PA Radio: WCNS's John Longo Planning To Retire

John Longo

As a teenager listening to rock ‘n' roll in the 1950s, John Longo saw disc jockeys like the legendary Porky Chedwick and Clark Race spinning records at dances in Wilkinsburg and marveled that they were paid to play music.

“Wow, what a way to make a living. You're playing the music that you love, and you're getting paid for it. It's something I've always wanted to do, and I've done it,” Longo told triblive.com, who started working as a disc jockey at 1480 WCNS in Latrobe in 1959. A few years later, he elevated his career ambitions to owning a station.

Longo realized his dream in 1989 when he bought WCNS.

“It took me 30 years, but I did it,” said Longo, who will celebrate a quarter-century of ownership this year.

Now, he has put the community station up for sale and hopes the buyer will keep the staff intact. A New York radio station owner and a Chicago firm in the music business have shown interest so far, Longo said.

“I want to find the right person. I hate to see all this work squandered,” he said. “I hope the legacy will be carried on.”

Longo, 73, of Hempfield said the timing is right for him to sell the station. His wife, Donna, wants to stay in Florida's warmer climate. His daughter, Lisa, and son, John, don't want to follow in their father's footsteps.

Longo isn't certain how much the station is worth, but he said the new owner can make a good living. The station reaches 260,000 people in central Westmoreland County, he said.

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