WPGB
Encyclopedia
WPGB is a conservative talk radio station
based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
. Owned by Clear Channel Communications
, the station broadcasts at 104.7 MHz with an ERP of 13 kW. Its transmitter is located in Pittsburgh
.
(now WGBN
). 100.7 was also (and still is) licensed to New Kensington.
Gateway owner Nelson L. Goldberg
was interested in acquiring an improved FM signal with Pittsburgh market penetration. That opportunity presented itself in 1967, when a channel opened up for 104.7. To acquire the new signal, Goldberg had to spin off WPGH, which was purchased by Milton Hammond and moved to Millvale, where it was rechristened as big-band formatted WNUF-FM. That station is known today as WBZZ
.
104.7 adopted the WPGH call letters, but they didn't stay around for long, as the station changed to a full-time jazz format and given the call letters WYDD, for "the 'WIDE' world of Pittsburgh", using an elongated globe as its logo. The station would then move to a more free-form rock format in the 1970s, and then a Top 40 format by the early 1980s, which it maintained under a variety of different monikers such as "Y-104", "Power 105" and then finally "Energy 105" (which brought the call letter change to WNRJ). One of the chief competitors between Top 40 station WBZZ (then known as B94, now as KDKA-FM) and AOR
-formatted WDVE
, WYDD maintained a fairly consistent lineup until its sale to Salem Communications
in 1989, ending more than two decades of local ownership. During the final days of Gateway ownership, the station had adopted a new Top 40 format from WABC
radio legend Rick Sklar and Program Director Tony Florentino. The change brought about the new slogan "Energy 105" and the call letters WNRQ. This format would only last about a year. Among the talent hired for the new Energy 105 was Mike Frazer, who remained in Pittsburgh and had been a part of WWSW (3WS) from 1990 until fall 2010.
WYDD had its main studio located along with WKPA
in New Kensington since its beginnings, but maintained a separate sales office at Gateway Towers in Pittsburgh for many years. Following the finalized sale to Salem Communications, the call letters were switched to WEZE, shared by Salem's co-owned AM station in Boston, and an easy-listening format was adopted, with the intent to switch from that format to Christian talk once the ministry contracts could be obtained. The studios were then moved to Greentree borough, located in Pittsburgh's South Hills, to Seven Parkway Center, Suite 625, one floor below WLTJ
. The tower site was then moved later that same year from Murray Hill Road in East Deer Township (which was half of WKPA's two-tower directional antenna array) to 750 Ivory Avenue, just off I-279 in Pittsburgh, the home of WPGH-TV
Fox 53. The much higher tower location allowed a power reduction to 13 kW, but a coverage problem for the southern suburbs of Pittsburgh was finally alleviated.
After years of negotiations, the opportunity to purchase heritage Christian stations WPIT-AM/FM finally presented itself to Salem Communications. Salem purchased the station in 1993, and though now legally permitted to hold 104.7 (thanks to duopoly) in addition to WPIT-AM/FM, Salem chose to spin 104.7 off to Entertainment Communications (dba Entercom), licensee of WDSY-FM and the former WEEP-AM
. WPIT-AM/FM's facilities were moved to Greentree, and 104.7's operations were moved to WPIT's longtime home in downtown Pittsburgh at Gateway Towers, where it was joined by WEEP and WDSY. Both stations would remain there for about five years, until all three stations were split off and sold to three different owners. Operations for 104.7 would move temporarily to One Allegheny Square in Pittsburgh, and then finally to 200 Fleet Street in Greentree.
The 104.7 frequency would see a few more formats such as active rock
("104.7 The Revolution"), country
("104.7 The Rebel"), smooth jazz
("Smooth Jazz 104.7") (with the WJJJ call letters instituted on June 28, 1996), and urban oldies ("Jammin' 104-7") before adopting its current talk format on January 2, 2004.
music format, which was a previous station format under the call letters WJJJ.
announced a five-year agreement in which WPGB would become the "new radio broadcast and strategic promotional partner of the Pirates beginning with the 2007 (Major League Baseball
) season." WPGB is the Pirates' flagship radio station, having replaced KDKA
, which broadcast the first Major League Baseball
game on radio (between the Pittsburgh Pirates
and the Philadelphia Phillies
) in 1921, and served as the Pirates' flagship station for 52 seasons (1955-2006).
On July 6, 2010, the station was announced as the new home for the Duquesne Dukes men's basketball
team.
and Fox News Radio
.
In addition, Glen Meakem
hosts a program from 8-9:30am on Saturday mornings and 8-9:30am on Sunday mornings. The nationally syndicated radio program The Mutual Fund Show with Adam Bold
airs on Saturday mornings.
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...
based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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...
. Owned by Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
, the station broadcasts at 104.7 MHz with an ERP of 13 kW. Its transmitter is located in 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...
.
History: Beginnings as WPGH
Though this station first signed on the air as 104.7 WYDD in 1967, its roots can be traced back to 1963 as 100.7 WPGH and under the ownership of Gateway Broadcasting Enterprises, which also owned New Kensington-licensed AM station WKPAWKPA
WKPA is a Religious formatted broadcast radio station simulcasting WKBA at Vinton, Virginia.WKPA is licensed to Lynchburg, Virginia, serving Lynchburg and Amherst County, Virginia. WKPA is owned and operated by Tinker Creek Broadcasters, Inc....
(now WGBN
WGBN
WGBN is a U.S. gospel music radio station serving the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania market. The station, which is owned by Pentecostal Temple Development Corporation, broadcasts at 1150 kHz with a power level of 1,000 watts daytime and 70 watts night, and using a two-tower directional antenna system. ...
). 100.7 was also (and still is) licensed to New Kensington.
Gateway owner Nelson L. Goldberg
Nelson L. Goldberg
Nelson L. Goldberg was an innovator, pioneer and visionary in telecommunications and developed the first cable system to be acquired by Comcast. He was the son of the late Edward and Fannie Menzer Goldberg, was a native of New Kensington, Pennsylvania...
was interested in acquiring an improved FM signal with Pittsburgh market penetration. That opportunity presented itself in 1967, when a channel opened up for 104.7. To acquire the new signal, Goldberg had to spin off WPGH, which was purchased by Milton Hammond and moved to Millvale, where it was rechristened as big-band formatted WNUF-FM. That station is known today as WBZZ
WBZZ
WBZZ may refer to:*WBZZ, a radio station licensed to serve New Kensington, Pennsylvania, United States*WQSH, a radio station in Malta, New York, United States licensed as WBZZ from 2006 to 2011...
.
104.7 adopted the WPGH call letters, but they didn't stay around for long, as the station changed to a full-time jazz format and given the call letters WYDD, for "the 'WIDE' world of Pittsburgh", using an elongated globe as its logo. The station would then move to a more free-form rock format in the 1970s, and then a Top 40 format by the early 1980s, which it maintained under a variety of different monikers such as "Y-104", "Power 105" and then finally "Energy 105" (which brought the call letter change to WNRJ). One of the chief competitors between Top 40 station WBZZ (then known as B94, now as KDKA-FM) and AOR
Album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock is an American FM radio format focusing on album tracks by rock artists.-Music played:Most radio formats are based on a select, tight rotation of hit singles...
-formatted WDVE
WDVE
WDVE is a mainstream rock music formatted radio station in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA at 102.5 MHz. It is often referred to by Pittsburghers as simply "DVE." WDVE's transmitter is located on Pittsburgh's North Side...
, WYDD maintained a fairly consistent lineup until its sale to Salem Communications
Salem Communications
Salem Communications is a U.S. radio broadcaster, Internet content provider, and magazine and book publisher specializing in evangelical Christian and conservative political talk radio. It owns 99 commercial radio stations, 65 of which are in the top 25 markets. Salem is the fifth largest U.S....
in 1989, ending more than two decades of local ownership. During the final days of Gateway ownership, the station had adopted a new Top 40 format from WABC
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...
radio legend Rick Sklar and Program Director Tony Florentino. The change brought about the new slogan "Energy 105" and the call letters WNRQ. This format would only last about a year. Among the talent hired for the new Energy 105 was Mike Frazer, who remained in Pittsburgh and had been a part of WWSW (3WS) from 1990 until fall 2010.
WYDD had its main studio located along with WKPA
WGBN
WGBN is a U.S. gospel music radio station serving the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania market. The station, which is owned by Pentecostal Temple Development Corporation, broadcasts at 1150 kHz with a power level of 1,000 watts daytime and 70 watts night, and using a two-tower directional antenna system. ...
in New Kensington since its beginnings, but maintained a separate sales office at Gateway Towers in Pittsburgh for many years. Following the finalized sale to Salem Communications, the call letters were switched to WEZE, shared by Salem's co-owned AM station in Boston, and an easy-listening format was adopted, with the intent to switch from that format to Christian talk once the ministry contracts could be obtained. The studios were then moved to Greentree borough, located in Pittsburgh's South Hills, to Seven Parkway Center, Suite 625, one floor below WLTJ
WLTJ
WLTJ , is an Hot Adult Contemporary music format radio station based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The station, which is owned by Steel City Media, broadcasts with an ERP of 43 kW. Its transmitter is located in Pittsburgh.- History :...
. The tower site was then moved later that same year from Murray Hill Road in East Deer Township (which was half of WKPA's two-tower directional antenna array) to 750 Ivory Avenue, just off I-279 in Pittsburgh, the home of WPGH-TV
WPGH-TV
WPGH-TV is the Fox-affiliated television station for Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 43 from a transmitter at its studios on Ivory Avenue in the city's Summer Hill section. The station can also be seen on Verizon FiOS and Comcast channel 7...
Fox 53. The much higher tower location allowed a power reduction to 13 kW, but a coverage problem for the southern suburbs of Pittsburgh was finally alleviated.
After years of negotiations, the opportunity to purchase heritage Christian stations WPIT-AM/FM finally presented itself to Salem Communications. Salem purchased the station in 1993, and though now legally permitted to hold 104.7 (thanks to duopoly) in addition to WPIT-AM/FM, Salem chose to spin 104.7 off to Entertainment Communications (dba Entercom), licensee of WDSY-FM and the former WEEP-AM
WWNL
WWNL is a Christian radio station based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The station, which is owned by Steel City Radio, Inc., broadcasts at 1080 kHz with a power of 50,000 watts daytime .- History :...
. WPIT-AM/FM's facilities were moved to Greentree, and 104.7's operations were moved to WPIT's longtime home in downtown Pittsburgh at Gateway Towers, where it was joined by WEEP and WDSY. Both stations would remain there for about five years, until all three stations were split off and sold to three different owners. Operations for 104.7 would move temporarily to One Allegheny Square in Pittsburgh, and then finally to 200 Fleet Street in Greentree.
The 104.7 frequency would see a few more formats such as active rock
Active rock
Active rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across the United States and Canada. Active rock plays contemporary rock artists with a mix of songs common in the classic rock radio format.-Format background:...
("104.7 The Revolution"), country
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...
("104.7 The Rebel"), smooth jazz
Smooth jazz
Smooth jazz is a genre of music that grew out of jazz fusion and is influenced by R&B, funk, rock, and pop music styles ....
("Smooth Jazz 104.7") (with the WJJJ call letters instituted on June 28, 1996), and urban oldies ("Jammin' 104-7") before adopting its current talk format on January 2, 2004.
WPGB HD2
On April 25, 2006, Clear Channel announced that WPGB's HD2 subchannel will carry a smooth jazzSmooth jazz
Smooth jazz is a genre of music that grew out of jazz fusion and is influenced by R&B, funk, rock, and pop music styles ....
music format, which was a previous station format under the call letters WJJJ.
Sports
On September 12, 2006, Clear Channel and the Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh 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...
announced a five-year agreement in which WPGB would become the "new radio broadcast and strategic promotional partner of the Pirates beginning with the 2007 (Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
) season." WPGB is the Pirates' flagship radio station, having replaced KDKA
KDKA (AM)
KDKA is a radio station licensed to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Created by the Westinghouse Electric Corporation on November 2, 1920, it is one of the world's first modern radio stations , a distinction that has also been challenged by other stations, although it has claimed to be the first in...
, which broadcast the first Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
game on radio (between the Pittsburgh 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...
and the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
) in 1921, and served as the Pirates' flagship station for 52 seasons (1955-2006).
On July 6, 2010, the station was announced as the new home for the Duquesne Dukes men's basketball
Duquesne Dukes men's basketball
The Duquesne Dukes represent Duquesne University in college basketball. The team, which started in 1914, has only ever played in NCAA Division I and has had five appearances in the NCAA Tournament...
team.
Programming
The programming on WPGB is fairly standard for a Clear Channel station of its type, a regional morning show (itself simulcast on several stations throughout northern Appalachia and New England), followed by Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, with Michael Savage in the evening hours. Weekday newscasts are supplied by Cleveland station WTAMWTAM
WTAM — branded Newsradio WTAM 1100 — is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio, serving Greater Cleveland and much of surrounding Northeast Ohio. Owned by Clear Channel Communications, the station broadcasts primarily a news/talk format...
and Fox News Radio
Fox News Radio
Fox News Radio is an American radio network programmed by Fox News Channel.- History :In 2003, Fox News began syndicating one minute radio updates to radio stations via syndication service Westwood One. On June 1, 2005, Fox News Radio employed 60 people and provided five minute newscasts at the top...
.
- Wall Street Journal in the Morning
- Quinn and RoseJim QuinnJim Quinn is an American radio talk show host based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His program, The War Room with Quinn and Rose, is aired on 12 stations across the U.S. and is also heard on XM Satellite Radio Channel 166 from 6–9 a.m...
in the Morning - The Glenn BeckGlenn BeckGlenn Edward Lee Beck is an American conservative radio host, vlogger, author, entrepreneur, political commentator and former television host. He hosts the Glenn Beck Program, a nationally syndicated talk-radio show that airs throughout the United States on Premiere Radio Networks...
Program - Rush LimbaughRush LimbaughRush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in American conservatism. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United...
- The Sean HannitySean HannitySean Hannity is an American radio and television host, author, and conservative political commentator. He is the host of The Sean Hannity Show, a nationally syndicated talk radio show that airs throughout the United States on Premiere Radio Networks. Hannity also hosts a cable news show, Hannity,...
Show - The Savage Nation - Michael SavageMichael Savage (commentator)Michael Savage is a conservative American radio host, author, and political commentator. He is the host of The Savage Nation, a nationally syndicated talk show that airs throughout the United States on Talk Radio Network...
- The Jerry Doyle Show
- Coast to Coast AMCoast to Coast AMCoast to Coast AM is a North American late-night syndicated radio talk show that deals with a variety of topics, but most frequently ones that relate to either the paranormal or conspiracy theories. It was created by Art Bell and is distributed by Premiere Radio Networks. The program currently...
with George NooryGeorge NooryGeorge Ralph Noory is a Lebanese-American radio talk show host.As of 2010, he is the weekday host of the late-night radio talk show Coast to Coast AM. He is heard across the United States and Canada on many AM and FM stations as well as on XM Satellite Radio. His show is one of the most listened...
In addition, Glen Meakem
Glen Meakem
Glen Meakem is a venture capitalist and American conservative radio host based in Pittsburgh, PA.-Early life and education:...
hosts a program from 8-9:30am on Saturday mornings and 8-9:30am on Sunday mornings. The nationally syndicated radio program The Mutual Fund Show with Adam Bold
Adam Bold
Adam Bold is an American author and businessman. He is the founder and minority shareholder of The Mutual Fund Store, and host of The Mutual Fund Show, a national weekly talk radio show focused on actively managed mutual fund investments...
airs on Saturday mornings.