WJPA

WJPA

Washington, Pennsylvania
Broadcast area	Pittsburgh metropolitan area
Frequency	AM: 1450 kHz FM: 95.3 MHz
Branding	95.3 WJPA
Programming
Format	Classic hits
Affiliations	Radio PA Pittsburgh Steelers Radio Network Westwood One Sports
Ownership
Owner	Washington Broadcasting Company
History
First air date	AM: February 1, 1941 FM: 1964
Call sign meaning	Washington and Jefferson, Pennsylvania
Technical information
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	AM: 70947 FM: 70944
Class	AM: C FM: A
Power	AM: 1,000 watts unlimited
ERP	FM: 2,150 watts
HAAT	FM: 119 meters
Links
Public license information	Public file 70947 FM: 70944 LMS
Webcast	Listen Live
Website	wjpa.com

WJPA's storefront on Main St. and East Wheeling St. in Washington, Pennsylvania.

WJPA is a classic hits radio station simulcast on both the AM and FM bands. It serves Washington County, Pennsylvania, and can be heard in parts of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. The stations, which are owned by Washington Broadcasting Company, operate at 1450 kHz with a transmitter power output of 1 kW-Unlimited on the AM band and at 95.3 MHz with an effective radiated power (ERP) of 2.15 kW on the FM band. Both stations are licensed to Washington, Pennsylvania.

Though, in general, broadcast focuses on classic hits, WJPA is also known for its wide sports coverage. WJPA regularly broadcasts games of the Washington & Jefferson College football team, minor league baseball team, the Washington Wild Things, area high school wrestling matches and area high school basketball.

History

WJPA was started by a consortium of business owners in downtown Washington, several of whom are still part of the ownership group. WJPA made its debut on February 1, 1941. It was one of the last stations the FCC permitted to go on the air prior to the United States' entry into World War II. WJPA-FM also made its debut around this time, but broadcast at a frequency of 104.3 MHz. Because there were few FM receivers and even fewer car radios capable of receiving FM signals, the FM failed to make any kind of financial inroads and its license was returned to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.

After FM radio started gaining momentum, Washington Broadcasting Company decided to give FM radio another try. The company applied for an FM license, and was granted the application to operate on 95.3 FM. WJPA-FM returned to the air on September 1, 1964. In the summer of 1979, after years of afternoon office-music broadcasts, WJPA-FM switched to a new, album rock format and changed its call letters to WYTK-FM.

In 1983, WYTK moved to a contemporary country format, billing itself as "K-Country". Again an automated station, this format remained until the early 1990s when ownership decided to reclaim the AM's call letters and simulcast the two stations, billing it as "The New Sound of Oldies", referring to the addition of then-new CD technology and a deeper music library than Pittsburgh-based competitor WWSW. This format continues today. WJPA breaks for separate programming occasionally, such as Sunday morning church broadcasts, high school sports, Pittsburgh Steelers football and Pittsburgh Pirates baseball.

WJPA today

The WJPA broadcast facilities are located at the corner of Main St. and East Wheeling St. across from the Observer-Reporter newspaper offices. Both stations transmit from a self-supporting tower at the intersection of Interstates 70 and 79, just north of Washington.

WJPA has a reputation for its tenured on-air staff. Pete "I Got The Beat" Povich (personally nicknamed by The Go-Go's lead singer Belinda Carlisle) is the longest tenured DJ at WJPA, having worked there since 1983. Margie Konstantine, who met Pete while students at California University of Pennsylvania, joined the following year. Sports Director Bob Gregg has been part of the stations for more than three decades. Michael Siegel has served as President and General Manager for the past twenty (20) years.

External links

• Official website
• Facility details for Facility ID 70947 (WJPA) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
• WJPA in Nielsen Audio's AM station database
• Facility details for Facility ID 70944 (WJPA-FM) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
• WJPA-FM in Nielsen Audio's FM station database