WJST
Encyclopedia
WJST is a radio station
broadcasting a sports radio
format as a Fox Sports Radio
affiliate. Licensed to New Castle, Pennsylvania
, USA, it serves the Pittsburgh area. The station is currently owned by Forever Broadcasting, LLC.
, which had already been on the air for thirty years at the time. One big difference between the two, however, was that WBZY, while operating as a strictly daytime-only operation, operated at a power of 5,000 watts from the time of its inception, while WKST operated at only a thousand at that time. WBZY at that time operated at the frequency of 1140 kHz, and had to sign-off at sundown in order to protect the clear channel WRVA, which also operated on this same frequency.
http://newradiostar.com/NEWS/newsaprilmay1999.htm
for $800,000, and Jacor was purchased by Clear Channel Communications
shortly thereafter.
Clear Channel, which also owned WKST, recognized the superiority of WBZY's signal to that of WKST, and switched the call signs in November 1999. The calls of WKST-FM were changed to WJST on October 10, 2000, and WKST-FM call sign was moved to Pittsburgh where it could be used with Clear Channel's KISS-FM
brand.
http://www.business-journal.com/archives/20040412RadioStationsinNewCastlePaSold.asp, while WJST-FM and Grove City
-based WICT
was sold to Keymarket Communications of Pittsburgh, best known for the Froggy
country music
brand.
On September 20, 2004, the WJST call sign was moved to 1280 AM. WJST-FM became WKPL, playing an oldies
format under the name "Pickle 92.1" (WICT, which already was a country station as "95.1 The Cat", changed its call sign
to WWGY and was converted to the Froggy format), while WJST 1280 temporarily continued the adult contemporary music
format from WJST-FM as "Star 1280" instead of "Star 92.1", before itself converting to an oldies format (unrelated to WKPL) as "Just Oldies 1280".
, joining fellow Fox Sports Radio station WBGG
in Pittsburgh and going under the name "Fox Sports Radio 1280 WJST". It was at this point that the station became home to Pirates baseball and Penguins hockey. Various Penn State sports broadcasts take place on WJST as do many local high school football and basketball games. Local news coverage continues to be provided by Wade Sutton, who has handled news duties dating back to 1996 when the station was still using the WBZY call sign.
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
broadcasting a sports radio
Sports radio
Sports radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A popular format with an almost exclusively male demographic in most areas, sports radio is characterized by an often-boisterous on-air style and extensive debate and analysis by both hosts and...
format as a Fox Sports Radio
Fox Sports Radio
Fox Sports Radio, abbreviated FSR, is an international radio network consisting of sports talk programming. The network is a service of Premiere Networks...
affiliate. Licensed to New Castle, Pennsylvania
New Castle, Pennsylvania
New Castle is a city in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, United States, northwest of Pittsburgh and near the Pennsylvania-Ohio border just east of Youngstown, Ohio; in 1910, the total population was 36,280; in 1920, 44,938; and in 1940, 47,638. The population has fallen to 26,309 according to the...
, USA, it serves the Pittsburgh area. The station is currently owned by Forever Broadcasting, LLC.
Beginnings as WBZY AM 1140
The history of the current WJST can be traced back to the late 1960s, when the station, as WBZY, made its debut as a competitor to well-established crosstown competitor WKSTWKST (AM)
WKST is an AM radio station in New Castle, Pennsylvania, USA broadcasting at 1200 kHz with a news/talk format. It is currently owned by Forever Broadcasting, LLC of Altoona, Pennsylvania which also owns 12 other radio stations in Pennsylvania including WJST in New Castle and WWGY in Grove City. ...
, which had already been on the air for thirty years at the time. One big difference between the two, however, was that WBZY, while operating as a strictly daytime-only operation, operated at a power of 5,000 watts from the time of its inception, while WKST operated at only a thousand at that time. WBZY at that time operated at the frequency of 1140 kHz, and had to sign-off at sundown in order to protect the clear channel WRVA, which also operated on this same frequency.
Move to 1200 kHz
In the early 1980s, WBZY was granted permission to move its frequency from 1140 to 1200 kHz. With the move came the addition of nighttime power, and the elimination of a directional antenna pattern operation during the daytime. However, the station would revert back to directional antenna operation at night, and was required to reduce its power to a thousand watts.First Sale
In December 1986 WBZY was sold by Lawrence County Broadcasting Corp. to a partnership called WBZY Radio Sam (the "Sam" representing the surname initials of partners Samuel M. Shirey, William G. Andrews and Robert L. McCracken).Second Sale and Move from 1200 to 1280
Andrews sold his share to the other two partners in 1991. WBZY was then sold to Jacor in April 1999http://newradiostar.com/NEWS/newsaprilmay1999.htm
for $800,000, and Jacor was purchased by Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
shortly thereafter.
Clear Channel, which also owned WKST, recognized the superiority of WBZY's signal to that of WKST, and switched the call signs in November 1999. The calls of WKST-FM were changed to WJST on October 10, 2000, and WKST-FM call sign was moved to Pittsburgh where it could be used with Clear Channel's KISS-FM
KISS-FM (brand)
KISS-FM is the brand name of a Top 40 music format heard on FM radio stations in many cities in the United States . Clear Channel Communications claims ownership of the KISS-FM brand and operates most KISS-FM formatted stations, though not KISS-FM in San Antonio, Texas itself .-Origin and...
brand.
Third Sale
In April 2004, Clear Channel announced the sale of WKST along with WBZY and to Forever Broadcasting for $2.85 millionhttp://www.business-journal.com/archives/20040412RadioStationsinNewCastlePaSold.asp, while WJST-FM and Grove City
Grove City, Pennsylvania
Grove City is a borough in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, approximately north of Pittsburgh. It is the home of Grove City College, a private conservative Christian liberal arts college; General Electric; Instron; USIS; George G. Howe Co.; and a number of small businesses. It is also the home to...
-based WICT
WWGY
WWGY, branded as Froggy 95, is a country music formatted radio station in Grove City, Pennsylvania. It is not a simulcast affiliation with Froggy 100.3 in Meadville, Pennsylvania, but the two stations are owned by Forever Broadcasting, LLC. WWGY is a station in the Pittsburgh Steelers radio...
was sold to Keymarket Communications of Pittsburgh, best known for the Froggy
Froggy (brand)
Froggy is a brand name radio format used for a variety of radio stations in numerous broadcast markets in the United States, most of which are country music formatted stations, with a few playing adult contemporary. Froggy is a brand name radio format used for a variety of radio stations in...
country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
brand.
On September 20, 2004, the WJST call sign was moved to 1280 AM. WJST-FM became WKPL, playing an oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
format under the name "Pickle 92.1" (WICT, which already was a country station as "95.1 The Cat", changed its call sign
Call sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...
to WWGY and was converted to the Froggy format), while WJST 1280 temporarily continued the adult contemporary music
Adult contemporary music
Adult contemporary music is a broad style of popular music that ranges from lush 1950s and 1960s vocal music to predominantly ballad-heavy music with varying degrees of rock influence, as well as a radio format that plays such music....
format from WJST-FM as "Star 1280" instead of "Star 92.1", before itself converting to an oldies format (unrelated to WKPL) as "Just Oldies 1280".
WJST Today
In January 2009, the station switched to sports talk as an affiliate to Fox Sports RadioFox Sports Radio
Fox Sports Radio, abbreviated FSR, is an international radio network consisting of sports talk programming. The network is a service of Premiere Networks...
, joining fellow Fox Sports Radio station WBGG
WBGG (AM)
WBGG is a sports radio station based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, owned by Clear Channel Communications. The station broadcasts at 970 kHz with 5,000 watts day and night.- History :...
in Pittsburgh and going under the name "Fox Sports Radio 1280 WJST". It was at this point that the station became home to Pirates baseball and Penguins hockey. Various Penn State sports broadcasts take place on WJST as do many local high school football and basketball games. Local news coverage continues to be provided by Wade Sutton, who has handled news duties dating back to 1996 when the station was still using the WBZY call sign.