WABQ
Encyclopedia
WABQ — branded Talk 1460 — is a commercial progressive talk
radio station licensed to Painesville, Ohio
. Part of the Cleveland radio market, WABQ primarily serves the eastern half of Cuyahoga County, and the bulk of Lake County
, as the reach of the station's transmitter is relatively limited.
In 1959, WPVL, Inc. built new state-of-the-art (for the time) studios in a new building at 713 Forbes Street which later was rechristened One Radio Place. The station is still located at this address. Carl R. Lee also was involved in the ownership and building of another AM daytime station, WDLR
in Delaware, Ohio
.
It became WQLS on January 15, 1984 and WBKC on March 3, 1986. The call sign WBKC was previously licensed to Chardon, Ohio
at 1560 kHz, and acquired WQLS in order to provide 24/7 service. Prior to being WBKC, 1560 had a short life as WGLD in the early 1960s. The 1560 frequency later became WATJ
, and fell silent in 2004.
WBKC later had an adult contemporary format until 2001, when it became a simulcast
of classical station WCLV
104.9 FM in Cleveland. WBKC's simulcast was meant to help overcome some of WCLV's signal problems in the eastern portion of the Cleveland radio market, after that station's move to a weaker signal licensed to Lorain
, west of Cleveland. WBKC was the Lake County affiliate for the Cleveland Indians
, Cleveland Browns
and Ohio State Buckeyes
.
The station would be sold to Dale Edwards, owner and operator of WABQ in Cleveland, in 2004. With the sale, Edwards operated WBKC under the "Radio Advantage One, LLC" banner, but maintained the simulcast of WCLV programming. In October 2006, Edwards sold off WABQ's 1540 kHz facility over to Good Karma Broadcasting
for their purposes of launching a sports talk station, WWGK. In response, WBKC dropped the WCLV simulcast, and switched over to the gospel format that was previously on 1540. The station would also drop coverage of all Cleveland sports teams, choosing to focus all of its schedule (save mornings) on gospel music and religious programs aimed at the East side of Cleveland (where the bulk of the city's African-American population resides).
WBKC swapped call signs with WABQ on October 24, 2006, and the WBKC call letters were then retired on November 7, as AM 1540 took on WWGK as their new calls (reflecting the new ownership).
On July 26, 2011, both Cleveland Scene
Magazine and Ohio Media Watch reported that WABQ would flip to a progressive talk format on August 1, 2011. The change came about due to a lease management agreement with veteran radio station executive Gary Richards, who had previously run Columbus
station WVKO
AM 1580 as a progressive talk outlet.
The actual flip occurred on August 4, thereby ending a nearly five year run for AM 1460 with the gospel format.
The rest of the broadcast schedule features syndicated liberal hosts including Stephanie Miller
, Ed Schultz
, Thom Hartmann
, and Bill Press
(all from Dial Global
), Leslie Marshall
(Talk USA Radio), and self syndicated Mike Malloy
.
WABQ is also the Cleveland affiliate for CNN Radio and Marketwatch.com (both distributed by Westwood One
), as well as ONN Radio.
Talk 1460 also broadcasts high school football during the season, featuring primarily teams from Cleveland's east side, as well as Lake County. Station GM Gary Richards and Mitchell Paliobagis are the announcing team.
On November 10, 2011, WABQ began an online stream of the station's programming.
Progressive talk radio
Progressive talk radio is a talk radio format devoted to expressing liberal or progressive viewpoints of issues, as opposed to conservative talk radio...
radio station licensed to Painesville, Ohio
Painesville, Ohio
As of the 2010 Census, there were 19,563 people. As of the census of 2000, there were 17,503 people, 6,525 households, and 4,032 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,928.6 people per square mile . There were 6,933 housing units at an average density of 1,160.0 per square mile...
. Part of the Cleveland radio market, WABQ primarily serves the eastern half of Cuyahoga County, and the bulk of Lake County
Lake County, Ohio
Lake County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of 2010, the population was 230,041. The county seat is Painesville, and the county name comes from its location on the southern shore of Lake Erie....
, as the reach of the station's transmitter is relatively limited.
History
The station went on the air April 25, 1956 as a daytime only station under the call sign WPVL (Where People Value Listening). WPVL, Inc. was the original owner under President/General Manager & Chief Engineer, Carl R. Lee. The station was originally located on S. Park Place in downtown Painesville, just a few steps to the NE from Carlisle-Allen Department store and the Parmly Hotel to the NW. The original staff featured Sales Manager Don Atkin, Program Director and on-air talent, Jim Stephenson, Promotion Manager and on-air talent, Dick Gascoigne, News Director, James Ahlstron, and Bill Starkey, Sports Director.In 1959, WPVL, Inc. built new state-of-the-art (for the time) studios in a new building at 713 Forbes Street which later was rechristened One Radio Place. The station is still located at this address. Carl R. Lee also was involved in the ownership and building of another AM daytime station, WDLR
WDLR
WDLR can refer to:* WDLR, an AM radio station located in Delaware, Ohio, United States* War Department Light Railways...
in Delaware, Ohio
Delaware, Ohio
The City of Delaware is a city in and the county seat of Delaware County in the United States state of Ohio. Delaware was founded in 1808 and was incorporated in 1816. It is located near the center of Ohio, is about north of Columbus, and is part of the Columbus, Ohio Metropolitan Area...
.
It became WQLS on January 15, 1984 and WBKC on March 3, 1986. The call sign WBKC was previously licensed to Chardon, Ohio
Chardon, Ohio
Chardon is a city in Geauga County, Ohio, United States. The population was 5,148 at the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Geauga County.-History:Chardon is named after Peter Chardon Brooks, who donated land to build the historic Chardon Square....
at 1560 kHz, and acquired WQLS in order to provide 24/7 service. Prior to being WBKC, 1560 had a short life as WGLD in the early 1960s. The 1560 frequency later became WATJ
WATJ
WATJ was an AM radio station licensed to Chardon, Ohio and serving the Cleveland, Ohio radio market. Its transmitters are located off Claridon/Aquilla Road. The station operated on 1560 kHz during daytime hours only, but is currently silent...
, and fell silent in 2004.
WBKC later had an adult contemporary format until 2001, when it became a simulcast
Simulcast
Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
of classical station WCLV
WCLV
WCLV — branded WCLV 104.9 — is the classical radio station licensed to Lorain, Ohio serving Greater Cleveland and western parts of surrounding Northeast Ohio; WCLV is one of the few remaining classical music stations in the United States....
104.9 FM in Cleveland. WBKC's simulcast was meant to help overcome some of WCLV's signal problems in the eastern portion of the Cleveland radio market, after that station's move to a weaker signal licensed to Lorain
Lorain, Ohio
Lorain is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in northeastern Ohio on Lake Erie, at the mouth of the Black River, about 30 miles west of Cleveland....
, west of Cleveland. WBKC was the Lake County affiliate for the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
, Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
.
The station would be sold to Dale Edwards, owner and operator of WABQ in Cleveland, in 2004. With the sale, Edwards operated WBKC under the "Radio Advantage One, LLC" banner, but maintained the simulcast of WCLV programming. In October 2006, Edwards sold off WABQ's 1540 kHz facility over to Good Karma Broadcasting
Good Karma Broadcasting
Good Karma Broadcasting LLC is a broadcasting company in the United States. Good Karma operates eleven radio stations in the states of Wisconsin, Ohio, and Florida...
for their purposes of launching a sports talk station, WWGK. In response, WBKC dropped the WCLV simulcast, and switched over to the gospel format that was previously on 1540. The station would also drop coverage of all Cleveland sports teams, choosing to focus all of its schedule (save mornings) on gospel music and religious programs aimed at the East side of Cleveland (where the bulk of the city's African-American population resides).
WBKC swapped call signs with WABQ on October 24, 2006, and the WBKC call letters were then retired on November 7, as AM 1540 took on WWGK as their new calls (reflecting the new ownership).
On July 26, 2011, both Cleveland Scene
Cleveland Scene
The Cleveland Scene is an alternative weekly newspaper based in Cleveland, Ohio. The newspaper includes highlights of Cleveland-area arts, music, dining, and films, as well as classified advertising...
Magazine and Ohio Media Watch reported that WABQ would flip to a progressive talk format on August 1, 2011. The change came about due to a lease management agreement with veteran radio station executive Gary Richards, who had previously run Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
station WVKO
WVKO (AM)
WVKO is an American AM radio station licensed to broadcast in Columbus, Ohio.WVKO changed from a progressive talk format to Catholic radio programming, provided by Columbus-based St. Gabriel Radio....
AM 1580 as a progressive talk outlet.
The actual flip occurred on August 4, thereby ending a nearly five year run for AM 1460 with the gospel format.
Programming
As part of the new progressive talk format, WABQ still features their long-running weekday morning news block from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m., now known as The East Side Morning Drive hosted by Joe Cleveland with newsman Gary Webster.The rest of the broadcast schedule features syndicated liberal hosts including Stephanie Miller
Stephanie Miller
Stephanie Catherine Miller is an American comedienne and host of The Stephanie Miller Show, a progressive talk radio program produced in Los Angeles and syndicated nationally by Dial Global. Talkers magazine ranked her as the 24th most important radio talk show host in America for 2010.-Early...
, Ed Schultz
Ed Schultz
Edward Andrew "Ed" Schultz Is an American television and radio host and a liberal political commentator . He is the host of The Ed Show, a daily news talk program on MSNBC, and The Ed Schultz Show, a talk radio show, nationally syndicated by Dial Global, promising "straight talk."-Early...
, Thom Hartmann
Thom Hartmann
Thom Hartmann is an American radio host, author, former psychotherapist and entrepreneur, and progressive political commentator. His nationally-syndicated radio show, The Thom Hartmann Program, airs in the United States and has 2.75 million listeners a week...
, and Bill Press
Bill Press
William "Bill" Press is a US talk radio host, political commentator and author.-Career:Press has a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from Niagara University and Bachelor of Sacred Theology from the University of Fribourg. He started his broadcasting career in Los Angeles for TV stations KABC-TV and...
(all from Dial Global
Dial Global
Dial Global is a radio syndication company. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Triton Media Group and is a sister company to Townsquare Media, both of which are owned by Oaktree Capital Management....
), Leslie Marshall
Leslie Marshall
Leslie Marshall has been a liberal radio talk host since 1988 and a commentator on national television since 2001. Leslie became the youngest person ever to be nationally syndicated on radio when she replaced Tom Snyder on the ABC Satellite Radio Network in 1992...
(Talk USA Radio), and self syndicated Mike Malloy
Mike Malloy
Michael Dennis Malloy is an American radio broadcaster from Atlanta, Georgia. Previously his show has been carried by WSB Atlanta, WLS Chicago, the I.E. America Radio Network, the Air America Radio network, Nova M Radio and the On Second Thought network. He is now self-syndicated...
.
WABQ is also the Cleveland affiliate for CNN Radio and Marketwatch.com (both distributed by Westwood One
Westwood One
Westwood One was an American radio network and was based in New York City. At one time, it was managed by CBS Radio, the radio arm of CBS Corporation, and Viacom and was later purchased by the private equity firm The Gores Group...
), as well as ONN Radio.
Talk 1460 also broadcasts high school football during the season, featuring primarily teams from Cleveland's east side, as well as Lake County. Station GM Gary Richards and Mitchell Paliobagis are the announcing team.
On November 10, 2011, WABQ began an online stream of the station's programming.