WBZU
Encyclopedia
WBZU is a News
/Talk
AM broadcasting
radio station
licensed to the city of Scranton, Pennsylvania
. The station currently relays the programming of WILK
and the "WILK
News Radio" network. WBZU is currently owned by Entercom Communications. The radio station's call signs were changed by Entercom in 2005 from its long time original call signs of WGBI which the station held since its sign on date of 1925.
). The two stations which were time sharing a single frequency, moved to 880 kHz in 1931, and then again to 910 kHz by 1941 (the later move, forced by a nationwide frequency reassignment which took place in 1941). WGBI remained at 910 kHz when WQAN moved on to its own broadcast tower and new frequency of 630 kHz in 1948. This meant that WGBI had full time use of the 910 kHz frequency where it remains to this day. WGBI was a CBS Radio
network affiliated station by the 1940s.
The Megargee family's company, Scranton Broadcasters, spawned an FM station (now WGGY
) and northeast Pennsylvania's second television station (now WYOU
). The Megargees would hold on to the radio stations well into the 1990s. By the turn of the century, WGBI had been sold to Entercom and become a repeater of WILK, existing mainly to improve its signal in Scranton. While WILK easily covers most of Scranton, the northern portion of the city only gets a grade B signal.
Ironically, WBZU in 2007 recently moved its transmitter to the tower location atop the Times Building at 149 Penn Avenue in downtown Scranton
currently being used by WEJL's transmitter. The full time switch over to the new transmitter facility and tower location happened on August 2, 2007. This tower sharing arrangement repeats an arrangement the stations shared over 60 years ago in their early history. The efficiency of the new transmitter tower location also caused WBZU to slightly reduce its power to keep within Federal Communication Commission rules on signal strength and coverage.
News Radio
News Radio can refer to:* NewsRadio, the NBC sitcom which aired from 1995–1999.* News radio, the all-news or news/talk radio format....
/Talk
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
AM broadcasting
AM broadcasting
AM broadcasting is the process of radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation. AM was the first method of impressing sound on a radio signal and is still widely used today. Commercial and public AM broadcasting is carried out in the medium wave band world wide, and on long wave and short wave...
radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
licensed to the city of Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
. The station currently relays the programming of WILK
WILK-FM
WILK-FM is a radio station licensed to Avoca, Pennsylvania operating at a frequency of 103.1 MHz serving the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton radio market. The station serves as the premiere station in the regionally simulcast WILK News Radio Network, a network of four radio stations owned by...
and the "WILK
WILK-FM
WILK-FM is a radio station licensed to Avoca, Pennsylvania operating at a frequency of 103.1 MHz serving the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton radio market. The station serves as the premiere station in the regionally simulcast WILK News Radio Network, a network of four radio stations owned by...
News Radio" network. WBZU is currently owned by Entercom Communications. The radio station's call signs were changed by Entercom in 2005 from its long time original call signs of WGBI which the station held since its sign on date of 1925.
History
WGBI originally signed on the frequency of 1250 kHz in 1925, owned by Edward Megargee. In 1927, the station moved to 1300 kHz which it time shared with Scranton's other radio station, WQAN (now WEJLWEJL
WEJL is a radio station broadcasting in Scranton, Pennsylvania on the AM dial at 630 kHz. Its programming is simulcast on WBAX in Wilkes-Barre, at 1240 kHz and WQFM in Forest City at 100.1 MHz. The two stations, known on-air as ESPN Radio 630-1240, broadcast sports talk programming from...
). The two stations which were time sharing a single frequency, moved to 880 kHz in 1931, and then again to 910 kHz by 1941 (the later move, forced by a nationwide frequency reassignment which took place in 1941). WGBI remained at 910 kHz when WQAN moved on to its own broadcast tower and new frequency of 630 kHz in 1948. This meant that WGBI had full time use of the 910 kHz frequency where it remains to this day. WGBI was a CBS Radio
CBS Radio
CBS Radio, Inc., formerly known as Infinity Broadcasting Corporation, is one of the largest owners and operators of radio stations in the United States, third behind main rival Clear Channel Communications and Cumulus Media. CBS Radio owns around 130 radio stations across the country...
network affiliated station by the 1940s.
The Megargee family's company, Scranton Broadcasters, spawned an FM station (now WGGY
WGGY
WGGY 101.3 FM, also known as Froggy 101, is a country music radio station that broadcasts out of Scranton, Pennsylvania, its city of license...
) and northeast Pennsylvania's second television station (now WYOU
WYOU
WYOU is the CBS-affiliated television station for Northeastern Pennsylvania that is licensed to Scranton. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 13 from a transmitter at the Penobscot Knob tower farm near Mountain Top...
). The Megargees would hold on to the radio stations well into the 1990s. By the turn of the century, WGBI had been sold to Entercom and become a repeater of WILK, existing mainly to improve its signal in Scranton. While WILK easily covers most of Scranton, the northern portion of the city only gets a grade B signal.
Ironically, WBZU in 2007 recently moved its transmitter to the tower location atop the Times Building at 149 Penn Avenue in downtown Scranton
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
currently being used by WEJL's transmitter. The full time switch over to the new transmitter facility and tower location happened on August 2, 2007. This tower sharing arrangement repeats an arrangement the stations shared over 60 years ago in their early history. The efficiency of the new transmitter tower location also caused WBZU to slightly reduce its power to keep within Federal Communication Commission rules on signal strength and coverage.