WAMO-FM
Encyclopedia
WAOB-FM, formerly WAMO-FM, is a radio station serving the Pittsburgh area
. It is currently owned by St. Joseph Missions, a Catholic-based organization based in Pittsburgh. WAOB-FM is licensed to Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania
, broadcasts at 106.7 MHz. Its transmitter is located in Wexford, Pennsylvania
.
When WAOB was WAMO-FM, Its previous owners was Sheridan Broadcasting Corporation, who had owned the station from 1973 to 2009. During its tenure under Sheridan, WAMO's format was Mainstream Urban
up until September 8, 2009, when it signed off for the last time. The station began to relaunch as a non-commercial outlet in February 2010.
. It also had various formats during its early years as well, which also included AOR, Disco
, and Rhythmic Contemporary Hits. However, they had better success with its Urban Contemporary
direction. In 1974, WAMO-FM and WAMO began separate programming. WAMO aired gospel
programming aired on Monday through Friday, and on weekends its simulcasted WAMO-FM. WAMO-FM was formatted as an Urban contemporary station with gospel programming on Sunday.
In 1996, that all changed when Sheridan swapped signals with WXDX-FM
and moved to the 106.7 frequency. It also simulcasted its format with WSSZ to cover the eastern part of the metro. In 1998, the 106.7 frequency was assigned WXDX, which is now assigned to 105.9. In 2004, WAMO was listenable again throughout the area thanks in part to a transmitter move, while WSSZ shifted to Urban Adult Contemporary
and became WJJJ-FM, "Majic 107.1". Also in 2004, the station changed its longtime on-air brand from "106 Jamz, WAMO" to "106.7 WAMO, Pittsburgh's #1 for Hip Hop and R&B".
On May 15, 2009, Sheridan announced that it has sold WAMO, WAMO-FM and WPGR-AM to St. Joseph Missions for 8.9 Million dollars. The deal has been approved by the FCC, and the stations will all flip to a religious format by February 2010. All 35 employees were let go after the sale closed, leaving Pittsburgh without an Urban formatted outlet. In addition, the call letters were changed to WAOB upon the transfer of ownership.
The news of this sale has attracted a lot of attention, especially involving the sale of the station and the reaction from listeners, who will be left with no options in the market. However, due to the high ratings WAMO-FM had with its urban format, it was assumed another station in Pittsburgh will switch to Urban to take advantage of the newly available audience. Some had hoped that WOGI
would've picked up the Urban format because its signal (98.3) was ripe for targeting WAMO's audience, but instead Keymarket sold the station to Educational Media Foundation
, who replaced WOGI's Country format with its K-Love
Christian contemporary brand.
At 6:07PM EST on Tuesday, September 8, 2009, WAMO-FM discontinued broadcasting. Its last song was Boyz II Men
's It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday
, and then silence. Since then, other outlets began adding some form of Urban or R&B programming into the mix, as AC outlet WLTJ
launched a nighttime Adult R&B program called "Q after Dark" aimed at a 25-54 audience in the same month. In addition, the hiphop & R&B playlist was largely increased on Clear Channel's
WKST-FM
(96.1 Kiss FM), a top 40 station that had been moving towards a rhythmic top 40 direction, but with Mainstream top 40 rival WBZW (B94) switching to Sports Talk, this once again leaves Pittsburgh without any fulltime R&B/Hip-Hop or Urban outlet as WKST has toned down the Rhythmic content.
This would be followed in October 2009 by Eddie Edwards, the one-time owner of then independent television outlet WPTT
, announcing that he was in the process of acquiring AM outlet WPYT
, a station with good daytime coverage but not so good coverage at night. Edwards hoped that he could fill the Urban void with this new outlet (in actuality the format would've be Urban Talk, targeting 25-54 African-Americans in the Pittsburgh metro), which pending FCC approval, would've started in February 2010. However on November 3, 2009 it was announced that those plans have fallen through after his son, Eddie Edwards Jr., confirmed that the senior Edwards withdrew the application due to health problems and was hospitalized under a doctor's care.
The station returned to the air on February 15, 2010 with a live broadcast of a Catholic Mass. After its conclusion, the station announced that WAOB will begin regular programming on March 19, with only Mass broadcasts being carried in the interim.
) and translator 100.1 FM W261AX. It is licensed to Wilkinsburg and the website is www.wamo100.com
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
. It is currently owned by St. Joseph Missions, a Catholic-based organization based in Pittsburgh. WAOB-FM is licensed to Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania
Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania
Beaver Falls is a city in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 8,987 at the 2010 census. It is located 31 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, and on the Beaver River, six miles from its confluence with the Ohio River...
, broadcasts at 106.7 MHz. Its transmitter is located in Wexford, Pennsylvania
Wexford, Pennsylvania
Wexford is an unincorporated community in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The area known as Wexford is split among multiple municipalities, including Franklin Park, McCandless, Pine Township, and Marshall Township...
.
When WAOB was WAMO-FM, Its previous owners was Sheridan Broadcasting Corporation, who had owned the station from 1973 to 2009. During its tenure under Sheridan, WAMO's format was Mainstream Urban
Mainstream Urban
Mainstream Urban is a term used to describe a radio format similar to an Urban Contemporary format. The format differentiates itself due to two factors: playlist composition and target demographic...
up until September 8, 2009, when it signed off for the last time. The station began to relaunch as a non-commercial outlet in February 2010.
History
WAOB's history began as WAMO-FM, which signed on in 1960 at 105.9 and had the most powerful signal coverage in western PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. It also had various formats during its early years as well, which also included AOR, Disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
, and Rhythmic Contemporary Hits. However, they had better success with its Urban Contemporary
Urban contemporary
Urban contemporary is a music radio format. The term was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s. Urban contemporary radio stations feature a playlist made up entirely of hip hop/rap, contemporary R&B, pop, electronica such as dubstep and drum and bass and Caribbean music...
direction. In 1974, WAMO-FM and WAMO began separate programming. WAMO aired gospel
Urban contemporary gospel
Traditional black gospel is music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music...
programming aired on Monday through Friday, and on weekends its simulcasted WAMO-FM. WAMO-FM was formatted as an Urban contemporary station with gospel programming on Sunday.
In 1996, that all changed when Sheridan swapped signals with WXDX-FM
WXDX-FM
WXDX-FM — branded 105.9 The X — is a modern rock radio station based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Owned by Clear Channel Communications, the station broadcasts at 105.9 MHz with an effective radiated power of 15.5 kw.-History:...
and moved to the 106.7 frequency. It also simulcasted its format with WSSZ to cover the eastern part of the metro. In 1998, the 106.7 frequency was assigned WXDX, which is now assigned to 105.9. In 2004, WAMO was listenable again throughout the area thanks in part to a transmitter move, while WSSZ shifted to Urban Adult Contemporary
Urban Adult Contemporary
Urban adult contemporary is the name for a format of radio music, similar to an urban contemporary format. Radio stations using this format usually would not have rap music on their playlists. The format was designed by Barry Mayo when he, Lee S. Simonson and Bill Pearson organized Broadcast...
and became WJJJ-FM, "Majic 107.1". Also in 2004, the station changed its longtime on-air brand from "106 Jamz, WAMO" to "106.7 WAMO, Pittsburgh's #1 for Hip Hop and R&B".
The news of this sale has attracted a lot of attention, especially involving the sale of the station and the reaction from listeners, who will be left with no options in the market. However, due to the high ratings WAMO-FM had with its urban format, it was assumed another station in Pittsburgh will switch to Urban to take advantage of the newly available audience. Some had hoped that WOGI
WOGI
WPKV, is an American radio station, serving the Pittsburgh area. The station, which is owned by Keymarket, operates at 98.3 MHz with an ERP 3.5 kW and is licensed to Duquesne, Pennsylvania...
would've picked up the Urban format because its signal (98.3) was ripe for targeting WAMO's audience, but instead Keymarket sold the station to Educational Media Foundation
Educational Media Foundation
Educational Media Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that operates the K-LOVE and Air 1 radio networks. EMF is based in Rocklin, California....
, who replaced WOGI's Country format with its K-Love
K-LOVE
K-LOVE is a Contemporary Christian music radio programming service in the United States operated by the Educational Media Foundation. As of January 2011, K-LOVE's programming is carried on over 440 FM stations and translators in 45 states. K-LOVE claims an audience of 250,000 people each week via...
Christian contemporary brand.
At 6:07PM EST on Tuesday, September 8, 2009, WAMO-FM discontinued broadcasting. Its last song was Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men is an American R&B vocal group best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are the most successful R&B group of all time, having sold more than albums worldwide. In the 1990s, Boyz II Men found fame on Motown Records as a quartet, but original member Michael McCary...
's It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday
It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday
"It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" is an R&B song written by Motown husband-and-wife songwriting team Freddie Perren and Christine Yarian for the 1975 film Cooley High. In the film, the song is performed by Motown artist G.C. Cameron, whose rendition peaked at number 38 on the Billboard R&B...
, and then silence. Since then, other outlets began adding some form of Urban or R&B programming into the mix, as AC outlet WLTJ
WLTJ
WLTJ , is an Hot Adult Contemporary music format radio station based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The station, which is owned by Steel City Media, broadcasts with an ERP of 43 kW. Its transmitter is located in Pittsburgh.- History :...
launched a nighttime Adult R&B program called "Q after Dark" aimed at a 25-54 audience in the same month. In addition, the hiphop & R&B playlist was largely increased on Clear Channel's
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
WKST-FM
WKST-FM
WKST-FM is a Rhythmic Contemporary outlet based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Owned by Clear Channel Communications, the station broadcasts at 96.1 MHz, with an ERP of 44 kW...
(96.1 Kiss FM), a top 40 station that had been moving towards a rhythmic top 40 direction, but with Mainstream top 40 rival WBZW (B94) switching to Sports Talk, this once again leaves Pittsburgh without any fulltime R&B/Hip-Hop or Urban outlet as WKST has toned down the Rhythmic content.
This would be followed in October 2009 by Eddie Edwards, the one-time owner of then independent television outlet WPTT
WPMY
WPMY is the MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station for Western Pennsylvania that is licensed to Pittsburgh. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 42 from a transmitter located in Monroeville, Pennsylvania. Owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, WPMY is the sister station of...
, announcing that he was in the process of acquiring AM outlet WPYT
WAMO (AM)
WAOB is a radio station that is currently silent pending a conversion to a Religious format to debut in February 2010. The city of license for the station is Millvale, Pennsylvania. It had specialized in programming to Pittsburgh's African-American community...
, a station with good daytime coverage but not so good coverage at night. Edwards hoped that he could fill the Urban void with this new outlet (in actuality the format would've be Urban Talk, targeting 25-54 African-Americans in the Pittsburgh metro), which pending FCC approval, would've started in February 2010. However on November 3, 2009 it was announced that those plans have fallen through after his son, Eddie Edwards Jr., confirmed that the senior Edwards withdrew the application due to health problems and was hospitalized under a doctor's care.
The station returned to the air on February 15, 2010 with a live broadcast of a Catholic Mass. After its conclusion, the station announced that WAOB will begin regular programming on March 19, with only Mass broadcasts being carried in the interim.
WAMO's Return
WAMO would be resurrected in May of 2011 on AM 660 (the former WPYTWPYT
WAMO is a radio station serving the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania market. The station, which is was purchased by Martz Communications Group from Langer Broadcasting in December 2010, broadcasts on 660 kHz on the AM dial with a power of 1,400 watts, daytime only ,...
) and translator 100.1 FM W261AX. It is licensed to Wilkinsburg and the website is www.wamo100.com