Years ago before the blog format, PBRTV had the Call Sign Cavalcade which listed as many former callsigns as people could remember. That was before most of the information was made available online and we had to rack our brains. Then the FCC made the records public, but the information went only as far back as 1980 when computer records began to be kept. Now, the FCC is in the process of making the index cards prior to 1980 available on the station records… even for deleted stations. The information, while still not entirely available, is about as accurate as it will get or as anyone is willing to research. When this page was started in August 2016, not all AM stations card had been scanned and PBRTV’s research was paused until the rest of the information was made available. Frequency changes are also noted. The Hyperlinks will take you to the history cards associated with that station’s license dating back to its start.
Enjoy!
-Eric O’Brien 3/18/2017
540 – Current: 9/1/1987- WWCS Canonsburg.
Former:
1/30/1958 – WCNG
10/6/1961 – WERO
10/13/1961 – WARO
590 – Current: 7/20/1937 – WMBS Uniontown (Originally allocated to 1420 AM)
NARBA REALLOCATION on 3/24/1941 – 590 AM
620 – Current: 7/28/1999 – WKHB Irwin.
Former:
12/18/1934 – WHJB Greensburg
7/1/1999 – WKPZ
***Other calls listed, date unknown: WRDM
660 – Current: 6/3/2011 – WAMO Wilkinsburg.
Former:
11/9/1960 – WWML
11/8/1980 – WZGO (1470 AM Portage)
3/28/1993 – WHYM
10/28/1994 – WZGO
10/20/1997 – WFJY
3/31/2004 – WCIX (660 Wilkinsburg)
7/13/2004 – WPYT
***Other calls attached to Portage signal, dates unknown: WRML
680 – Current: 12/4/1941 – WISR Butler.
730 – Current: 6/25/1947 – WPIT Pittsburgh.
770 – Current: 1/13/2004 – WKFB Jeannette.
Former:
3/29/1974 – WBCW (1530 AM )
8/30/1999 WKTW
810 – Current: 11/5/1946 – WEDO McKeesport.
860 – Current: 10/5/2009 – WAOB Millvale.
Former:
12/2/1948 – WHOD (Homestead)
8/8/1956 – WAMO
3/8/1977 – WYJZ
6/10/1981 – WAMO
1/1/1990 – WYJZ
3/22/1996 – WAMO (The change in COL to Millvale took place in 1997.)
910 – Current: 2/2/2024 – WJFA Apollo.*
Former:
1/27/1948 – WAVL
12/20/2018 – WXJX
* Interesting to note the WJFA calls were originally intended to be used on 1460 Latrobe.
940 – Current: 12/20/2012 – DWFGI Charleroi.
Former:
1947 – WESA
2/21/2000 – WOGI
10/20/2000 – WPNT
12/3/2001 – WFGI
970 – Current: 10/20/2000 – WBGG Pittsburgh.
Former:
7/7/1931 – WWSW Licensed to 1500 AM
NARBA Reallocation on 3/24/1941 – 1490 AM
11/21/1949 – 970 AM
1980 – WTKN
2/10/1988 – WWSW
1020 – Current: 10/27/1920 KDKA Pittsburgh.
10/27/1920 – Licensed to use Tel. App. (reports incl. 550 meters or 545 kHz; 330 meters or 909 kHz);
11/7/1921 – Licensed (360 meters or 833 kHz)…
Frequencies:
4/22/1927 – 970 AM
6/1/1927 – 950 AM
11/11/1928 – 980 AM
NARBA Reallocation on 3/24/1941 – 1020 AM
***Experimental license: 1916 – 8XK
1050 – Current: 4/13/1950 – WBUT Butler. Originally allocated to 1580.
10/8/1954 – First License to Cover for 1050.
1080 – Current: 7/30/1999 – WWNL Pittsburgh.
Former:
1/8/1948 – WPGH
8/18/1954 – WILY
10/1/1957 – WEEP
10/1/1961 – WYRE
2/14/1963 – WEEP
4/21/1992 – WDSY
10/1/1992 – WEEP
3/21/1995 – WDSY
4/1/1997 – WPGR
1110 – Current: 5/13/2013 – DWKZV Washington.
Former:
11/17/1970 – WKEG
11/23/1992 – WKZV
1130 – Current: 6/28/2012 – DWASP Brownville.
Former:
8/2/1968 – WASP
1150 – Current: 3/1/2014 – WMNY New Kensington.
Former:
11/14/1940 – WKPA (1120 AM)
NARBA Reallocation on 3/24/1941 – 1150 AM
1/12/1993 – WGBN
1160 – Current: 4/1/1985 – WCCS Homer City
Former:
12/1/1980 – WRID (1520 AM)
10/15/1981 – 1160 AM
1210 – Current: 1/31/2006 – WANB Waynesburg.
Former:
9/27/1956 – WANB (1580 AM)
8/24/2005 – WXXP
12/31/2009: Moved to 1210 AM
***Other calls listed but never used: WBUG
1230 – Current: 7/3/1948 – WBVP Beaver Falls.
1250 – Current: 5/12/2015 – WPGP Pittsburgh.
Former:
5/3/1922 – WCAE (833 kHz)
12/1922 – 750 AM
5/1923 – 650 AM
6/15/1927- 560 AM
11/1927- 650 AM
11/1928 – 1220 AM
NARBA Reallocation on 3/27/1941 – 1250 AM
5/29/1961 – WRYT
6/26/1966 – WTAE
8/11/1998 – WEAE
1/1/2011 – WDDZ
1320 – Current: 7/22/1981 – WJAS Pittsburgh.
Former:
8/4/1922 – WJAS
4-14-1927 – 1090 AM
6/1/1927 –1110 (time div. w/KQV)
10-19-1928 – 1290 AM
NARBA Reallocation on 3/24/1941 – 1320 AM
11/18/1957: WAMP
11/4/1960 – WJAS
4/4/1973 – WKPQ
6/12/1973 – WKTQ
1340 – Current: 7/19/2012 – DWFGI Connellsville.
Former:
1947 – WCVI
1999 – DWCVI
1999 – WCVI
2001 – WPNT
2005 – WYJK
2011 – WFGI
1360 – Current: 3/1/2014 – WGBN McKeesport.
Former:
6/18/1947 – WMCK
11/6/1961 – WPQR
5/25/1964 – WMCK
2/20/1969 – WIXZ
3/9/1998 – WPTT
8/31/2008 – WMNY
1380 – Current: 2/3/2021 – WKFO Kittanning.
Former:
3/1/1949 – WACB
7/29/1992- WTYM
1410 – Current: 1/9/1922 – KQV Pittsburgh.
Frequencies: 1/9/1922 – 833 meters or 360 kHz
1925 – 1090 AM
1927 – 1110 AM (time div. w/ WJAS)
11/11/1928 – 1380 AM
NARBA Reallocation on 3/24/1941 – 1410 AM
***Experimental license: 11/19/1919: 8ZAE
1450 – Current: 4/9/1942 – WJPA Washington.
1450 – Current: 3/25/1946 – WDAD Indiana
1460 – Current: 7/15/1958 – WMBA Ambridge.
***Other calls listed; perhaps not used: 4/25/1983 – WBTB
1480 – Current: 2/2/2024 – WJFG Latrobe.*
Former
10/9/1956 – WTRA
7/2/1979 – WCNS
* Interesting to note the WJFG calls were originally intended to be used on 910 Apollo.
1510 – Current: 7/30/1999 – WPGR Monroeville.
Former:
9/27/1964 – WPSL
1980 – WRUA
10/12/1986 – WNVU
4/8/1988 – WXVX
1550 – Current: 6/26/2013 – WZUM Braddock.
Former:
7/10/1947 – WLOA
10/24/1979 – WFFM
5/6/1981 – WCKG
8/4/1982 – WHYW
10/17/1983 – WJLY
5/16/1988 – WCXJ
6/1/2000 – WURP
5/1/2007 – WLFP
1570 – Current: 8/19/2020 – WXVE Latrobe.
Former:
1/14/1952 – WAKU
3/3/1960 – WSHH
7/6/1962 – WAKU
2/28/1963 – WQTW
9/28/2018 – WKHJ
1590 – Current: 5/13/2013 – DWZUM Carnegie.
Former:
3/24/1961 – WZUM
12/5/1975 – WPLW
8/28/1998 – WZUM
***Other call signs perhaps never making it to air: WCNE