WMNY-AM (1360) keeps an element or two of WPTT
Pittsburgh:Labor Day saw the format flip of McKeesport's 1360 from a talk station to a business/financial format and expects a daily talk show to begin September 15. That's when "Pittsburgh Renaissance Radio" will start airing weekdays from 3 - 6 pm. The program is aimed at local business issues and breaking stories surrounding local businesses. Ron Morris (host of "American Entrepreneur"), John Poister and Darryl Grandy are behind the program. The program will have a variety of hosts including former WPTT talk show host Jerry Bowyer. Morris will also host the show while Poister will anchor hourly business reports. Until the program launches, three syndicated programs will air in its place.
Meanwhile some elements of the old WPTT will remain. Morris' "American Entrepreneur" will remain on Saturday mornings. WTAE-TV's Morning News will still air live from 5-7 am each weekday. "Jane Nugent's Garden Talk" and Dr. Scott Shalaway's "Birds and Nature" will remain in a Sunday program block between 11 am and 2 pm.
Readers’ Forum
This sounds very similar to WPSE 1450 in Erie. AM 1450 was donated to Penn State Behrend years ago by Burbach broadcasting. They owned standard station WEYZ and moved that station from 1450 to 1330 and could not hold on to 2 AM stations at the time. WPSE has been business talk ever since with Penn State sports and NFL football on the weekend schedule. The station rarely makes the Arbitron books and my guess is that 1360 will soon disapear from the Pittsburgh Arbs as well.
Tom Lavery (URL) - September 06, 2008 at 09:25 am
I agree, Tom. WMNY does seem like Erie’s WPSE. 1450 has a pretty good non-directional, 24 hour AM signal. It’s a shame that it isn’t being put to better use.
Since WRIE AM 1260 switched from adult standards to sports on Jan. 29 2007, the local area has been without a “Music of Your Life” format. Often, this format would produce about a four share in the Arbitron ratings, making WRIE the top rated AM station in market 168.
Would it be a smart move for Penn State Behrend to adopt an adult standards format? There was once a loyal audience out there in the Erie market. Plus, WPSE would likely appear in the ratings, too.
Doug - September 06, 2008 at 11:22 am
Oh, no, Doug. That would make too much sense. And we can’t have that in the Erie market.
(Kindly strong sarcastic tone).
Rick - September 08, 2008 at 3:49 pm