WZSK
Encyclopedia
WZSK is a News
/Talk
/Sports
formatted broadcast
radio station
licensed to Everett, Pennsylvania
, serving Bedford
/Somerset
/Cumberland
area. WZSK is owned and operated by New Millennium Communications Group, Inc.
, first going on the air March 15, 1963 with the call letters WWDS. WWDS was owned by brothers Willard and Dennis Sleighter, who also were partners at the H. C. Sleighter and Sons furniture store in Everett, PA. For the first four years of operation, WWDS broadcast a block-format, offering country music
for a portion of the day and Top 40/Pop music in other dayparts.
On July 1, 1967, this station was acquired by Radio Everett, Inc., a company headed by country music
disc jockey (and former country music
entertainer) Melvin Bakner, known to radio listeners as "Shorty King". King had been employed as the general manager of the radio station since its debut. The radio station's call letters were changed to WSKE and the format was converted to 100% country music
. In the early 1980s, after a local performance by music legend Bill Monroe
, a one-hour Saturday morning bluegrass music
program was added. This show was soon expanded to three hours by popular request, and drew in listeners from a large area.
Like many small market radio stations, this one was run very much as a family business. Bakner's wife Sandra (also using the last name "King") served as the station's general manager, while he programmed the station's music format and did on-air work for many years.
The Bakners also had a son, Martin "Marty King" Bakner, who learned the business from his parents, beginning to work for the station while still an elementary school student. Years later, he would assume the duties of programming and operation of the station from his father, becoming Program Director by the early 1980s. Martin's wife, Sharon Bakner, worked as Sales Manager and was responsible for the majority of the radio station's advertising.
had the disadvantage that it was required by the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) to substantially decrease its power at local sunset, and cease operations two hours later in order to protect 50,000 watt clear-channel WHO
, operating on the same frequency in Des Moines, Iowa
. It became clear that WSKE would need an FM signal to stay competitive with its AM competitors in Bedford, which, as daytimers themselves, would soon get limited nighttime power authorizations of their own.
That opportunity presented itself in 1986, when Radio Everett petitioned the FCC for an FM license. Permission was granted to broadcast at 104.3 MHz, with an output power of 3,000 watts. On March 15, 1988, the 25th anniversary of its AM sister's debut, the new WSKE
-FM signed on the air, allowing the stations to simulcast 100 percent, providing the advantage of local radio service after sunset, while the AM was able to provide a much larger reach during the day because of its substantial signal, and that there were still many vehicles on the road that were not equipped with FM radios to receive the station. Though the FM could operate 24 hours, the owners chose to sign off at midnight.
In the 1990s, in an effort to avoid listener confusion with its co-owned FM station WSKE-FM, Radio Everett Inc changed the AM station's call letters to WZSK but continued to refer to both stations by their nickname, "SK Country", and continued to offer the identical country music format until the radio stations were sold to New Millennium Communications.
One of the first changes put into place was the separation of programming between the two stations. Because most cars by this time were equipped with FM radios, and there was no news/talk formatted station serving Bedford County, it was decided to spin WZSK-AM off into a completely separate news/talk format, along with the adoption of the moniker "SK Talk" and later "News-Talk 1040". WSKE remained a country station and retained its call letters.
WZSK continues to serve Bedford County and portions of western Maryland with its format of news, talk and sports. New Millennium is a locally-owned and operated company. The station continues its operations from its longtime studio location at 151 East First Avenue, not far from downtown Everett.
News Radio
News Radio can refer to:* NewsRadio, the NBC sitcom which aired from 1995–1999.* News radio, the all-news or news/talk radio format....
/Talk
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...
/Sports
Sports radio
Sports radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A popular format with an almost exclusively male demographic in most areas, sports radio is characterized by an often-boisterous on-air style and extensive debate and analysis by both hosts and...
formatted broadcast
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
radio station
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...
licensed to Everett, Pennsylvania
Everett, Pennsylvania
Everett is a borough in Bedford County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,905 at the 2000 census.Everett's original name was Bloody Run, after a creek which was the site of a battle between settlers and Native Americans...
, serving Bedford
Bedford, Pennsylvania
Bedford is a borough in Bedford County, Pennsylvania, west of the State Capital, Harrisburg. It is the county seat of Bedford County. Bedford was established in the mid-18th century. Population counts follow: 1890, 2,242; 1900, 2,167; 1910, 2,385. The population was 3,141 at the 2000...
/Somerset
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...
/Cumberland
Cumberland, Maryland
Cumberland is a city in the far western, Appalachian portion of Maryland, United States. It is the county seat of Allegany County, and the primary city of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2010 census, the city had a population of 20,859, and the metropolitan area had a...
area. WZSK is owned and operated by New Millennium Communications Group, Inc.
History
The station was known as WSKEWSKE
WSKE is a Country formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Everett, Pennsylvania, serving Bedford and Bedford County, Pennsylvania. WSKE is owned and operated by New Millennium Communications Group, Inc....
, first going on the air March 15, 1963 with the call letters WWDS. WWDS was owned by brothers Willard and Dennis Sleighter, who also were partners at the H. C. Sleighter and Sons furniture store in Everett, PA. For the first four years of operation, WWDS broadcast a block-format, offering 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...
for a portion of the day and Top 40/Pop music in other dayparts.
On July 1, 1967, this station was acquired by Radio Everett, Inc., a company headed by 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...
disc jockey (and former 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...
entertainer) Melvin Bakner, known to radio listeners as "Shorty King". King had been employed as the general manager of the radio station since its debut. The radio station's call letters were changed to WSKE and the format was converted to 100% 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...
. In the early 1980s, after a local performance by music legend Bill Monroe
Bill Monroe
William Smith Monroe was an American musician who created the style of music known as bluegrass, which takes its name from his band, the "Blue Grass Boys," named for Monroe's home state of Kentucky. Monroe's performing career spanned 60 years as a singer, instrumentalist, composer and bandleader...
, a one-hour Saturday morning bluegrass music
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
program was added. This show was soon expanded to three hours by popular request, and drew in listeners from a large area.
Like many small market radio stations, this one was run very much as a family business. Bakner's wife Sandra (also using the last name "King") served as the station's general manager, while he programmed the station's music format and did on-air work for many years.
The Bakners also had a son, Martin "Marty King" Bakner, who learned the business from his parents, beginning to work for the station while still an elementary school student. Years later, he would assume the duties of programming and operation of the station from his father, becoming Program Director by the early 1980s. Martin's wife, Sharon Bakner, worked as Sales Manager and was responsible for the majority of the radio station's advertising.
WSKE-FM signs on
WSKE, despite a low dial position and a very powerful signal that dwarfed those of its two AM competitors in Bedford, PennsylvaniaBedford, Pennsylvania
Bedford is a borough in Bedford County, Pennsylvania, west of the State Capital, Harrisburg. It is the county seat of Bedford County. Bedford was established in the mid-18th century. Population counts follow: 1890, 2,242; 1900, 2,167; 1910, 2,385. The population was 3,141 at the 2000...
had the disadvantage that it was required by 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) to substantially decrease its power at local sunset, and cease operations two hours later in order to protect 50,000 watt clear-channel WHO
Who
Who may refer to:* Who , an English-language pronoun* who , a Unix command* Who?, one of the Five Ws in journalism- Art and entertainment :* Who? , a 1958 novel by Algis Budrys...
, operating on the same frequency in Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
. It became clear that WSKE would need an FM signal to stay competitive with its AM competitors in Bedford, which, as daytimers themselves, would soon get limited nighttime power authorizations of their own.
That opportunity presented itself in 1986, when Radio Everett petitioned the FCC for an FM license. Permission was granted to broadcast at 104.3 MHz, with an output power of 3,000 watts. On March 15, 1988, the 25th anniversary of its AM sister's debut, the new WSKE
WSKE
WSKE is a Country formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Everett, Pennsylvania, serving Bedford and Bedford County, Pennsylvania. WSKE is owned and operated by New Millennium Communications Group, Inc....
-FM signed on the air, allowing the stations to simulcast 100 percent, providing the advantage of local radio service after sunset, while the AM was able to provide a much larger reach during the day because of its substantial signal, and that there were still many vehicles on the road that were not equipped with FM radios to receive the station. Though the FM could operate 24 hours, the owners chose to sign off at midnight.
In the 1990s, in an effort to avoid listener confusion with its co-owned FM station WSKE-FM, Radio Everett Inc changed the AM station's call letters to WZSK but continued to refer to both stations by their nickname, "SK Country", and continued to offer the identical country music format until the radio stations were sold to New Millennium Communications.
Sale to New Millennium Broadcasting
In the late 1990s, Shorty King began to have health issues, and retired from radio. Late in 2000 Sandra was diagnosed with liver cancer and began an intensive chemotherapy treatment program with which her doctors had hopes of an eventual life-saving liver transplant. Because of the extensive health concerns of both Shorty and Sandra, the Bakner family decided to sell the radio stations, with hopes of finding a local owner. Sandra died on August 27, 2001. The stations were sold to the new owners in September 2001, almost one month after Sandra lost her battle with cancer. Shorty King died of complications from congestive heart failure on December 1, 2003.One of the first changes put into place was the separation of programming between the two stations. Because most cars by this time were equipped with FM radios, and there was no news/talk formatted station serving Bedford County, it was decided to spin WZSK-AM off into a completely separate news/talk format, along with the adoption of the moniker "SK Talk" and later "News-Talk 1040". WSKE remained a country station and retained its call letters.
WZSK today
Despite plans to the contrary, the new owners decided to lay-off Martin not long after his family sold the stations. He is no longer employed in radio, although he occasionally narrates radio and television commercials throughout Pennsylvania.WZSK continues to serve Bedford County and portions of western Maryland with its format of news, talk and sports. New Millennium is a locally-owned and operated company. The station continues its operations from its longtime studio location at 151 East First Avenue, not far from downtown Everett.