AM Radio (540 - 1700 KHz)
580 WHP HARRISBURG PA news/talk
WHP can trace its origins to 1924 and probably earlier, as a predecessor of WHP, WBAK, was licensed on May 15, 1922 to operate on 833 kHz (the only frequency at that time), and later moved to 1090 kHz, 1000 kHz and 1430 kHz. Other predecessors include WHBG, which operated 1925-27 on 1300 kHz, and WMBS (for Mack’s Battery Service) at 1280 kHz, which changed calls to WHP on March 16, 1929. WHP and WBAK shared time on 1430 kHz until at least 1934 (exact year unknown). WBAK eventually ceased operations and WHP became full time. Moved to 1460 kHz in 1942, when nearly all North American stations were pushed up 30 kHz. Moved to 580 kHz in 1951. Owned by WHP Inc. from at least 1934 through the early 1990s. Was associated with the afternoon Harrisburg Telegraph, a tabloid that folded in the late 1940s, and WHP-TV and FM. CBS affiliate with all the network offerings of the day. In the late 1950s when much entertainment programming was eased out by CBS, WHP adopted a very low-key Middle of the Road format with live personalities, including Ron Drake, arguably the most popular and highly-rated personality in Harrisburg radio history. His nasal delivery and corny jokes were somewhat of a departure for the rather stuffy WHP, but the station’s big signal, credible news operation, CBS features and Drake himself propelled WHP to stratospheric morning numbers. Drake’s reign as king of morning radio was only seriously challenged by Mac McCauley on WCMB in the 1960s, and Drake remained number one until he was toppled by WKBO, a Top 40 station, in the late 1970s. When he retired in the early 1980s he still had the kind of numbers today’s morning personalities would envy. As tastes changed and the 90s dawned, WHP adopted a homey, non-controversial talk format. When the station was sold to Dame Media, owners of WKBO, the light-talk approach and personalities were jettisoned in favor of Rush Limbaugh and a more in-your-face attitude combined with a solid news operation. Now owned by Clear Channel, WHP consistently ranks in the top five 12+ (usually 2nd or 3rd) and virtually owns the 50+ audience. Mornings are hosted by market veterans R.J. Harris and sidekick/news person Lauren Rooney, both of whom shifted over from sister station WWKL in the fall of 2000. The bombastic Bob Durgin hosts a local mid-morning talkfest, followed by Limbaugh, Dr. Laura and other conservative personalities.640 WVYCcc YORK PA college
This is the carrier current campus radio station of York College of Pennsylvania. It is run with licensed WVYC-FM at 99.7. AM 640 runs most of it's own programming, but at other times relays WVYC-FM.720 WWII SHIREMANSTOWN PA contempoary christian/gospel
"The Rock" 2,000 watt daytimer has a contemporary christian/gospel format. Before that until 1990 the station was a business radio affiliate. Owned by Hensley Broadcasting. Heard well all over central Pennsylvania.800 WCHA CHAMBERSBURG PA nostalgia - MOYL
"Music Of Your Life" Until May 2003 was a news/talker as "NewsRadio 800" carrying Mike Gallagher, Rush Limbaugh, Howie Carr, Phil Hendrie, Tom Leykis, and Coast to Coast AM. Continues to carry "The Chambersburg Morning Show" and hourly ABC news. WCHA also carries Pittsburg and Penn State sports. During its news/talk days 800 did simulcast hot adult contemporary WIKZ, and before that simulcasted country FM-94.3. Runs 1,000 watts days/196 watts nights with a single tower site. Owned by Dame Broadcasting along with WQCM, WIKZ, WDLD and WHAG.830 WEEU READING PA news/talk
About a year ago WEEU dropped it's full-service format for news/talk. Also has sports from the Phillies and Temple University. Can be heard in the north-eastern parts of Harrisburg. WEEU use to be on 850, then 840, and now 830; and has upgraded from originally 1,000 watt days/500 watt nights to now 20,000 watts daytimes with 6,000 watts evenings. Locally owned by Reading Eagle Company.890 WFKJ CASHTOWN PA religious
"Working For King Jesus" 890 watt daytimer in western Franklin county has a religious talk format, but there is some christian music like country gospel. Studios located 7 miles west of Gettysburg on Route 30. Came on the air in 1988. Owned by "Jesus is Lord Ministries International", which also runs a satellite channel called the "Reformation Channel".910 WSBA PA YORK PA news/talk/sports
Local morning team of Denis Edwards and Ruth O'Brien, plus a York-centric midmorning talk show hosted by Gary Sutton. Also carries Rush, Clark Howard the Consumer Crusader (does he wear a cape?), Dave Ramsey's financial advice with attitude, Joey Reynolds overnights, and Orioles baseball. WSBA has a strong background in news since the 60's in the York area. This is still the station with local breaking news first, and keeps a high profile in the community.
“Legendary” is not too strong a word for WSBA. Signing-on in 1942 as the first station in what was to become a powerful group, Susquehanna Broadcasting, WSBA was a 1kw daytimer at 900 kHz. By the early 1950s it had shifted to fulltime operation at 910 kHz. Competition was fierce, with the young ABC-affiliated station competing with long-established WORK (1350 kHz), an NBC affiliate that controlled the adult audience, and independent daytimer WNOW (1250 kHz), the station that pioneered Top 40 in York. WSBA played it middle-of-the-road in the daytime, but at night began experimenting with rock ‘n’ roll and teen pop music. The legendary Dick Biondi, soon to go on to fame at WKBW Buffalo and WCFL Chicago (now at WJMK Chicago), rocked the nights on WSBA in 1957. “American Bandstand” from nearby Philadelphia was all the rage that year, and was carried on co-owned WSBA-TV (Channel 43) and ABC stations across the country. Sensing something big was happening, WSBA took the plunge into Top 40 full time in the summer of 1958. Rock ‘n’ roll, reverb and rhyming personalities rocketed WSBA (“Dial Ninety-one-derful”) into the hearts and minds of teenagers and young adults throughout York, Lancaster and Harrisburg…better known as “WSBA-land.” A daytime power boost to 5kw in the early 1960s gave the station another long-held slogan: “The Mighty 910.” The successful formula was soon applied to a newly acquired Susquehanna property, WARM (590 kHz) in Scranton, with similarly spectacular results. Among the talented personalities to pass through WSBA in the glory days were Dan Donovan (WCBM, WFIL); Larry Hall (WCBM, WBZ, WCAO); Harry West (KQV, WARM); Paul Rogers and Kirby Scott (both Baltimore jocks who founded Keymarket Communications); Bill Campbell (WCAO); Ralph Lockwood (many years in Montreal, Canada); along with local favorites Ed Lincoln, Doc Daugherty, Bob Shipley and Al Wolfe to name just a few. The station even pioneered “progressive” rock in South Central PA in the late 1960s with “The Sound Experiment,” a late-night Saturday show hosted by Bill Campbell. As the years wore on, faced with increasing competition for the young audience, WSBA shifted to a full-service AC approach in the mid-1970s. The change worked and WSBA continued as a market leader into the early 1990s, when it moved to a talk/music hybrid, and eventually to full-time news/talk as it is today.940 WADV LEBANON PA religious/gospel
"Solid Gospel" Southern gospel music. AM Stereo. Owned by F.D.K. Inc. 1,000 watt days/5 watt nights.960 WHYL CARLISLE PA oldies
"Doo-woppin Oldies, The Mighty 960" Currently has a unique oldies format. Changed from "Music of your Life" nostalgia in June 2000. Back in the 60's and 70's WHYL had a pretty good run as a top 40 station. Good coverage daytime with 5,000 watts, but drops to low power at night. Currently owned by Citadel with WQXA, WQXA-FM,WRKZ and WCAT. But AM-960 is pending a sale to Route 81 Broadcasting with a possible format change, stay tuned!1000 WIOO CARLISLE PA classic country
"Country Gold 1000" Obvious classic country format. Has ABC news on the hour, and a locally based "Noon Report" along with daily racing programs. Various religious programs Sunday mornings. Robin Quivers of "The Howard Stern Show" got her start here. Back in the 60's and 70's WIOO had a good run as a top 40 station. Only a 1,000 watt daytimer. Owned by Wise Broadcasting.1070 WKOK SUNBURY PA news/sports
This station has an all-news format during the day with CBS, AP, and local news; and flips to sports talk all night with ESPN and Sports Byline. Great signal all over central Pennsylvania with 10,000 watt days. At night drops to 1,000 watts with a 5 tower system. Came on the air originally as WJBU in 1933. In 1963 the station moved to AM 1070 and increased it's power from 250 watts to 10,000 watts. WKOK flipped to it's current news/sports format in 1998 after soft rock. Owned by Sunbury Broadcasting.1130 WEEO WAYNESBORO PA static
WEEO was once located here throughout the seventies and sported a very successfull top 40 format. The original WEEO came on the air January 12, 1971. The station was owned by Raystay Communications. WEEO was a 1,000 watts directional daytime only station, using a 3 tower directional pattern on 1130 KHz. The studios and transmitter were in a newly built modular home at the abandoned airport east of Waynesboro in Rouzerville. The station was licensed to Waynesboro. When WEEO came on the air they took the Hagerstown/Waynesboro/Chambersburg area by storm. The format was classic top 40 radio. The air staff was very good, they used heavy reverb(the mechanical variety) and had spent a small fortune on a top of the line PAMS jingle package. They ran a very tight format and sounded very good…mostly music with minimal clutter and chatter. They were quite a change from the then standard Middle of the Road format that was running on all of the other stations in the area at the time. The directional pattern was such that they had a good signal throughout the Cumberland Valley . WEEO's Achilles Heel was that it was a day time only station. I don't believe that they ever managed to get Pre-Sunrise Authority from the FCC. (Pre - Sunrise Authority allowed daytime only stations to sign on at 6 am and operate usually at reduced power, until local sunrise when they could go to full power) so WEEO suffered from short air time hours, especially in the winter. This all occurred in the early 70's just as FM's were beginning to catch on. The rumor around Hagerstown at the time was that WEEO had tried unsuccessfully to acquire an FM on several occasions in the late 70's and early 80's. Supposedly, they tried to get 94.3 WKSL several times, but were rebuffed each time by Mr. Thomas. I don't know exactly when the original WEEO went dark, but it must have been in the late 80's or very early 90's because in the mid 90's there was a short lived AM station that came on the air on 1160, I believe the call letters were WPVG and featured a classic country format. I think that it was 1Kw - D and 500 watts - N non - directional, the tower was located in the field near the I-70 bridge over Rt. 40 - A east of Funkstown and the studio was somewhere on Robinwood Drive. I think that it was licensed to Funkstown. It was a low budget operation and only lasted a few years before it too disappeared. Today the signs of the WEEO towers are gone, and the modular house that was the original WEEO studios is an office, but looks unused. Today the WEEO calls reside at AM 1480(see below), which is a plain sattelite oldies station.1160 WPVG FUNKSTOWN MD static
Here was a short lived AM station that came on the air on AM 1160. It featured a classic country format. WPVG came on the air shortly after WEEO(see above) went dark. The station was 1,000 watts daytime and 500 watts nights and was non-directional, the tower was located in the field near the I-70 bridge over Route 40-A east of Funkstown and the studio was somewhere on Robinwood Drive. It was a low budget operation and only lasted a few years before it disappeared. Towards the end 1160 was in the interest of WARK and WHAG, but neither bought. The license renewel application and and callsign were deleted by the FCC in 1998. Today the move couldn't be done because of WMET in Gaithersburg upgrading to 50 Kw and moving to 1160.1230 WKBO HARRISBURG PA religious
"Fortress 1230" Before religious had a nostalgia and news format. Carries Harrisburg's Senators baseball. For many years in the seventies WKBO was the number one top 40 station in Harrisburg toppling WHP-AM 580 under Dame Broadcasting. Runs 480 watts from the middle of Harrisburg. Today owned by ClearChannel along with WHP, WTKT, WRBT, WRVV, and WHKF.1240 WJEJ HAGERSTOWN MD easy listening/MOR
"Swinging Easy" For those missing the old easy listening format of WWMD when it was at FM 104.7, WJEJ is the next best option. It is owned by Hagerstown Broadcasting, who also owned the old WWMD. Station has a "middle-of-the-road" sound to me, playing a huge variety of music from nostalgia to beautiful music. This was Hagerstown first station coming on the air in 1932 and is still using it’s original self support tower on it’s original site. When WJEJ-FM (former WWMD) came on the air in 1946, the AM's station was simulacasted on it until it got it's own format. Even then, old WWMD would broadcast n-sync with WJEJ for 1 hour in the morning, and on Sunday evenings. It broadcasts on 1,000 watts all the time. Good daytime signal all over central Maryland and Pennsylvania, but at night it's signal is confined to Washington County.1240 WIOV EPHRATA PA sports news/talk - ESPN
"ESPN Radio 1240" Best heard in the north east parts of Harrisburg. Co-owned with country WIOV-FM.1250 WQXA YORK PA classic country
"Real Country 1250" Sports a classic country format. Some religious and bluegrass programming. In the 1950's AM 1250 was WNOW and pioneered top 40 radio in York under the Helm Coal Company. Later daytimer WNOW 1250 was picked up by William F. Rust Jr. whose chain eventually included Class 1-A clear WHAM in Rochester and stations in Allentown, Reading, Richmond, Norfolk and Albany NY. WNOW AM/FM (105.7) became a successful country simulcast in the late 1960's and early 1970's, with rather slick formatting and Top 40 execution, perhaps because of the extreme local success of WSBA's fast-paced format playing pop hits. Rust sold WNOW in the 1980's and it continued to be a reliable modern country station on AM, eventually gaining very limited nighttime power (33 watts). Now because country "Z-107" (FM 106.7) transmits from Elizabethtown, in far western Lancaster County along a high ridge, it sends a very strong signal across the river to York County ... bad news for AM WNOW. The AM station experimented with a mix of country and light AC, then returned to country, but success was limited. Simulcasting of rock sister WQXA-FM eventually returned, but this time as WQXA-AM. 1250 drifted into formats such as mainstream oldies with a mix of live and automated programming, older oldies from the 1950's and early 60's, nostalgia/easy listening and locally-produced country oldies over several years and at least three owners, always being transferred in combo with 105.7. Some of these were live, some were satellite, some were automated. All were legally called WQXA. Eventually, the last owner was itself purchased by Citadel, which had also picked up the station that ended the country reign of the live, local WNOW: Z-107. Runs 1,000 watt days, 33 watt nights. Owned by Citadel along with WQXA-FM, WRKZ, WHYL-FM, and WHYL.1270 WLBR LEBANON PA news/talk
Calls stand for LeBanon Radio. A full service radio station for the Lebanon Valley. Runs 5,000 watts days/1,000 watts nights. Owned by local Lebanon Broadcasting. Co-owned with WQIC.1280 WHVR HANOVER PA classic country/news/sports
Late 2000 went from light adult contemporary music to classic country. Has sports programming overnight. Carries Orioles baseball and CNN news. 5 Kw days with 500 watt nights. Owned by Hanover Broadcasting, along with sister station WYCR.1310 WGSA EPHRATA PA static
Here's a silent station that had a story. WGSA was a daytimer with 5,000 watts of directional power coming on the air in 1955. It has a great signal all over central Pennsylvania. It was owned by local Graden Spot Media who also owned WIOV-FM. WIOV-FM was country formatted, WGSA has an easy listening blend. Later WGSA had a nostalgia format and was sold to Brill Media, but due to FCC rules about owning too many stations Brill spun WGSA to someone else. Brill still held the note and the person didn't have to make payments for a year. WGSA went to a CHR format. This was a very bad more considering it was the 1980's and most pop music stations were on FM. That lasted a year and then the person left. Brill took it over again as a simulcast of their other AM in Reading. Then the station got another blow, the transmitter was hit by lightning. Then the third and final blow came when the owner was killed in a motorcyle accident. The transmitter was never replaced, and the license expired and was deleted, never to be seen again. The 3 towers were eventually cut down and the area is now a field. The studio is still there as WIOV-FM (still country) and now for WIOV-AM (an all sports station north). Quite a story.1320 WGET GETTYSBURG PA adult contemporary/news/sports
"Radio's Home Team" A full service format for Adams and York Counties. News and Music throughout the day balanced with "Sporting News Radio" at night and weekends. Relays WGAL-TV news weekday evenings. Has CNN news on hour and lots of local newscasts. Carries Phillies baseball, Redskins football, Penn State sports, high school sports, and some NASCAR. Runs 1,000 watts days and 500 watts nights. Sister station to country WGTY. Both owned by the Gettysburg Times.1350 WOYK YORK PA sports news/talk - ESPN & hot talk
"ESPN 1350" ESPN sports radio. They have Mike and Mike in the morning, and Don and Mike out of DC in the afternoons, which they often see fit to interrupt at inopportune moments for local high-school sports. Was classic country before the current format. Came on the air in 1932 and for 10 years was Yorks only radio station as WORK. Back in the 1950s, 1350 was NBC affiliated with an adult music format. After that the WZIX calls were used in the 70's and 80's as a top 40 station. Became sports talk in 1999. Runs 5,000 watts during the day and 1,000 watts at night. Owned by WOYK, Inc.1380 WHGT WAYNESBORO PA hot adult contemporary/classic rock
"Star 92.1" 1,000 watt daytimer simulcasts classic rock WSRT 92.1. 1380 was the original country WAYZ back in the day but later just simulcast 101.5 WAYZ-FM until mid 2000 when WAYZ-FM moved up to 104.7. Callsign changed from WAYZ to WHGT around the mid 90's for a format change that never happened. Owned by VerStandig. VerStandig uses 1380 to get classic rocker "Star 92.1" into areas where 92.1 signal doesn't make it, like Maryland.1390 WLAN LANCASTER PA sports news/talk - FOX
"The Ticket" Mimicks the sports talk of WTKT-AM 1460 out of Harrisburg. Carry's "Fox Sports Radio" network, with Mark Patrick mornings, Tony Bruno late mornings, Jim Rome afternoons, Kiley and Booms afternoon drive, and Jed Donohue with regional sports talk. Carries Penn State and Ravens football along with selected high school sports. Up until August of 2002 WLAN was "Music of Your Life" nostalgia. Came on the air in 1946. Runs 5,000 watt days with 1,000 watt nights. Broadcasting in AM Stereo. Owned by Clear Channel along with sister station contemporary WLAN-FM.1400 WTCY HARRISBURG PA urban adult contemporary
"The Touch" Carries Tom Joyner in the morning. Also has latin, R&B, and jazz programming. Was top 40 then country in the early 70's as 14'FEC. Went to "Disco 14" in the late 70's. In most of the 80's was "Fire 14" with a hot hits format. Went religious in the late 80's as WHBG. That fell, so ole' 1400 simulcasted contemporary WNNK-FM until 1993, when WTCY debuted with urban AC as "The Touch." Owned by Cumulus along with WNNK, WTPA, and WWKL.1410 WHAG HAGERSTOWN MD nostalgia - MOYL
"Music Of Your Life" This was Hagerstown NewsTalk outlet for over 20+ years with Rush Limbaugh, Paul Harvey, Dr. Joy Browne, Dr. Dean Edell, and the likes. That ended May 2003 when standards came along. WHAG's sports coverage includes the Hagerstown Suns and Baltimore Ravens. Came on the air in 1962. It was sold along with sister station rocker WQCM to Dame Broadcasting by their former owners Gemini Broadcasting late in the 90's. Has a 2 tower directional antenna system to protect WINC-AM at AM1400 in Winchester, Virginia. Runs 1,000 watts during the day and only 99 watts at night. Heard through-out central Maryland and south-central Pennsylvania during the day, pretty much restrained to the city of Hagerstown at night.1440 WTHM RED LION PA religious talk
"Christian Talk Radio" Use to be WGCB-AM (ala WGCB-TV 49 and former WGCB-FM 96.1). Runs 1,000 watts day/56 watts night. Located south-east of York. Best heard south of Harrisburg. Owned by Pioneer Broadcasting Coorporation along with oldies WSOX.1460 WTKT HARRISBURG PA sports news/talk - FOX
"The Ticket" In early 2001 went from oldies as a simulcast of WWKL-FM 99.3 to sports talk. Was WCMB through the 80's and again in 1993 - 1998 as "Hot Talk AM 1460" Dropped talk in 1998 to simulcast WWKL "kool 99.3". 5 Kw signal blankets the Harrisburg area. Owned by Clear Channel along with WHP, WRVV, WRBT, and WHKF.1480 WEEO SHIPPENSBURG PA alternative rock
Currently simulacasting the rock formated "Revolution 103.7" This came after the station was "ESPN Sports Radio 1480" for a year. Before sports 1480 had a satellite oldies format. AM-1480 only runs 460 watts daytime/8 watts nights into a base loaded antenna giving the station very minimal coverage. Best heard far north of Hagerstown and far west of Harrisburg. Co-owned locally with WEEO-FM by Cary Simpson. 1480 did have the WSHP calls. The WEEO calls use to located at AM 1130 and was very successfull top 40 station throughout the seventies.1490 WARK HAGERSTOWN MD hot talk/sports/oldies
"Hot Talk, Great Oldies" When not simulcasting it's sister FM'er(Oldies 106.9), WARK has a hot talk format with the likes of Imus in the Morning, G. Gordon Liddy, and the hilarious Don & Mike duo. Station also carries the Orioles and Redskins. Broadcasts on 1,000 watts non-directional all the time. It's coverage area is specifically Washington County. Came on the air in 1947. WARK in the early 80's spent time as adult rock 15ARK before it's current hot talk/oldies format. Owned by Manning Broadcasting.1490 WLPA LANCASTER PA sports news/talk - SRN & news
"Sporting News Radio" 600 watts station carries the Phillies. Relays WGAL-TV at news times and Bloomberg Business Radio in the morning. Originally came on the air in 1922 as WGAL. Before sports talk in 1995 the station relayed CNN headline news. Owned by Hall Communications with WROZ and WHBO.1510 WWSM ANNVILLE-CLEONA PA classic country
"1510 Your Country Friend" Has a "real" country format mixing classic country with today's country. Station also has bluegrass, polka, gospel, and a outdoors talk show. Owned locally by Patrick Garrett(who also owns a Ampitheater and does a radio show) and the studio's are located in Mr. Garrett's Sheepskin Coat Shop and Mobile Gas station. Can't get much more local than that! Serves the Lebanon valley in all or parts of 9 counties with 5,000 watts daytime. Best heard east of Harrisburg.1530 WVFC MCCONNELLSBURG PA static?
This was a 1,000 watt simulcast of modern rocker WEEO-FM 103.7 "The Revolution". But the station appears to have went silent in September of 1996. It was reported in mid-2001 that WVFC was applying to move to a Philadelphia suburb and move to AM 1180. Does anyone have a clue what this station is doing today?1580 WVZN COLUMBIA PA spanish religious
This was "Vision 1580" that was a music, interview, and talk station for the sight-impaired population of the area. That was the case until spanish religious programming took over after being sold to a local spanish religious operator late 2001. 5,000 watt daytime with 5 watts at night. Located roughly between York and Lancaster. This was news/talk WNZT up until 1997, and was the very first stations to carry Rush Limbaugh to the central Pennsyvania area, being his 6th affiliate, way before WSBA and WHP-AM picked him up! Studios in Lancaster.1590 WCBG CHAMBERSBURG PA news/talk
News and talk during the week with Dr. Laura, Tony Kornheiser, and the likes with CNN news on the hour, . Relays "CNN Headline News" and MRN "NASCAR Racing" weekends. Runs 5,000 watts during the day and 1,000 watts at nights using a 5 tower directional signal. For a brief period in mid-2000 WCBG was simulcast on 101.5 WWMD during the country to pop cross over(see above). Owned by VerStandig along with WAYZ, WWMD, WHGT, and WSRT.1600 WPDC ELIZABETHTOWN PA sports news/talk - ESPN
"ESPN 1600." After two years of Spanish broadcasts under the Radio Omega flag, 1600 has recently returned to airing ESPN Radio programming also heard on co-owned WOYK (1350 York). In its Spanish days, WPDC had a unique blend of Latin pop, Salsa, Merengue, and some English contemporary music. The station also hosts some community based talk programs. Radio Omega started as a Part 15 unlicensed local station on AM 1610 in Lebanon. Under Part 15 rules Radio Omega on 1610 had a max power of 1/10 of a watt!! Even with the move the station is still carried into the heart of Lebanon on low power 1610. WPDC's 500-watt non-directional day signal reaches Dauphin, York, Lancaster, and Lebanon counties. WPDC is owned by JVJ Communications.