PBRTV - Pittsburgh Area Radio/TV Mailbag PBRTV - Pittsburgh Area Radio & TV

PBRTV Mailbag September 1-10, 2001

I have been searching everywhere for information on local radio stations, and have luckily found your site. I need contact information for all of the radio stations in, and around Greensburg, Pennsylvania. I was especially interested in WHJB AM, who seems to have changed call letters to WKHB, and moved to Irwin. I would prefer the mailing address of the stations because I have been unable thus far to reach them by telephone. Thank you for your help. Heather (September 10, 2001)

Eric's Response: Can anyone help Heather?
Dear Eric, I just moved to Pittsburgh a few weeks ago into a house with several other guys. A couple of the guys in my house are native to Pittsburgh. Over the last few years, they have gone from ghosty images on the tv to some type of cable to the gaudy (in my opinion) digital cable wonder. They joke from time to time about all the channels that are blocked out due to their lack of desire to pay mucho dinero every month just to say they "have it all." I've suggested DirecTV and DishNetwork to them and it seems to make them laugh harder. I was intrigued by you website which I snagged by looking for {fcc-catv-pittsburgh} on Yahoo. I'm almost ready to go back to the simple antenna on top of the house to get the locals and save lots of cash every month. Do you have any suggestions for me? cabled digitally, Tim (September 10, 2001)

Eric's Response: I'm a digital cable subscriber myself. Does anyone have any advice?!
FYI. Tom Lyons is still retired, but is now living in Grove City, PA. (September 8, 2001)
Since today (9/6) is the fifth anniversary of the final day of independant broadcast for the station, I updated and am updating my tribute site, http://z107.dementia.org If you could share this, I'd appreciate it. Thanks -Derrick Brashear (September 5, 2001)

Eric's Response: Does anyone remember back five years to the great "signal swap?" What Derrick is referring to is WSSZ in its last incarnation as a radio station unto itself. Back in 1996, Secret Communications (owners of WDVE) decided to buy a little alternative station in Beaver Falls on 106.7 FM. That station was just beginning to be known as "The X @ 106.7." Secret then made a $14 Million deal with Sheridan Broadcasting to take over the signal on 105.9 and leave Sheridan fit with $14 Million and a signal that reached Youngstown better than Pittsburgh. Therefore Sheridan decided that maybe they needed to cover the eastern suburbs. So they latched onto 107.1 FM and have had a "dualcast" ever since.
Eric, in regard to the history of 1360am (in its various incarnations), in your response to Jason Togyer's post,I am afraid you may have gotten a few facts mixed up. You see, Tony Renda bought WIXZ off of its former owners in the late seventies, then bought WSHH sometime later. It was sometime in the 80's when WJAS became available, but because of the ownership rules back then, he turned around and "sold" WIXZ to Alan Serena (this was what could have been classified as an LMA). When the Duopoly rules were relaxed in the mid nineties, the station reverted to Renda, and the rest is history. By the way, does anybody remember that WIXZ actually went "Beautiful Music" for a few months in 1973 or so after dropping the Top 40 format then switching over to country. - Greg (September 5, 2001)

Eric's Response: Hmmm...either I read bad info or received a few lies! However, I do know that Mr. Renda has owned the stations (WSHH/WJAS) for close to twenty years.
I'm from New Jersey and a loyal listerner to O&A on WNEW in New York and go to school in Pittsburgh so I was excited to find out they would be syndicated in the 27 top markets in the U.S. and thought Pittsburgh would definatly be one of the top 27.........basically what I'm saying is where the hell are they??? (September 5, 2001)

Eric's Response: We are number 22. There is talk that Opie and Anthony could be coming to town, but I'm not sure when that's going to be or where. Predictors say it's WZPT, but I'm not sure.
Eric: In response to the email query about WMCK ... here is more than the letter writer ever wanted to know! WMCK was founded by a group of McKeesport businessmen, led by Robert M. Cox, owner of Cox's Department Stores. They formed Mon-Yough Broadcasting Co. in 1945, as the wartime ban on new radio licenses was lifted. Their license for 1360 kc was granted a short time later, but like most new AM licensees, the FCC made WMCK take an FM license for 104.9 mc, in an effort to encourage use of the FM band. ("MCK," of course, is short for McKeesport.) 1360 is a regional channel, authorized for 5KW daytime, 1KW directional at night. In the 1950s, like most AM/FM combos, WMCK simulcast its AM signal over the FM frequency before returning the FM license as "unprofitable." The station was then located in the Elks Temple, Market Street, McKeesport, and the transmitter was at the present WPTT nighttime site in Lincoln Borough, across the river from Clairton. In approximately 1963, Mr. Cox changed the call letters to WPQR (the call letters stand for "Western Pennsylvania's Quality Radio") before the station reverted to WMCK. Legend has it that Mr. Cox offered to sell WMCK to his star deejay, Terry Lee, but Lee declined, because he was making more money running his nightclubs, including "TL's Night Train" near Glassport. So instead, in 1969, Mr. Cox and his partners sold WMCK to the Westchester Corp. of Cleveland,which changed the call letters to WIXZ to match its other "wick-zee" stations, like WIXY. (Conveniently, all of the stations had frequencies ending in 60 kc.) At some point in the late 1960s, studios for WIXZ or WMCK moved to a one-story house on Long Run Road (Route 48) near the Olympia Shopping Center. Then, in an effort to get closer to Pittsburgh, WIXZ moved to Route 30 in East McKeesport. FCC rules at the time said that a station's main studio and control point had to be located in the city of license.... but the FCC apparently didn't realize "East McKeesport" was several miles away! I am told that Westchester sold WIXZ in the early 1970s to Tony Renda, who then sold it to McKeesporter Alan Serena, who later sold it back to Renda ... at which time it became WPTT. The rest, of course, is history. (And of course, if Lightning Community Broadcasting Inc. is successful in getting a low-power FM license, we intend to restore the historic call-letters of WMCK to the Mon Valley .... but that's a big "if"!) More news at the top on the hour on most of these same typing fingers. J. Togyer (September 5, 2001)

Eric's Response: When Tony Renda sold WIXZ to Alan Serena, that was probably about 1979 and then bought WSHH from Nationwide. WKTQ was purchased by Benni Broadcasting and they turned it back into WJAS. Because they still shared the building, Renda then bought WJAS. Reverse the numbers 1979 to 1997 and that was the year that Mr. Serena and Mr. Renda agreed to combine and WIXZ became a part of Renda Broadcasting. Within a year WPTT was born.
Hi, Eric ... something for the mailbag....Tuesday morning, Mike Pintek said he's "the only one who's not trying to get Cigna's job" as host of the KDKA morning news. That seems to me pretty solid confirmation that Cigna is retiring (though readers of PBRTV knew it weeks ago). The only question remaining is, who will take the job? I guess smart money remains on Larry Richert or Fred Honsberger ... they're both nice guys who would do well in morning drive. Since they are nice guys, however, it seems a shame to make them wake up at 4 a.m. five days per week! Maybe Infinity will bring "Opie & Anthony" into Pittsburgh on KDKA! That oughta shake up the "Undercover Club"! I'm kidding! But what if ....? (Nah, Pittsburgh radio is bad enough without "O&A"'s T&A.) Hang by yer thumbs, your slacker columnist (September 5, 2001)

Eric's Response: From what I have heard, Cigna really isn't retiring. He's just sick and tired of getting up at 2 AM to go in and work. There is a promo on now that states that and the fact that he required his replacement to be a Harley rider. The other thing he mentions is that he is not leaving KDKA, he will be on at other times filling in, etc. He just won't get up early in the morning anymore. Who could blame him?!
WSKE 1040 in Everett does have a country format. It simulcasts with WSKE-FM 104.3. I believe the owners were going to change the call letters and possibly the format a few months back, but for some reason decided not to. They are 10000 watts days, 4000 watts critical hours, daytime only. WCVI 1340 seems to be back on the air, but maybe with an abbreviated schedule(?). I recall hearing them last Sunday while in the area. Regards, Steve C (September 4, 2001)
Eric, the first set of call letters for 13-Q (after WJAS-AM/FM) was definitely WKPQ. Someone didn't like those call letters and it became WKTQ shortly thereafter. I don't know the reason why the switch was made. I've also heard the stories Vito related about Jack Bogut going to 13-Q (Heftel ended up hiring Sam Holman instead, who was himself pretty MOR) and also that 13-Q wanted a call sign that would co-opt the "KD" identity, but I hadn't heard about the WKDQ calls. At this late date, there's no easy way (except perhaps in the FCC public file room) to check if Heftel ever applied for WKDQ. If there's an "old-timer" from 13-Q reading this board, I hope they'll tell us "the rest of the story" on this one. On an unrelated note, WCVI 1340 Connellsville is back on the air today simulcasting the "Pickle" format. And could that "Harley rider" replacing John Cigna possibly be Jim Quinn? Regards, Clarke Ingram. (September 4, 2001)
I heard tday that Jack Wheeler had passed. Is this true? (September 4, 2001)

Eric's Response: Oh, I don't think so. Wheeler was at WQED-TV a few weeks ago for a pledge drive. Unless he had some serious health conditon or accident, Wheeler is still enjoying retirement with his wife Cindy and sailing his boat in the Chesapeke Bay.
Cigna said this morning his replacement is a Harley rider...sounds more like Jon Burnett. (September 4, 2001)

Eric's Response: Seems to me he was talking out of line...or maybe talking to please the listeners. The formal announcement is 8 AM Thursday.
For those of you who might be interested, WASP 1130 in Brownsville PA has been stunting for the past several days, running ABC/SMN's Pure Gold oldies format and calling itself "FM 99, The Pickle". Tonight, WPKL 99.3 Uniontown (formerly WPQR) has signed on with the same format. The top-of-hour ID also includes WCVI 1340 in Connellsville, although there is still no evidence that they have returned to the air. Jim Harrington, formerly of KDKA, WTAE, and WHBC in Canton, is the PD/morning man, and he starts today (Tuesday 9/4). Thought you might want to check out this new addition to the Pittsburgh airwaves. Regards, Clarke (September 4, 2001)
Here's a little help for WSKE 1040 on the Johnstown/Altonna page. It has been a country station for easily a year now. Before that it had been a news/talk station. I don't know why the change, maybe something with ratings. The station has a great signal since I can hear it here in central Maryland. Hope this helps you somewhat, I just saw a blank on the page. -Travers(SPRTV editor) (September 3, 2001)
I thought the first call sign for WKTQ was WKDQ. They were going to be KD and go after KDKA, I was told that is why Bogut went up to 200,000 a year because he stayed with KDKA and did not go to work for Heftel. KDKA put a stop to the calls WKDQ. that is how I remember 1973 what does Clarke remember. By the way, I hope that his mom is feeling better now. Vito (September 3, 2001)

Eric's Response: It was WKPQ. I remember this conversation coming up back when I was forming the Callsign Cavalcade. Clarke, your help please!
Who owned WMCK originally 1360 McKeesport? Who was Weiss from WIXZ, Norm Wain was originally from pgh. Don't forget WKPQ was the first call sign for 13Q before WKTQ. arnold zlotnik (September 2, 2001)

Eric's Response: I don't know, not sure and who is Norm Wain? WKPQ was first that's true, but it was a very short-lived callsign...maybe a month or two.
  • Return to PBRTV Mailbag Archive