WORD-FM
Encyclopedia
WORD-FM is a Christian talk radio station
based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
. Owned by Salem Communications
, the station broadcasts on 101.5 MHz, with an ERP
of 48 kW. Its transmitter is located in Reserve Township, Pennsylvania
.
Still recognizing the profit potential for Christian-formatted radio in Pittsburgh despite a competitor, Salem entered into an agreement with Pittsburgh-based Gateway Broadcasting Enterprises, which owned WYDD-FM (now WPGB
) and WKPA-AM (now WGBN
), both operating out of New Kensington, a suburb of Pittsburgh. The deal was signed in 1987, but due to legal complexities between the two companies, it would not be until January 1990 that the deal between Salem and Gateway was consummated.
Salem still had yet to obtain the contracts for the ministries that would provide the programming for the station. By the time of their takeover, WYDD had become Top 40 rocker WNRJ, which stayed around for about a year. Upon Salem's acquisition, WNRJ's format was immediately changed to beautiful music
provided by Salt Lake City-based Bonneville Broadcasting and its airstaff laid off. The call letters were changed to WEZE-FM (the same calls as Salem's co-owned AM in Boston) and the station adopted the moniker "Easy 104.7".
WKPA, which operated independently of its FM sister since 1940, had its weekday programming substituted with a simulcast of WEZE-FM, but kept existing separate specialty programming on the weekends.
In August 1991, Salem announced that WEZE-FM would change to the heritage Christian-formatted radio formula that had become the staple of its other high-powered FM stations. Salem purchased the WORD call letters, which belonged to an AM station in Spartansburg, South Carolina, for $20,000. The format change took place in October, and 104.7 became WORD-FM.
WKPA was spun off to Pentecostal Temple Development Corporation in November 1992 as a gift. PTDC was the business arm of Pentecostal Temple Church of God, pastored by former WPXI-TV reporter Dr. D. Loran Mann. WORD-FM 104.7 was also sold off to Entercom, Inc., which operated country music competitor WDSY-FM, and had been looking for an FM station for a duopoly property.
partial simulcast of WPIT
. Some of WPIT-FM's existing programming elements were retained, but much of the programming mirrored WORD-FM's original format that began on 104.7.
104.7 then came under the control of Entercom in an LMA
(local marketing agreement) deal with Salem until it was purchased outright six months later. The new 104.7 was assigned the call letters WXRB and adopted the moniker "Rebel 104.7 Hit Country" after stunting for a brief period with a Classic Rock format and the name "U.S. 104.7".
WPIT
, which had been running all ministry-based conservative programming all day, then began to run Contemporary Christian music during the afternoon and evening hours to appease listeners who had grown accustomed to hearing CCM on WPIT-FM prior to the ownership change.
Unlike many other major market radio stations, WORD-FM has a stable, secure staff, some of whom have been with the station since its format switch from beautiful music to Christian Talk. General Manager Chuck Gratner (also known as West Coast DJ legend Chuck Roy in the 60's and 70's) has been the only manager of WORD-FM since its start-up. Kenny Woods, formerly mid-days at crosstown oldies WWSW, has been Program Director since 2001.
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...
based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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...
. Owned by Salem Communications
Salem Communications
Salem Communications is a U.S. radio broadcaster, Internet content provider, and magazine and book publisher specializing in evangelical Christian and conservative political talk radio. It owns 99 commercial radio stations, 65 of which are in the top 25 markets. Salem is the fifth largest U.S....
, the station broadcasts on 101.5 MHz, with an ERP
Effective radiated power
In radio telecommunications, effective radiated power or equivalent radiated power is a standardized theoretical measurement of radio frequency energy using the SI unit watts, and is determined by subtracting system losses and adding system gains...
of 48 kW. Its transmitter is located in Reserve Township, Pennsylvania
Reserve Township, Pennsylvania
Reserve Township is a township in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,333 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Reserve Township is located at ....
.
History
In Pittsburgh, WORD-FM was originally on the 104.7 frequency (now WPGB-FM). Salem Communications, which had formed in the early 1980s by Christian broadcasters Ed Atsinger and Stuart W. Epperson, had first made overtures to purchase WPIT AM/FM from Associated Communications back in the mid-80's, but the station had been sold to Boston-based Pyramid Broadcasting, which operated WPIT AM/FM under the name Kiss Limited Partnership, for a much higher price than what Salem was willing to pay.Still recognizing the profit potential for Christian-formatted radio in Pittsburgh despite a competitor, Salem entered into an agreement with Pittsburgh-based Gateway Broadcasting Enterprises, which owned WYDD-FM (now WPGB
WPGB
WPGB is a conservative talk radio station based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Owned by Clear Channel Communications, the station broadcasts at 104.7 MHz with an ERP of 13 kW...
) and WKPA-AM (now WGBN
WGBN
WGBN is a U.S. gospel music radio station serving the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania market. The station, which is owned by Pentecostal Temple Development Corporation, broadcasts at 1150 kHz with a power level of 1,000 watts daytime and 70 watts night, and using a two-tower directional antenna system. ...
), both operating out of New Kensington, a suburb of Pittsburgh. The deal was signed in 1987, but due to legal complexities between the two companies, it would not be until January 1990 that the deal between Salem and Gateway was consummated.
Salem still had yet to obtain the contracts for the ministries that would provide the programming for the station. By the time of their takeover, WYDD had become Top 40 rocker WNRJ, which stayed around for about a year. Upon Salem's acquisition, WNRJ's format was immediately changed to beautiful music
Beautiful music
Beautiful music is a mostly instrumental music format that was prominent in American radio from the 1960s through the 1980s...
provided by Salt Lake City-based Bonneville Broadcasting and its airstaff laid off. The call letters were changed to WEZE-FM (the same calls as Salem's co-owned AM in Boston) and the station adopted the moniker "Easy 104.7".
WKPA, which operated independently of its FM sister since 1940, had its weekday programming substituted with a simulcast of WEZE-FM, but kept existing separate specialty programming on the weekends.
In August 1991, Salem announced that WEZE-FM would change to the heritage Christian-formatted radio formula that had become the staple of its other high-powered FM stations. Salem purchased the WORD call letters, which belonged to an AM station in Spartansburg, South Carolina, for $20,000. The format change took place in October, and 104.7 became WORD-FM.
Salem acquires WPIT AM/FM
In 1992, after a lengthy series of negotiations, the opportunity presented itself again for Salem to acquire WPIT AM/FM. New FCC rules governing ownership allowed Salem to hold more than two licenses simultaneously, and a deal was made for Salem to buy out its former rival and spin their existing stations off to new owners.WKPA was spun off to Pentecostal Temple Development Corporation in November 1992 as a gift. PTDC was the business arm of Pentecostal Temple Church of God, pastored by former WPXI-TV reporter Dr. D. Loran Mann. WORD-FM 104.7 was also sold off to Entercom, Inc., which operated country music competitor WDSY-FM, and had been looking for an FM station for a duopoly property.
WORD-FM merger with WPIT
The transaction took place in January 1993, and WORD-FM moved its current call letters and format to 101.5, which had been the FMFrequency modulation
In telecommunications and signal processing, frequency modulation conveys information over a carrier wave by varying its instantaneous frequency. This contrasts with amplitude modulation, in which the amplitude of the carrier is varied while its frequency remains constant...
partial simulcast of WPIT
WPIT
WPIT is a hybrid conservative talk/religious radio station based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The station is licensed to Pennsylvania Media Associates, Inc which is wholly owned by Salem Communications Holding Corporation which is in turn owned by Salem Communications Corporation...
. Some of WPIT-FM's existing programming elements were retained, but much of the programming mirrored WORD-FM's original format that began on 104.7.
104.7 then came under the control of Entercom in an LMA
LMA
LMA may refer to:* Laryngeal mask airway, a mask used in anaesthesia and emergency medicine.* Leaf Mass per Area* League Managers Association, an organization representing managers of English football clubs....
(local marketing agreement) deal with Salem until it was purchased outright six months later. The new 104.7 was assigned the call letters WXRB and adopted the moniker "Rebel 104.7 Hit Country" after stunting for a brief period with a Classic Rock format and the name "U.S. 104.7".
WPIT
WPIT
WPIT is a hybrid conservative talk/religious radio station based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The station is licensed to Pennsylvania Media Associates, Inc which is wholly owned by Salem Communications Holding Corporation which is in turn owned by Salem Communications Corporation...
, which had been running all ministry-based conservative programming all day, then began to run Contemporary Christian music during the afternoon and evening hours to appease listeners who had grown accustomed to hearing CCM on WPIT-FM prior to the ownership change.
WORD-FM today
WPIT, which for years had been co-located with WPIT-FM at Gateway Towers in downtown Pittsburgh, joined the new WORD-FM at its home at Seven Parkway Center in Greentree, located just off I-279 south of the Fort Pitt Tunnells. WORD-FM still maintains the ministries as the mainstay of its programming, but has in recent years added CCM music back into its programming.Unlike many other major market radio stations, WORD-FM has a stable, secure staff, some of whom have been with the station since its format switch from beautiful music to Christian Talk. General Manager Chuck Gratner (also known as West Coast DJ legend Chuck Roy in the 60's and 70's) has been the only manager of WORD-FM since its start-up. Kenny Woods, formerly mid-days at crosstown oldies WWSW, has been Program Director since 2001.