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88.1 WKGO Murrysville, Pennsylvania
Owner: Broadcast Educational Communications, Inc.
Format: B/EZ
WKGO has a 1000 watt transmitter serving Murrysville, Plum and Vandergrift. BECI got the station in a deal with He’s Alive Network in 2016. BECI took the station off the air until late September of that year when it returned with the Easy Listening format. Under He’s Alive, the religious programming originated in Grantsville, Maryland at flagship station WAIJ. It first signed on in 1994 after a several year battle with WRCT (88.3) who wanted to increase their power. As a result, WRCT has a power null to the East and WKGO has a power null to the West which also protects 88.1 in Bethany, WV. Until 2002, WRWJ had a translator at 98.5 FM licensed to Glenshaw in Shaler Township. The translator had to sign off in 2002 when 98.3’s Community of License was moved from Charleroi to Duquesne and antenna placed on the nearby North Side. WKGO continues to serve the area simulcasting the beautiful music format with KQV.
88.3 WRCT Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Owner: WRCT Radio Inc.
Format: College/Freeform
In 1949, The Carnegie Technical Institute (now Carnegie-Mellon University) put a radio station on the air at 900 AM. That station was WRCT (Radio Carnegie Tech). It was student operated and ran unique and random programming as it does today. The station’s power was fairly weak and was often limited to the school campus In the early 1970s, WRCT moved over to 88.3 FM on the Non-Commercial band. It covers most of Allegheny County with a directional signal with 1750 watts to the North, South, and West; 675 watts to the East. It is perhaps the first directional FM in the United States. Another distinction that WRCT holds is that its FCC Facility ID number is “1”.
88.5 WYFU Masontown, Pennsylvania
Owner: Bible Broadcasting Network
Format: Religious
This 16kW station went on the air in 1998 and carries programming from its parent corporation, the Bible Broadcasting Network.
89.3 WQED-FM Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Owner: WQED Multimedia
Format: Classical
WQED-FM signed on in 1973 and has maintained a listener-supported Classical music format ever since. It is a National Public Radio member station as well as an affiliate of Public Radio International. QED began simulcasting to Johnstown in the early-mid 1990s over W210AQ and later put a full-power repeater on 89.7 with the calls WQEJ. In 2006, the station was among the first in Pittsburgh to begin HD Radio transmission. 89.3 had previously been used by WDUQ for about six months when it signed on in 1949.
89.7 WBKC Evans City, Pennsylvania
Owner: Fourteen Hundred, Inc.
Format: Never made it to air.
Not much is known about why the Bellevue Knights of Columbus (Bellevue Council #1400) wanted to begin a radio station, but a construction permit for a new station licensed to Evans City, Butler County was issued in 2010. The permit was allowed to expire in April, 2013 with no station ever making it to air.
90.1 WIUP Indiana, Pennsylvania
Owner: Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Format: Variety
Broadcasting at over 1600 watts with a 30-mile broadcast radius, WIUP serves a potential listening audience of over 300,000 people. With a state-of-the-art web stream, WIUP’s unique programming is available worldwide. Most of the management, producers and on-air staff are student volunteers and come from a wide variety of academic majors. Membership in the station is also open to faculty, staff and community volunteers.
90.5 WESA Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Owner: Essential Public Media
Format: News/NPR Programming
This station will long be remembered as Duquesne University-owned WDUQ with most of the day devoted to jazz. When not airing jazz, NPR programming would take center stage. In 2009, Duquesne University began to seek new owners for the station as they no longer had a vested interest in operating a radio license and following a trend of many college-owned public stations. In 2011, it was announced that WYEP and Public Media Company would form a cooperative called Essential Public Media and purchase WDUQ. The station dumped its jazz format in favor of NPR programming with local programs sprinkled in. Jazz was reduced to 6 hours a week and most of the staff was cut. Ironically, before the sale was announced, the station was forced to move out of its long-time home in the Des Places Building on Duquesne’s campus as the university planned to demolish it. The station was set up at a different site across campus where it was located when the sale took place. EPM started a license marketing agreement on July 1, 2011 and operated the station for two months under Duquesne’s ownership. The sale went through in September of that year and with it came a new set of call letters – WESA. (WESA was once assigned to 98.3 FM in Charleroi.) The station now makes its home with WYEP’s studios on Pittsburgh’s South Side. WDUQ spent the first 6 months of its life on 89.3 FM with 10 watts in 1949. Then it moved to 91.5 FM (and 2750 watts) where it stayed until 1969 when it moved to 90.5 FM. Beginning in 1976 WDUQ’s subcarrier frequency carried Radio Information Service.
91.3 WYEP Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Owner: Pittsburgh Community Broadcasting Corporation
Format: Variety Freeform
WYEP formed in 1974 at 91.5 FM in the South Oakland neighborhood with an antenna atop the Cathedral of Learning on Pitt’s Campus. In 1982, the station moved to 91.3 FM and boosted to 18 kW and the transmitter was moved to its present tower site in Calvary Cemetery in Hazelwood. Five years later the studios were relocated to Chatham College (now Chatham University). The studios were relocated to Pittsburgh’s South Side in 1994. In 2006 they built a LEED certified Community Broadcast Center in Bedford Square several blocks from their old South Side location.
91.9 WCAL California, Pennsylvania
Owner: The Student Association – California University of Pennsylvania
Format: College
Originally WVCS, WCAL has been the student run radio station at Cal U. since 1971.
92.1 WPTS Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Owner: University of Pittsburgh
Format: College
Although it’s on the first commercial frequency on the dial, WPTS is non-commercial. But the station was originally WPGH and broadcast exclusively to the Pitt Student Union and dorms. Started in 1957 by a group of students including Adrian Cronauer whose story is told in the 1987 film, “Good Morning, Vietnam”. Pitt began to apply for a Commercial FM station in 1977. The FCC reluctantly but eventually agreed granting a class D license in 1984. The station was 10 watts at 98.5 and moved to 92.1 in 1994. The signal is still weak and has to protect It is hard to pick up outside the city limits especially to the North where it competes with oldies station WKPL 92.1 in Ellwood City.
92.1 WKPL Ellwood City, Pennsylvania
Owner: Keymarket Licenses, LLC
Format: Oldies
WKPL is a full-power simulcast of sister station WPKL Uniontown. WKPL was once WFEM until it was purchased by the owners of WKST-AM (1280) in the 1980s. Great Scott Broadcasting turned WFEM into WKST-FM in 1988. In the late 1990s, Great Scott sold the two stations to Jacor Broadcasting. Following the merger between Jacor and Clear Channel, the latter took the WKST-FM calls to their 96.1 FM in Pittsburgh when the KISS-FM format began in 2000 making this station WJST. The station was sold along with WKST-AM and WBZY-AM to Forever Broadcasting. The WJST calls were moved to 1280 AM and the WKPL calls were placed here with a simulcast of the Pickle format from sister WPKL in Uniontown.
92.5 WQMU Indiana, Pennsylvania
Owner: St. Pier Group/Renda Broadcasting
Format: Hot AC
WQMU signed on in 1968 at 103.1 FM. For much of its life, the station was automated with music delivered on 10-inch reels. But in 1990, the station started to subscribe to satellite services. WQMU’s move to 92.5 in 1997 was as a result of owner RMS Media petitioning the FCC for an FM license at 103.3 in nearby Brookville. In 2004, RMS sold the station along with AM sister WDAD to Renda Broadcasting’s subsidiary, St. Pier Group who had previously purchased rivals WCCS and WLCY.
92.9 WLTJ Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Owner: Steel City Media
Format: Hot AC
The first KDKA-FM signing on in 1942. The station simulcast 1020 AM at times over the course of 30 years, but in the 1970s, KDKA-FM was easy listening by day and classical by night independent of its sister. The format was switched to AC in 1984 when Saul Frischling bought the station under his Legend Communications brand. (It would later become “Steel City Media”.) The station was moved from Gateway Center and was housed in Forest Hills. For a while it would bill itself as “The Point”. The station was one of the first in the country to try out a new concept of evening request and dedication shows. Theirs was called “Heartlite”. With its new mix of current and standard pop tunes, the station became WLTJ “Lite FM” and moved to a new facility at 7 Parkway Center in Green Tree. In 1989, after enjoying years as a successful “at-work” station, WLTJ became challenged by WSHH which switched from beautiful music to soft AC format. The two would battle it out for years. On Easter Day, 2008, WLTJ went through a major transition taking on a Hot AC format. All of the staff members who had been with the station for years were let go and the music was focused more on the currents than the recurrents. Many thought the end was near for any new announcers or jocks to return when an automated voice would come on and back-sell the song. But a new staff was eventually hired and yet the call letters were retained. When WAMO was taken off the air, WLTJ tried an evening urban-themed program for a while. In 2011, the focus on music was changed again and “Q92.9” plays music spanning between the 1980s and today. The station’s main competition now falls between two stations: WKST and WBZZ. WLTJ’s antenna was moved in 2005 from the KDKA-TV tower across the I-279 highway to WPGH-TV’s tower where it was able to retain its grandfathered ERP of 43,000 watts.
93.7 KDKA-FM Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Owner: Audacy, Inc.
Format: Sports talk
In October 1948, WKJF-FM signed on. It was joined in 1953 by a short-lived TV station (WKJF-TV) on Channel 53. The pair were located atop Mount Washington in a building which still houses the transmission equipment and tower for the present KDKA-FM. The FM was monaural for its first years and went stereo in 1962 with a big to-do at Kaufmann’s Department Store downtown featuring Arthur Fiedler who happened to be in town. WKJF continued broadcast through the early 1970s as a beautiful music station. It retained similar formats through two call letter changes – WKOI and WJOI. But in 1981 the station became WBZZ with a top-40 format. “B94” served as the city’s key top-40 station for 23 years. When Clear Channel developed WKST on 96.1, it was the first time in a long time a station took ratings from WBZZ. WBZZ’s sister – WZPT (100.7) aired a similar format stealing away some of the audience as well. In the early 2000s, the station underwent an image shift becoming “93-7 BZZ” and then “B-93.7”. In 2004, when Clear Channel announced that they would no longer air Howard Stern (an Infinity Broadcasting entity) on their stations (it was airing on WXDX in Pittsburgh at the time), Infinity Broadcasting in Pittsburgh swiftly responded by announcing in the middle of the June 30 morning show that the station would take on a rock format (K-Rock with the calls WRKZ) and air Stern’s morning program beginning the following week. The format change made headlines and sparked a lot of anger for a generation of listeners. But it wouldn’t last, by the end of the year Stern had left terrestrial radio for Sirius Satellite and was replaced by David Lee Roth and soon after the station carried Opie and Anthony. In 2007, K-Rock came to an end and on came “The Man Station” – 93.7 The Zone (WTZN). Dennis Miller, Scott Paulsen and John McIntire were just a few of the guys the station touted. But… it wouldn’t last. In October 2007, a week-long stunt of Christmas music was accompanied by liners saying “Pitts-urgh — something’s missing”. B-94 returned with a new set of call letters – WBZW. The WBZZ calls were in use on a station outside of the CBS ownership and could not be transferred. But… it wouldn’t last, although it lasted longer than “The Zone”. In early 2010, CBS announced a format change to a sports talk format. Several of the B-94 jocks who had been rehired were reassigned to sister station WZPT (Star 100.7) while others were either let go or reassigned to sister stations outside of the market. By February 2010, the groundwork was laid and the debut of the sports-formatted KDKA-FM (93.7 The Fan) took place. Meanwhile, a little time passed before CBS was able to re-acquire the WBZZ calls which they put on 100.7 FM. KDKA-FM has a grandfathered ERP of 41,000 watts.
Early historic information of WKJF from John Eld.
94.5 WWSW Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
(106.3 W292DH Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – carrying WWSW’s HD2 signal)
Owner: iHeart Media, Inc.
Format: Classic Hits
94.5 signed on in the 1940s as WMOT with classical music, a format it retained until the 1960s. The callsign became WWSW-FM to match that of its AM counterpart on 970. In 1973 though, the call letters were changed to WPEZ and it would serve as a top-40 station for several years. In the early 1980’s the WWSW calls returned and the station became Adult Contemporary. The new moniker was “3-W-S”. In 1988, WWSW also returned to the AM at 970 and both began separate music programming before becoming a simulcast. On August 28, 2000 a big switch as WWSW-AM became a part of the newly formed Fox Sports Radio Network thereby leaving 94.5 to become WWSW. Over the last several years, the emphasis on the music has switched from “oldies” from the 1950s and 60s to the 1970s and 80s. For several years, 3-W-S has been Clear Channel’s Christmas Music station from mid-November through Christmas Day going head to head with WSHH who also makes the Christmas switch. The airstaff at WWSW has been a “Who’s Who” of Pittsburgh radio over the years, including Jim Merkel who spent 31 years with the station from the time it was WPEZ through 2010, most of that time as the morning drive host.
94.9 WOGG Oliver, Pennsylvania
Owner: Kemarket Licenses, LLC
Format: Country
Humes Broadcasting Company, who owned WASP-AM, applied for a license to build an FM station in the late 1980s. The licensed Construction Permit was assigned the letter WXAK, but the station went on the air as WASP-FM in 1993 with a country format but separate of the AM. Humes sold the station to Keymarket near the turn of the 21st Century and the call letters were changed to WOGG soon thereafter.
95.3 WJPA-FM Washington, Pennsylvania
Owner: Washington Broadcasting Company
Format: Oldies
Both WJPA-AM & FM (104.6) signed on in 1941 during a time when AM licenses were accompanied an FM license assigned on even frequencies. However, the FM failed as there were few radios able to receive FM signals. The station began by a group of Washington, PA business owners, many of whom still lay claim to partial ownership today. In 1964, the company applied for and was granted a license for 95.3 FM which later became WYTK. The WJPA calls returned in the 1990s along with the simulcast and began the oldies format which continues to this day. The library had always been considered “deeper” than Pittsburgh’s WWSW with whom WJPA competed in the Washington County region. WJPA-FM boasts a 2150 watt signal.
96.1 WKST Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Owner: iHeart Media, Inc.
Format: Hot AC/Top-40
Originally owned by Hearst Broadcasting, 96.1 signed on as WCAE-FM in 1960 and was sister to 1250 AM and WTAE-TV (4). The calls for both radio stations changed to WRYT and had an MOR format. Five years later, the two stations took the WTAE calls forming a callsign triumvirate with WTAE-AM/FM/TV. The radio stations were called “Solid Gold T-A-E”. (All three were housed at 400 Ardmore Boulevard where WTAE-TV and today’s WDDZ-AM (1250) are still housed.) It was during the 70’s that 96.1 was a simulcast of its sister at 1250 during the day and served as “Disco 96” by night.. In 1977 the station flipped to WXKX or “96KX” or “96 Kix” which was a rock heavy top-40 format. In 1983 it flipped again to compete against WBZZ. “Hit Radio 96” (WHTX) managed to compete with B-94, but in the late 80s took on a Gold AC format as “Gold 96”. In 1991, the WVTY calls were assigned and the station spent six years as “Variety 96”. In 1997, it became “The River” with the WDRV calls. Then the station and its sister were sold to SFX Broadcasting (WDVE’s parent company at the time) and the station was flipped back to top 40 as “Mix 96.1” (WPHH). The current format has survived since 2000 initially beating out powerhouse “B94” in 2004 and again when the station was revived a few years later.
96.9 WRRK Braddock, Pennsylvania
Owner: Steel City Media
Format: Variety Classic Hits
Signing on as WLOA-FM in 1959, simulcasting 1550’s programming and independently airing easy listening music. The original studios were a small building in Braddock – a small town east of Pittsburgh. In fact, the Legal ID still has Braddock as the city of license, but moved to 7 Parkway Center when the current owners — Steel City Media — bought the station. In the late 70’s, FM-97 signed on playing more of a Soft AC sound under the direction of McVay Media Consultant Dave Popovich. The format was tweaked to a soft rock geared to women and given the nickname “Fem-FM”. A callsign change was in order and WFFM Rockin’ Easy was the name. WFFM was one of the first stations to give away $1 Million to a single listener. The contest flooded the phone lines as they took the 97th caller for the contest. As WHYW in the mid-80s, “Y-97” featured an evening Classic Rock format preceded by a Soft Rock format by day. Overnight, the station played Jazz. In 1986 the station’s classic rock format took hold and the call letters of WMYG returned to the station and was known as Magic 97. By 1991, WRRK was touting a “Current” rock format, but once purchased by Frischling’s Legend Communications (now Steel City Media) in 1993, it returned to classic rock. The station has been “Bob FM” since 2005 when it started a “We Play Everything” campaign. Contrary to rumor, the station never used the WBZB calls which were also rumored to be held in reserve for sister station WLTJ.
97.7 WLER Butler, Pennsylvania
Owner: St. Barnabas Broadcasting
Format: Active Rock
Originally WISR-FM when the license for the AM was granted in 1941, but Butler Broadcasting Company returned the license when the station failed to earn money for the company. In 1959, however, nearby rival WBUT-AM laid claim to the license and operated the station as WBUT-FM until the late 1970s. That’s when the calls were changed to WLER and began independent programming although certain hours of the day were simulcast. Over time, all simulcasting ended and WLER maintained an Adult Contemporary format of one sort or another. In 2012, the station took on an Active Rock format. In 2022, the Butler County Radio Network sold the station and its AM sisters WBUT and WISR to Frank Iorio’s Pittsburgh Radio Partners, LLC. This move was a surprise given Iorio’s retirement in 2021. Shortly after the purchase, Iorio sold the station to St. Barnabas Broadcasting.
98.3 WPKV Duquesne, Pennsylvania
Owner: Educational Media Foundation
Format: Religious
Starting in 1967 as WESA-FM, the station held an Adult Contemporary format and was licensed to Charleroi with sister WESA-AM. While the station could be heard in extreme southern Allegheny County, it mainly focused on Greene, Washington and Fayette Counties. In the late 90’s this station became WZKT and started a new top-40 dance format as “Z-98”. In late 1999, the station (and its sister WESA-AM) were acquired by Forever Broadcasting. In early 2000, WZKT became WOGI a simulcast to sister WOGG. WOGI simulcasted its sister station until March of 2002 when WOGI moved the City of License to Duquesne in order to bring the Froggy format to Pittsburgh proper. Because of the Class A license, WOGI could not be licensed to Pittsburgh, hence the Duquesne allocation. Nonetheless, the antenna is on the Crown Tower on Pittsburgh’s North Side. In 2009 Keymarket, facing financial issues, signed a License Marketing Agreement with Educational Media Foundation to broadcast their “K-Love” format. The WOGI callsign moved to 104.3 in Moon Township and Froggy continued simulcasting on 103.5 and 94.9. As part of the deal, Keymarket was able to use the translators 105.5 and 99.3 which EMF once used to translate “K-Love” into Pittsburgh.
98.5 WYRA Confluence, Pennsylvania
Owner: Educational Media Foundation
Format: Religious
The station initially signed on in 2008 as WKEL and was originally licensed to Meyersdale. Later the license would be transferred to Confluence. Initially the station was translated over W231BM Clairton and W248AR Monroeville, but both translators have been given up to Broadcast Communications’ WKHB and WKFB respectively while maintaining EMF ownership. The station used to have translator broadcasts over W257CD Pittsburgh and W292DH Uniontown.
99.3 WPKL Connellsville, Pennsylvania
Owner: Forever Media Pittsburgh
Format: Classic 60s and 70s
In 1968, WPQR-FM signed on and was owned by Warman Broadcasting. It was first sold to Kel Com Broadcasting in 1987 and would become a part of a joint partnership with nearby WCVI-AM owner Mar Com Broadcasting. Together they became Mar Kel Partners. The partnership ended in the early 1990s with one partner taking over ownership and the other remaining as general manager for a time. In 1999, WPQR went dark as there was no money to repair a broken transmitter and when the money was available, the transmitter site (owned by a Fayette County judge) had been padlocked due to nonpayment of rent. It was also discovered that employees were owed back wages. The stations would be sold at auction to Keymarket Licenses in 2000. The transmitter was overhauled and restored to broadcast status in 2001. Now on the air with the “Pickle” format, the station airs rock from the 60s-70s with a local morning show and a satellite feed the remainder of the day. The format is simulcast on WYJK (1340 AM) as well as sister station WKPL-FM (92.1 Ellwood City).
99.7 WSHH Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Owner: Renda Broadcasting Corporation
Format: AC
WJAS-FM signed on in 1948 and the station has remained a sister to 1320 AM ever since except for about one year. For a time during the 1950s under NBC ownership, the station sported the WFMP calls which complimented its AM sister which was WAMP. Much of the time over the years the stations shared at least part of the broadcast day. In the early 1970s, during Cecil Heftel’s ownership, WJAS transformed into “13Q” WKPQ (later WKTQ) and soon thereafter, 99.7 became WSHH with a beautiful music format. Nationwide Broadcasting bought the stations from Heftel and WSHH’s beautiful music flourished. In the early 1980s Nationwide sold both stations but to separate buyers. WKTQ-AM was sold to Benni Broadcasting who transformed it back to WJAS and the Music of Your Life. WSHH was purchased by Renda Broadcasting and was made the flagship station. Under separate ownerships, the stations co-existed in the same Crane Avenue building until Renda bought WJAS a year later. “Nice ‘n’ Easy Wish 100” continued its mostly instrumental format throughout the 1980s and a full airstaff was put in place for the first time since the Nationwide ownership. Jack Bogut was hired to host the morning drive show in 1988 and a little over a year later, the format would go “all-vocal” while retaining a softer AC sound. Ever since, the station has gracefully grown into a Soft Rock station and has taken the top spot as an “at-work” station in Pittsburgh.
100.7 WBZZ New Kensington, Pennsylvania
Owner: Audacy, Inc.
Format: CHR/top-40
100.7 signed on in 1963 as WPGH-FM. Four years later, the calls went to 104.7 while this station took on the WNUF (“Fun” spelled backwards) call letters. For many years, WNUF was owned by the Hammond Family who ran and still run the Pittsburgh Green Sheet. The studios were located in Millvale, about 12 miles from the Community of License. It was the closest to Pittsburgh that the station could legally be located during that era. The format was Big Band. In 1985, the station began a three-year stint as the region’s first Alternative station as “Double X 100.7” (WXXP). Then, it the late 80s it took on a Rhythmic top-40 format as “Mix Jamz” (WMXP). The early 1990s saw a shift to country “K-Bear” WQKB. In late 1994/early 1995, the station took on an all-70s format as “The Point” (WZPT). The WZPT calls lasted through several minor changes, and one major change to Hot AC and “Star 100.7”. In 2010, after sister B-94 was dropped for a second time in favor of sports, WZPT took on the audience that was disenfranchised by the format change. A number of airstaff members were shifted from B-94 to Star and the station took on a new life. CBS was able to re-acquire the WBZZ calls in 2011 and placed them on 100.7.
101.5 WORD Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Owner: Salem Communications
Format: Religious
101.5 was originally WPIT-FM and operated as a sister to the AM on 730. Salem Communications, formed in the early 1980s, wanted to buy the pair in the mid-80s, but the stations were sold to Pyramid Broadcasting. Salem then went after Gateway Broadcasting to buy 104.7 FM, then WYDD and its AM sister WKPA (1150). While the deal was signed in the mid-80s, legal problems prevented the deal from being finalized until 1990. By this time, WYDD had become “Energy 105” WNRJ but because of some issues yet to be ironed out, Salem couldn’t go live with their intended religious format. Not wanting to air rock music, Salem turned the station into WEZE-FM with beautiful music at a seemingly appropriate time as WSHH had just flipped from beautiful music. In fact, the new WEZE (“Easy 104.7”) stole away some of WSHH’s air talent. In late 1991, WORD-FM came on the air with the Christian format. In 1992, Salem again went after WPIT-AM/FM and by early 1993, the deal went through. WKPA was donated to the Pentecostal Temple Development Corporation while 104.7 was sold to Entercom who owned WDSY at the time. The WORD call letters then moved to 101.5 and much of the format heard on 104.7 was combined with some of the elements heard previously on 101.5. The station maintains studios at Parkway Center in Greentree which were acquired when WEZE moved there from New Kensington.
102.5 WDVE Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Owner: iHeart Media, Inc.
Format: Classic Rock
KQV-FM signed on in the early 1960s and simulcast the top-40 format on its AM counterpart. In 1969, it began airing a tape service album rock format called “Love” which was specifically designed for the 7 FM stations ABC owned. A year later, the format was tweaked to be “free-form” and WDVE was born. (DVE standing for “dove”, the bird of peace.) By fall of 1971, the free form was replaced with the album rock format using only the top cuts from top-selling albums with very little talk. Memorable morning shows on the station include “Jimmy & Steve” made up of Jimmy Roach and Steve Hansen who left the station in 1985 and eventually ended up on Magic 97. Scott Paulsen was hired soon after from WHTX and was later joined by Jim Krenn. The duo remained on the air together until 2000 when Paulsen opted to leave the station (but he would return later to briefly do evenings). Krenn was joined by Randy Baumann and the duo remained remained until late-2011 when Krenn was let go. Baumann continues to do the program and Scott Paulsen returned again in 2012 mainly as a writer for the morning show and as a fill-in host.
103.1 WKVE Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania
Owner: Broadcast Communications, Inc.
Format: Album Oriented Rock
Signing on in 1978 as WANB-FM and licensed the Waynesburg, it provided an FM simulcast of the AM then located at 1580. Broadcast Communications bought the AM/FM combo in 2001 from the stations’ only other owner, WANB, Inc. In the late-2000s, BCI did the ground work necessary to move the station’s Community of License to Mount Pleasant including purchasing a station in Cumberland, Maryland located at 102.9 FM and moving that station’s position on the dial and CoL in order to propagate the move for 103.1. In 2009, WANB-FM became WKVE, a set of calls used on BCI’s first station in St. Mary’s, PA (now WDDH). The FM was silenced later that year in preparation for tests from the new tower site. Tests continued through the winter of 2010, occasionally signing off the Waynesburg transmitter and signing on Mount Pleasant. Waynesburg’s transmitter was silenced for good in March 2010 and the new WKVE went on the air in May. Although the station can be received in Allegheny County, it’s target area is Southern Westmoreland, Fayette and Greene Counties.
103.5 WOGH Burgettstown, Pennsylvania
Owner: Forever Media Pittsburgh
Format: 80s & 90s Country
Signed on as WSTV-FM in 1953 and was sister to the AM at 1340 and WSTV-TV Channel 9. All three were licensed to Steubenville, Ohio. In the 1970s, the station flipped to WRKY and was known as “Rocky 103.5” with an automated format but later a CHR station. In 1994, without changing its identity, the station flipped to a country format. WRKY had sales offices in downtown Pittsburgh as the station was once owned by Associated Communications Group which also owned WOMP-AM/FM, WSTV-AM and WXST in Delaware Ohio. The stations were sold in 1999 to Stop 26/Riverbend Ground in Youngstown, but that would only last a few months. On Leap Day, February 29, 2000, the station became WOGE and started sporting the Froggy format. The calls were changed to WOGH that April. Some time later, the station had a permit to move the Community of License to Burgettstown, Pennsylvania. If memory serves, there was an application for the station to move its physical transmitter there as well, but as of this writing, the transmitter is still located atop WTOV-TV (9)’s station and tower in Steubenville. In 2017, the station broke the simulcast with its sister stations and became “Willie 103.5 – WLYI” with 80s and 90s Country. In 2022, after 5 years, Forever flipped 103.5 back to WOGH and “Froggy” when they moved reimaged 105.5 in Bethlehem, WV to “Big Willie”.
103.7 WFSJ-LP Indiana, Pennsylvania
Owner: Hilltop Baptist Church
Format: Christian Contemporary
This low-power outlet was put in the air by Pittsburgh personality Chris Lash in 2003 as a way to promote Christian rock in the Indiana County region. The station went on the air as “Fish FM” and was successful. Within a year, the moniker was changed to “The Switch” but retained the format. Lash sold the station to Hilltop Baptist in 2019.
103.9 WKHB-FM Uniontown, Pennsylvania
Owner: Broadcast Communications III, Inc.
Format: Classic Top 40 hits
WLSW signed on in 1971 founded by L. Stanley Wall, a local DJ who applied for the license in 1968. Wall had spent time as a DJ and general manager for WTRA (now WCNS). WLSW was an exception to the rule when it was founded. It was one of few stand-alone FMs in an era when cars didn’t come standard with FM radios and when most FMs were just a simulcast of their AM sister. In 1984, Wall purchased WQTW in Latrobe after its studios and offices were destroyed by fire. There have been numerous offers to buy the station since ownership regulations were relaxed some years back, but Wall had no plans to sell. Stan Wall died in 2015 leaving his wife as administrator for this and sister station WQTW. The stations were sold in 2017 to Broadcast Communications III, Inc and 103.9 became WKHB-FM. In 2023, the City of License was switched from Scottdale to Uniontown.
104.3 WOGI Moon Township, Pennsylvania
Owner: Forever Media Pittsburgh
Format: Country
WOHI-FM signed on in 1959 under the ownership of East Liverpool Broadcasting Company. Both it and its AM counterpart were sold to Constrander Corporation in 1961. WOHI-FM became WRTS in 1967 and both were sold again in 1971. WRTS became WELA in 1974 and sported an easy listening format. In 1981 the format was changed to Country/Western and eventually a self-explanatory format as Classic Hits 104.3. Keymarket purchased both stations in 2000 and changed the FM’s calls to WOGF when it took on the Froggy format. In the late 2000s the transmitter and Community of License were changed. The CoL is Moon Township, Allegheny County and the transmitter is located in Racoon State Park in Beaver County. In 2009, Keymarket signed 98.3 over to Educational Media Foundation under a License Marketing Agreement. The WOGI calls were moved from 98.3 to 104.3 making the station the “flagship” of the 3 FM stations which simulcast the format.
104.7 WPGB Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Owner: iHeart Media, Inc.
Format: Country
104.7 signed on as WYDD in 1967 and owned by Nelson Goldberg’s Gateway Broadcasting Enterprises. Goldberg had previously owned New Kensington-licensed WPGH-FM 100.7 but wanted an FM signal which could cover Pittsburgh better than his 100.7. The signal at 104.7 opened up and Goldberg sold WPGH to Milton Hammond where the call letters were changed to WNUF. Meanwhile the WPGH calls went to 104.7 until the format was changed to jazz and WYDD (“WIDE World of Pittsburgh”). The popular station enjoyed a free-form rock format in the 1970s and top-40 in the 80s. In the late 80s, the station became “Energy 105” with a new set of calls – WNRJ. But the format wouldn’t last as the station, and it’s sister WKPA (1150 New Kensington) were sold to Salem Communications. In 1990, just weeks after WSHH (99.7) flipped from a beautiful music format, WNRJ became WEZE-FM “Easy 104.7” and those disenchanted by WSHH’s move tuned to WEZE. Some of the WSHH airstaff moved over to WEZE and managed to make a go of the format for nearly two years. In late 1991, WORD-FM debuted after a long hassle in securing ministry contracts. During the WEZE years, the studios were moved from New Kensington to Greentree’s Parkway Center where WLTJ already had studios. (WORD-FM/WPIT-AM still use these studios today.) Weeks leading up to the change to WORD-FM, WLTJ advertised their station on WEZE inviting listeners to make the switch. After years of negotiating, Salem agreed to buy religious outlets WPIT-AM/FM (730/101.5) and thereby donated WKPA to a Pentecostal Church while selling 104.7 to Entercom who owned WDSY and WEEP-AM.As WORD/WPIT stayed in Greentree, 104.7’s studios moved to Gateway Towers where WDSY and WEEP were operating. After WORD, 104.7 became “The Rebel” WXRB with a country format. Together with WDSY, the two were able to take out rival “K-Bear” on 100.7. Once that was accomplished in the mid-1990s, 104.7 became an alternative station “The Revolution” WNRQ. In 1996, the station took on a Smooth Jazz format and a new set of call letters, WJJJ. It was about this time that the station was sold to SFX Broadcasting (WDVE’s parent) but the studios remained in Gateway Towers until 1998 when SFX was taken over by Chancellor Media. WJJJ moved over to Allegheny Center with its new sister WWSW while room was created at the main office in Greentree for both stations. While waiting, WJJJ took on Chancellor’s format creation: “Jammin’ Oldies”. The format made it for about 5 years before it was changed to an all-news/talk format in 2004 with the current calls. The news/talk format lasted for 10 1/2 years. In 2014, when WJAS was sold by Renda Broadcasting to Pittsburgh Radio Partners, WJAS adopted the format from 104.7. August 7 was the day when WJAS shed its long-lasting Nostalgia/Standards format and simulcast the Rush Limbaugh show with WPGB. After Limbaugh’s show was over, WJAS took the reigns of the news/talk format and WPGB became a country station again using Clear Channels “Big” format.
105.9 WXDX Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Owner: iHeart Media, Inc.
Format: Modern Rock
105.9 signed on in 1948 as WAMO-FM, calls which it would retain for 48 years. Throughout the years the station simulcast its sister on AM 860 when not airing programming independent of the AM. Meanwhile, WXDX started out as WWKS on 106.7 and was sister station to Beaver Falls’ AM station WBVP. In 1996, Secret Communications purchased 106.7 and redubbed it WXDX and made it an alternative rock station “The X at 106.7”. Wanting a stronger signal to serve Pittsburgh, and seeing that WAMO’s parent Sheridan Broadcasting was in need of funds, Secret Communications offered Sheridan $14 million to exchange 106.7 with 105.9. Sheridan agreed and WXDX moved to 105.9 and was licensed to Pittsburgh while WAMO moved to 106.7 and Beaver Falls.
106.3 WLCY Blairsville, Pennsylvania
Owner: Renda Broadcasting – St. Pier Group
Format: Country
Originally a nostalgia station, the calls upon sign-on were WCQO-FM. In 1985, former WAMO general manager Ray Gusky purchased the station and flipped the calls to WNQQ with an AC format. Gusky sold the station to Pennsylvania Broadcast Associates in 1987. John Longo bought WNQQ in 1989 not long after he had purchased WCNS Latrobe. That’s when it became WLCY “Lucky 106.3” with a soft AC format. Longo sold the station outright to Renda Broadcasting’s subsidiary, St. Pier Group in 2002. Operations moved to Indiana, Pennsylvania with sisters WDAD, WCCS and WQMU.
106.7 WAOB-FM Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania
Owner: St. Joseph Missions
Format: Catholic
106.7 originally signed on as WBVP-FM but would later change its calls to WWKS. Throughout the 70s and 80s it was known as Kiss FM with a soft rock format. Local ownership of WWKS remained until 1996 when the station was sold to Secret Communications, the parent company of WDVE. WBVP-AM was sold to Frank Iorio who still owns it today. Secret Communications changed the calls to WXDX with its already existing alternative rock format, but Secret wanted the station to serve Pittsburgh. Seeing that Sheridan Broadcasting had a need, Secret offered Sheridan $14 million to swap frequencies between WXDX and WAMO. The switch was made in 1996 and 106.7 FM became WAMO. This disenchanted many of WAMOs faithful listeners, particularly in the eastern neighborhoods where 106.7 could not reach. When WHJB-AM (620) and its sister WSSZ-FM (107.1), both of Greensburg, were up for sale, Sheridan snagged WSSZ with WHJB going to Broadcast Communications. WSSZ became a simulcast of WAMO and served the eastern neighborhoods that WAMO couldnt cover. Eventually the Greensburg station was sold to Renda Broadcasting after the WAMO transmitter was moved to a tower in Wexford, Allegheny County. In 2009, Sheridan announced that it was selling WAMO-AM/FM and WPGR-AM to St. Joseph Missions for $8.9 million. The stations were converted from commercial licenses to educational licenses upon the finalization of the sale. WAMO would sign off that September and all three stations went dark until February 2010 when they returned as WAOB-AM/FM and WPGR-AM. WAOB stands for We Are One Body. All of the stations are simulcast and operate out of studios in Latrobe, PA. Because the stations are non-commercial, they do not have to abide by the rule that the studio must be within 25 miles of the transmitter.
107.1 WHJB Greensburg, Pennsylvania
Owner: St. Pier Group (Renda Broadcasting)
Format: Classic Hits
107.1 signed on in 1968 as WHJB-FM sister to the AM on 620. The station went through a number of formats as WOKU including AC, Disco, Country and Heavy Metal before shifting to a top-40 station in the late 1980s as WSSZ (Hot Hits Z-107). In 1991, the format was changed to classic rock (Classic Hits Z-107) and remained so for five years. In 1996, the station started simulcasting WAMO which had just swapped frequencies with WXDX and had a weaker signal on 106.7. The simulcast on 107.1 helped to fill the gaps – mostly in neighborhoods east of Pittsburgh – that 106.7 couldn’t reach. In the early 2000s, 107.1 took on the WJJJ calls once used by 104.7 in Pittsburgh. WJJJ had its own identity as “Majic 107.1” but continued to simulcast WAMO’s programming. This despite WAMO’s 106.7 transmitter move to Wexford. But in 2006, Sheridan sold WJJJ to the St. Pier Group which is a subsidiary of Renda Broadcasting. The format was flipped to Variety hits “SAM-FM” fed by Westwood One. The calls were changed to WGSM. Eventually the programming was localized and the satellite programming was dropped. The station briefly billed itself as G-107. In 2009, after they became available again, the station was granted its original callsign, WHJB – named for H.J. Brennan who was the founder of WHJB 620 AM in the 1930s.
107.9 WDSY Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Owner: Audacy, Inc.
Format: Country
WDSY signed on in 1962 as WEEP-FM sister to 1080 (now WWNL). The original purpose of the station was to serve as a simulcast of the AM particularly after sunset signoff. This arrangement continued through the late 1970s with part of the day’s programming on FM being a softer country format. In 1977, the calls were changed to WDSY “Fresh as a Daisy!” with the old WEEP-FM format (the softer country) full time. WEEP-AM meanwhile was playing more contemporary country tunes, but once WDSY signed on, WEEP-AM became the simulcast. Eventually though, the station would add more contemporary country and became the exclusive country outlet in Pittsburgh. In the early 1990s Entercom was able to survive the country wars between it and K-Bear at 100.7. After Entercom acquired 104.7 when Salem took WORD-FM to 101.5, 104.7 became “The Rebel” allowing Entercom to have the leading edge on the country format. Once K-Bear was taken off 100.7, Entercom changed “The Rebel” to a Smooth Jazz format and WJJJ. Eventually, WJJJ was sold off to SFX Broadcasting and WDSY and 100.7 would become sister stations after a few more ownership transfers.
