Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Pittsburgh Radio: WZUM Set To Sign-On At 1550 AM

Ed DeHart
The call letters WZUM are returning to Southwest PA, at AM 1550.

On Wednesday, the Federal Communications Commission approved that callsign for AM 1550, a Braddock station now owned by AM Guys LLC.

“It will be easier to promote the new format using call letters that are familiar,” said AM Guys partner Ed DeHart told triblive.com, a fan of the first WZUM. He did not disclose AM 1550's format before its sign on.

“I think it's the best possible use of the frequency,” said Clarke Ingram, a veteran programmer who worked with Clear Channel and Broadcast Communications Inc. in North Versailles Township.

“Since we are not going to be a top-40 station, we feel our audience will have warm fuzzy feelings for the new call,” DeHart said.

Clarke Ingram
AM 1550 was Matta Broadcasting's WLOA from 1947-79. From 1959-79 Matta ran WLOA-FM and WFFM-96.9, now Steel City Media's WRRK.

Since 2003 “WLOA” has been used by a Mercer County AM. WZUM replaces WLFP calls used by Business TalkRadio, which sold AM 1550 to AM Guys for $14,515.

“If it gets any ratings at all, that will be a victory,” Ingram said. “(It) has been an absolute zero since the WLOA days.”

AM Guys LLC tested AM 1550 with an eclectic music mix as it installed automation.

1 comment:

  1. Fantastic. It's Great to here the old sounds coming out of my AM radio.
    I have already set my car radio to 15.50 AM. That's my number 1 position.
    I'm part of a 60s band that just got back together this year.
    All of the member of the group are from Hazelwood and in the 60s,
    we picked the songs we played from an AM radio station from Homestead.
    Now we are listening to your station for inspiration.
    The original name of the band was the Gents +1/Confusion.
    We have renamed ourselves as ConfusionsRevived.
    I'm just starting to put together our Home Page.
    You can here some of the songs we are performing on You Tube.
    Just search for wego1149A. We have some songs recorded in the 60s
    and a few vids from our premier show in August.

    I'm Larry Stanley wego1149@verizon.net of 412-343-0218
    I would love to get the opportunity to work with you and your station.
    Thanks, Larry

    ReplyDelete