WASP (AM)

WASP
City	Brownsville, Pennsylvania
Broadcast area	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Branding	The Pickle
Frequency	1130 kHz
First air date	August 2, 1968
Last air date	June 28, 2012
Format	Classic Hits (simulcast of WPKL)
Power	1,000 watts (Daytime) 1,000 watts (Critical Hours)
Class	D
Facility ID	65708
Transmitter coordinates	40°2′35.00″N 79°54′19.00″W / 40.0430556°N 79.9052778°W / 40.0430556; -79.9052778
Owner	Keymarket Licenses, LLC
Website	picklefm.com

WASP (1130 AM) was a radio station formerly licensed to Brownsville, Pennsylvania, USA. It served the Pittsburgh area. The station was owned by Keymarket Licenses, LLC.

History

WASP was one of the first stations in a last round of FCC daytime-only licenses granted towards the end of the 1960s, at the time that FM was beginning to gain momentum. WASP was granted a license to broadcast at 1130 AM, with a power of 1Kw non-directional while WKEG was granted a license to broadcast at 1110 AM, 1kW directional from nearby Washington, Pennsylvania at around this same time. When WASP increased its power in the early 70s to 5kW and because of the close proximity of WKEG, WASP had to adopt a directional antenna pattern during daytime hours and 1kW non-direction pattern during "Critical Hours" (2 hrs morning and 2 hours evening)to protect their adjacent competitor.

WASP was founded by Carl Loughry in the late 1960s and formed Brownsville Radio, Inc. Mr. Laughry also owned WFRB in Frostburg, Maryland. WASP was managed for many years by Bob Logue (aka Bob Williams) who went on to host the Midnight to 5AM talk program on KDKA in Pittsburgh. James J. Humes, who formed The Humes Broadcasting Corporation, purchased WASP from Laughry in the 1980s. WASP operated for many years with a classic country format, and in the late 1980s, Humes Broadcasting successfully applied for an FM license. After being granted the construction permit, WASP began to add more talk to its programming lineup.

WASP-FM signs on

Though the construction permit for WASP-FM in Oliver, Pennsylvania was first issued in 1988, it wouldn't go on the air until 1993. Nevertheless, WASP-FM did go on the air, and operated with a country music format similar to the one given up by its AM sister in favor of local and syndicated national talk.

WASP-FM, operating at 94.9, transmitted its signal from North Union Township. However, both stations shared studio space in the single-story brick building which also housed the transmitter of WASP (AM) along Route 88 (aka Blaine Road), just south of California, Pennsylvania.

Sale to Keymarket Communications

In 1999, James Humes wanted to retire from the radio business after more than a decade of ownership. He agreed to sell WASP-AM-FM to Keymarket Communications that year. Keymarket had acquired WASP-AM-FM in an effort to use WASP-FM as a vehicle for its "Froggy" brand of networked country music stations. With the transaction went WASP-FM morning announcer Jimmy Roach, who had enjoyed a highly successful run at both WDSY and WDVE in Pittsburgh. Roach was then the flagship morning DJ of Keymarket's entire Pittsburgh Froggy operation.

For its part, WASP went to a format of MOR music from ABC Radio's Timeless Classics satellite-delivered format, and discarded much of its local programming. By 2002, WASP abandoned the satellite delivered format and simulcast co-owned Keymarket oldies station WPKL, licensed to Uniontown.

WASP prior to suspending operations

The operations for WASP and its newly acquired Keymarket affiliate stations in the area moved from its longtime location on Route 88 to a new state-of-the-art facility at Foster Plaza in Greentree, just outside Pittsburgh's city limits.

In April 2007, Keymarket Communications successfully applied for a facility change to reduce its power from 5,000 watts directional to 1,000 watts non-directional. The change allowed WASP to only have to broadcast from one single tower, rather than two as had been the case in years past. Some facilities related to both the AM and FM stations reside in the same building that had been WASP's home for many years. The building has been expanded and now resides next to the athletic complex of California University of Pennsylvania.

On August 28, 2010, WASP went silent (off the air). As of Saturday, September 18, 2010, WASP resumed its ongoing simulcast of WPKL.

On June 28, 2012, WASP went silent again. Keymarket surrendered the station's license to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on July 6, 2012. The FCC cancelled the license and deleted the WASP call sign from its database on July 19, 2012.

External links

Query the FCC's AM station database for WASP

Radio-Locator Information on WASP

Query Nielsen Audio's AM station database for WASP

Radio stations in the Pittsburgh market

By AM frequency	540 590 620 660 680 730 770 810 860 910 940 970 1020¹ 1080 1150 1210 1250 1280 1320 1360 1380 1410 1450 1460 1480 1490 1510 1550 1570 1640 ¹ Clear-channel stations with extended nighttime coverage

By FM frequency	88.1 88.1 88.3 88.7 88.9 89.3 90.1 90.5 91.3 91.7 92.1 92.1 92.5 92.9 93.7 94.5 94.9 95.3 95.7 96.1 96.9 97.7 98.3 98.9 99.3 99.7 100.1 100.7 101.1 101.5 102.5 103.1 103.5 103.7 103.9 104.3 104.7 105.1 105.9 106.3 106.7 107.1 107.5 107.9

NOAA Weather Radio frequency	162.55

Digital Radio	89.3-1 89.3-2 90.5-1 90.5-2 90.5-3 91.3-1 92.9-1 92.9-2 92.9-3 92.9-4 93.7-1 93.7-2 93.7-3 94.5-1 94.5-2 96.1-1 96.1-2 96.9-1 96.9-2 96.9-3 96.9-4 99.7-1 100.7-1 100.7-2 100.7-3 102.5-1 102.5-2 105.9-1 105.9-2 107.9-1 107.9-2 107.9-3

By callsign	KDKA¹ KDKA-FM KFX300 KIH35 KQV W261AX WAMO WANB WAOB WAOB-FM WAVL WBGG WBJV WBUT WBVP WBZZ WCAL WCNS WCYJ WDIG WDSY-FM WDVE WEDO WEGW WESA WFSJ-LP WFGI WGBN WGLZ WHJB WISR WIUP WJAS WJPA WJPA-FM WJST WKBN WKFB WKGO WKHB WKPL WKST WKST-FM WKVE WLCY WLER WLSW WLTJ WMBA WMBS WMNY WHOT WMUG-LP WNJR WOGG WOGH WOGI WOHI WORD WPGB WPGP WPGR WPHP WPIT WPKL WPKV WPTS-FM WQED WQMU WQTW WRCT WRRK WSHH WSRU WTYM WUKL WVKF WVNP WWCS WWNL WWSW WWVA WXDX WYEP WYFU WZUM WZUM-FM

Defunct	WKZV 1110 AM WASP 1130 AM WBGI 1340 AM WSTV 1340 AM WZUM 1590 AM

Pennsylvania radio markets Allentown–Bethlehem Altoona Bradford–Coudersport Chambersburg–Waynesboro Erie Harrisburg–Lebanon–Carlisle Lancaster Montrose New Castle Philadelphia Pittsburgh Reading Sayre–Towanda–Mansfield–Wellsboro Wilkes-Barre–Scranton Williamsport York Other Pennsylvania radio regions Bedford Indiana Johnstown Lewistown–Mifflintown Meadville–Franklin Punxsutawney–DuBois St. Marys–Emporium–Kane State College Stroudsburg Sunbury–Selinsgrove–Lewisburg Warren Mass media in the Pittsburgh Area Radio stations TV stations Newspapers See also List of radio stations in Pennsylvania

Classic Hits radio stations in Pennsylvania

By frequency	730 1460 1570 92.1 92.3 92.3 94.5 95.3 96.1 96.1 96.7 97.1 97.3 98.1 98.9 99.3 100.5 103.1 103.3 103.9 104.9 105.3 107.1

By callsign	WABT WAPY WCDW WGMF WHJB WHNA WKPL WKQL WLSW WOGL WOWY WPHD WPKL WQKY WQTW WRRN WRVV WSOX WTTC-FM WWRR WWSW-FM WYCY WZMF

By city	Brookville Ellwood City Emporium Greensburg Harrisburg Hawley Latrobe Lehman Township Nanticoke Philadelphia Pittsburgh Red Lion Riverside Scottdale Scranton South Waverly State College Susquehanna Towanda Tunkhannock Uniontown University Park Warren

See also adult contemporary classic hits college country news/talk NPR oldies religious rock sports top 40 urban other radio stations in Pennsylvania See also Oldies Classic Hits

Daytime-Only radio stations in Pennsylvania

Stations	WAMO - Wilkinsburg WANB - Waynesburg WCHE - West Chester WECZ - Punxsutawney WEDO - McKeesport WFKJ - Cashtown WFYL - King of Prussia WGPA - Bethlehem WHYF - Shiremanstown WIEZ - Lewistown WIOO - Carlisle WJSM - Martinsburg WKFB - Jeannette WKQW - Oil City WLSH - Lansford WMCE - North East WNAP - Norristown WNWR - Philadelphia WPHE - Phoenixville WQOR - Olyphant WQTW - Latrobe WVPO - Stroudsburg WWDB - Philadelphia WWNL - Pittsburgh WWSM - Annville-Cleona WZSK - Everett

Defunct	WASP - Brownsville WKZV - Washington

See also: Clear channel radio stations and Why AM Radio Stations Must Reduce Power, Change Operations, or Cease Operations at Night

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