 1170 kHz, 1310 kHz and finally in 1941 to 1400 kHz, this station was known for much of its history as WJAC, under common ownership with WJAC-TV for many years. WJAC broadcast on AM-1400 until 1963 when the station migrated to AM-850 and increased power from 500 watts to 10,000 watts. The station uses a very complex directional array to protect adjacent clear-channel stations WHASWHAS (AM)
WHAS, known by the on air branding as "84 WHAS", is an AM radio station broadcasting in Louisville, Kentucky. It is a 50,000 Watt clear channel radio station assigned to frequency 840 kHz. With clear channel status, its nighttime signal can be heard in most of the continental U.S...
in Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
and CJBC
CJBC (AM)
-External links:* * * at Canadian Communications Foundation...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
.
St Francis College (now University) in Loretto subsequently filed for the soon to be vacant AM-1400 frequency. The 1965 Broadcast Yearbook lists the start date for WWSF-AM 1400 as October 7, 1963. Some radio historians date AM-1400 in Cambria County back as far as 1925, however the station owned by Johnstown Automobile Company (WHPB) originally broadcast in 1925 on AM-1170 then AM-1310, changed call letters to WJAC in 1930 but didn't move to AM-1400 until sometime between 1935 and 1942, probably 1941. WWSF now WWGE licensed to Loretto PA started broadcasting in 1963.
Forever Broadcasting moved the calls and format of WNTJ
WNTJ
WKGE is an American AM radio station licensed to broadcast on 850 kHz at 10 kW day and night, serving the community of Johnstown, Pennsylvania...
over to 850 AM, where it had been operating as a simulcast of the news–talk programming on WNTW
WNTW (AM)
WNTW is an American radio station, licensed to serve Somerset, Pennsylvania; the seat of government for Somerset County. The station broadcasts on a frequency of 990 kHz and a maximum output power of 10,000 watts, using a two-tower directional antenna system...
in Somerset, Pennsylvania
Somerset, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 6,762 people, 3,035 households, and 1,717 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,466.0 people per square mile . There were 3,313 housing units at an average density of 1,208.2 per square mile...
. It has since moved back to 1490 kHz with Forever's divestiture of the 850 signal and subsequent LMA of the 1490 signal. Birach, who purchased the 850 signal in November 2007, now airs a simulcast of talk station WWGE-AM 1400 in Loretto. An interesting side note - The simulcast of WKGE and WWGE in a way brings the history of this station back around full circle. From 1941 to 1963 WJAC-AM broadcast on AM-1400. Now the programming of AM-1400 from Loretto, PA Cambria County is broadcast on AM-850 reuniting the two frequencies.
The station was the first to sign on in Johnstown as WJAC at 1400 kHz, then moved to 850 kHz in the early 1960s.
Station sale
The current license holder, Forever Communications of Altoona, PennsylvaniaAltoona, Pennsylvania
-History:A major railroad town, Altoona was founded by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1849 as the site for a shop complex. Altoona was incorporated as a borough on February 6, 1854, and as a city under legislation approved on April 3, 1867, and February 8, 1868...
announced an agreement to sell WNTJ to Birach Broadcasting of Southfield, Michigan
Southfield, Michigan
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which 0.04% is water. The main branch of the River Rouge runs through Southfield. The city is bounded to the south by Eight Mile Road, its western border is Inkster Road, and to the east it is bounded by Greenfield Road...
, with the transfer of ownership finalized by the end of 2007, according to 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) website. Birach had acquired both WNTJ and WCND
WCND
WCND is a radio station licensed to Shelbyville, Kentucky, USA. The station is currently owned by Birach Broadcasting Corporation.The station has been off the air since at least August of 2009. There is no publicly accessible record indicating that the owner of the station has filed for...
in Shelbyville, Kentucky
Shelbyville, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 10,085 people, 3,822 households, and 2,549 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,333.5 people per square mile . There were 4,117 housing units at an average density of 544.4 per square mile...
in the transaction, but no studio or office building was acquired for WNTJ. Birach instead opted to simulcast talk station WWGE
WWGE
WWGE is a commercially licensed AM radio station serving Cambria County, in west central Pennsylvania. WWGE operates at the federally assigned frequency of 1400 kilohertz and a maximum power output of 1,000 watts. Its programing is currently simulcast on Birach Broadcasting Corporation-owned WKGE...
in Loretto, Pennsylvania
Loretto, Pennsylvania
Loretto is a borough in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is officially part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area as recognized by the US Census Bureau, but local sources list it as part of the Altoona, Pennsylvania area due to its proximity to...
via an agreement with WWGE's owner, Pennsylvania Radiowerks.
WKGE is operated using an unusual directional nine-tower array that requires a lot of maintenance, and Forever Broadcasting was trying to sell the station for a while. The array, sitting on 115 acre (0.4653889 km²) of land, is located in Paint Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania
Paint Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania
Paint Township is a township in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,300 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
.
WKGE airs the Pittsburgh Penguins http://www.tribune-democrat.com/local/local_story_318234744.html. According to the FCC filing, the proposed sales price for the station is $230,000.http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101206390&formid=314&fac_num=72964
Programming
WKGE primarily mirrors WWGE's lineup of The Tom and Mike Show, The Laura Ingraham ShowThe Laura Ingraham Show
The Laura Ingraham Show is a three-hour American radio show hosted by conservative commentator Laura Ingraham on Talk Radio Network. , the show is broadcast live on Channel 2, from 9 a.m...
, The Dennis Miller Show, and Sporting News Radio
Sporting News Radio
Yahoo! Sports Radio, formerly Sporting News Radio is a United States sports radio network that broadcasts sports news, talk, scores, and highlights 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. On August 1, 2011, it was announced the network would change its name to Yahoo! Sports Radio, effective...
, along with WWGE's sports programming. However, WKGE also carries Douglas Urbanski
Douglas Urbanski
Douglas Urbanski is an American theater impresario, raconteur and film producer.Urbanski is a business partner with actor Gary Oldman and he also runs a talent management firm, DMG...
, which WWGE does not.