 WWNL 1080 Logo | |
| Broadcast area | Pittsburgh metropolitan area |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 1080kHz |
| Programming | |
| Format | Christian |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Steel City Radio, Inc. |
| History | |
First air date | 1947 (as WILY) |
Former call signs | WDSY (1992) WEEP (1992–1995) WDSY (1995–1997) WPGR (1997–1999) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 18517 |
| Class | D |
| Power | 50,000watts day 25,000 wattscritical hours |
| Translator | 103.9 W280FG (Pittsburgh) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | WWNL 1080 Listen Live WWNL 103.9 Listen Live |
| Website | WWNL 1080 Online WWNL 103.9 Online |
WWNL (1080AM) is acommercialradio station inPittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. It broadcasts aChristian talk and teachingradio format and is owned by Steel City Radio, Inc. Programming is supplied by the Wilkins Radio Network. WWNL features local and national religious leaders, includingCharles Stanley,John MacArthur,David Jeremiah andMichael Youssef. WWNL is abrokered programming station, where hosts pay for time slots on WWNL and may seek donations to their ministries during their shows.
By day, WWNL is powered at 50,000watts, the maximum permitted for AM radio stations in the United States. BecauseAM 1080 is aclear channel frequency reserved forClass A stationsKRLDDallas andWTICHartford, WWNL is adaytimer, required tosign off the air at night. Duringcritical hours, WWNL is powered at 25,000 watts. It uses adirectional antenna at all times. Thetransmitter, with a four-tower array, is off Lah Road inGibsonia, Pennsylvania.[2]
In 1947, the stationsigned on the air, usingWILY as itscall sign. It primarily served Pittsburgh'sAfrican American audience in the 1950s. In 1957, it becameWEEP, aTop 40 station, before switching to the call lettersWYRE in 1961 and then back to WEEP.
Unable to compete withKQV in the Top 40 format, WEEP changed tocountry music in 1965, in which it enjoyed its greatest success. Most large cities in the north did not have a radio station playing country and western music, so WEEP was alone in the format for many years. Based on WEEP's good ratings, the owners switched WEEP-FM (nowWDSY-FM) to country music as well, a first such FM station in Pittsburgh. Other than a one-year period with atalk radio format in 1976, WEEP broadcast a country format for almost 30 years.
By the 1980s, WEEP and WDSYsimulcast part of the day, before WEEP changed to anoldies format on December 15, 1986.[3] In September 1990, it adopted an all-businessnews andtalk format.
In February 1992, thecall letters were changed toWDSY and the station became a full time simulcast of WDSY-FM's country format.[4] This was short-lived with the AM station going back to the WEEP call letters and affiliating with theSatellite Music Network's "Real Country" format delivered via satellite in September 1992. It returned to a full-time simulcast of the FM station in March 1995, again as WDSY.[5]
In April 1997, WDSY was sold and changed formats tourban gospel asWPGR. In July 1999, the format moved to1510.
Following two months of simulcasting, 1080 changed to aChristian radio format, using theWWNL call sign. Starting as a music-based station, WWNL has added more talk and paid programming in recent[when?] years, affiliated with the Wilkins Radio Network.
The call letters WWNL were previously assigned to an AM station inNewport, Kentucky. It initially broadcast on 1110 kHz but moved to 740 kHz in 1948.[6]
40°36′17″N79°57′37″W / 40.60472°N 79.96028°W /40.60472; -79.96028
