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AM-1400
is the oldest radio service licensed to
Cambria County?
We did some research and after some digging and numerous
Google searches, we were able to confirm this fact. This and
$ 1.39 will get us a large coffee. However, it means something
to us and if it means something to you great, read on...
Early radio history in our region Cambria & Blair Counties
WTAC-AM 833 (yes that's right 833khz)
signed on November 1922 owned by
Penn Traffic Co. Moved to AM-1090 in 1924 and moved again to AM-1120
in 1925. This station was not listed in 1926. It presumably surrendered
its license and went dark.
WBBV-AM 1210 signed on February 1924 owned by Johnstown Radio Company
either became or shared the frequency with WGBK in 1925. Both WBBV
and
WGBK were not listed in 1926. Presumably surrendered their licenses
& went dark.
An interesting side note here: There was more
radio competition in Johnstown in 1925,
then there was only one company from 1926 to 1946. HMMM, is history
trying to
repeat itself? anyway, read on!
WHPB-AM 1170 signed on in March or April 1925 owned by Johnstown
Automobile Company (JAC) and continued on the same frequency through
1926. In 1927 WHPB moved to AM-1310 then changed call letters to
WJAC in 1930. WJAC continued
broadcasting on the frequency through 1934 and shared 1310 with
WFBG in
Altoona. The stations even were co-owned for a period. Sounds
familiar.
Sometime between 1935 and 1942 WFBG moved to AM-1340 and
WJAC moved to AM-1400. We believe that it was most likely 1941 due
to NARBA reallocation.
WARD-AM 1490 signed on in 1946.
WCRO-AM 1230 signed on a year later in 1947. The only station in
the
Johnstown Market without a call letter change in its entire history.
WJAC broadcast on AM-1400 until 1963 when the station migrated
to AM-850
(then seemed to vanish without a trace)
St Francis College (now University) in Loretto PA subsequently filed
for the soon
to be vacent AM-1400 frequency. The 1965 Broadcast Yearbook lists
the start date
for WWSF-AM 1400 as Oct. 7, 1963. Some radio historians date AM-1400
in
Cambria County back as far as 1925, however the station owned by
Johnstown Automobile Company (WHPB) originally broadcast in 1925
on AM-1170 then
AM-1310, changed call letters in 1930 but didn’t move to AM-1400
until sometime between 1935 and 1942, probably
1941. WWSF now WWGE licensed to Loretto
PA started broadcasting in 1963. We would like to continue to claim
to be the oldest
existing radio station in Cambria County (1941
to present), however that would be a
slight misrepresentation.
We will say this: AM-1400 as a radio service has been in operation
in Cambria County since 1941, originally WJAC in Johnstown and then
WWSF/WWGE in Loretto, sharing some history along the way. We will
officially celebrate October 7th as the start date of
our existing station.
Thank you to Scott Fybush for all your research
and thank you to Clarke Ingram
for your info, and confirmation. We appreciate the service and dedication
you both
provide to our industry.
The history of radio broadcasting in Cambria County is important
to us. These early
pioneers of radio informed and entertained generations of our area
residents. They provided a genuine service to our communities and
paved the way for todays mass
media. We would like to continue to honor them on this page.
If anyone has any additional information, send us an e-mail, including
corrections.
We are specifically looking for exact dates, times, recordings,
photos, logs, etc.
CONTACT
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