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WWVA (AM)
Encyclopedia
WWVA is an AM
radio station
that broadcasts on a frequency of 1170 kHz with studios in Wheeling, West Virginia
, USA
, and towers formerly located in St. Clairsville, Ohio
, before they were destroyed in an August 2010 storm. The station is currently operating with reduced power due to the damage.
When on the air, it is a class A 50,000 watt
clear-channel station, sharing the frequency with KFAQ
(formerly KVOO) in Tulsa, Oklahoma
. WWVA can be heard in most of the eastern two-thirds of the United States at night, as well as most of Canada. The station is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications
and uses the on-air nickname "The Big One" (borrowed from sister stations WLW
and WTAM
).
WWVA was one of the first stations in the US to have an in-studio Citizens' Band Radio
to talk to listeners at night, in between songs and other on-air items, during the 1970s when it produced and ran an in-house nightly truckers' show hosted by the popular radio personality, Buddy Ray. Ray left the station in the early 1980s.
In two instances has WWVA been threatened with relocation, neither being successful: first in 1930 to Charleston
by then-owner West Virginia Broadcasting Corporation, and again in 2004 to Stow, Ohio
(a suburb of Akron) by Clear Channel Communications
.
had granted a broadcast license on 860 kilocycles to the radio station WWVA. In its first year of operation, it broadcast to listeners with home-made crystal sets, principally from Stroebel's own home.
Through the years, WWVA has been granted several power increases. In May 1941, the FCC moved WWVA to 1170 KC, and in August of that same year, granted the ultimate power for AM stations: 50,000 watts. In doing so, WWVA became the most powerful AM station in the entire state of West Virginia
.
WWVA has changed hands many times over the years. Past owners include Fidelity Investments
, West Virginia Broadcasting Corporation, Storer Broadcasting
, Basic Communications, Screen Gems
Radio - a division of Columbia Pictures
, Coca-Cola
, Price Broadcasting, Osborn Communications, Atlantic Star Communications, AMFM Inc., and currently Clear Channel Communications
.
WWVA’s broadcast history includes the airing of such notable live broadcasts as President Dwight D. Eisenhower
’s visit to the Wheeling area. In the 1980s, WWVA briefly enjoyed a reputation as one of the leading radio news operations in the country, and won several national news reporting awards under the leadership of prominent broadcast journalists such as Jim Forsyth and Colleen Marshall, but that reputation faded in the 1990s. Harvey, however, remained on the station's schedule, and the legendary Jamboree USA and Jamboree in the Hills
broadcasts. The WWVA Jamboree
broadcasts started on January 7, 1933 and was even transmitted to troops abroad during the height of World War II
.
Under Basic ownership, the Jamboree became the centerpiece of an all-contemporary country western
format starting on November 8, 1965, a format that saw ratings skyrocket weeks after it debuted. WWVA's studios and the Jamboree moved to the Capitol Music Hall in 1970, a civic center that is the largest in the state of West Virginia
.
This country music
format lasted until 1997, when WWVA abandoned it in favor of news/talk. Assumption of ownership by Clear Channel Communications resulted in the addition of such hosts as Rush Limbaugh
and Glenn Beck
. A series of cost-cutting moves in January 2004 resulted in the elimination of both local talk hosts (George Kellas and Jim Harrington) and most of the news department. Coinciding with this was an attempt to relocate the broadcast frequency to Stow, Ohio
under an FCC major construction permit
four weeks later. This permit was withdrawn in August 2004.
Since then, much of WWVA's programming today emulates regional sister stations WPGB-FM in Pittsburgh and WHLO
in Akron, Ohio
. One local link to the station's past was the afternoon drive show hosted by former sportscaster Steve Novotney, but he was also fired from WWVA in November 2006. At the time, the only local talk show remaining on WWVA was Saturday Sports Day with John Simonson, but WWVA, then in negotiations with new ownership, made a bold move when they paid more money to David Bloomquist to export his Bloomdaddy Experience from rival local station, WKKX
in late May/early June 2007. The move was controversial (even though the reason given by WKKX to let Bloomquist go appeared to been in conjunction to the Don Imus Rutgers controversy that transpired on MSNBC
around that same time), as WKKX members appeared very bitter about the exit.
The Original Wheeling Radio Jamboree formerly Jamboree USA, In spite of 120 broadcasts of archives between December 2005 & April 2008 is the second-longest running program in radio history (The Grand Ole Opry on WSM
Nashville
is the oldest, having first aired in 1925). However, in an ironic move, the Jamboree was dropped from WWVA's schedule in December 2008, and has since been picked up by community & talk station 1600 AM WKKX.
On November 16, 2006, WWVA, WOVK
, WVKF
, WKWK
, WEGW
and WBBD
were announced for sale as part of Clear Channel's divestiture of almost 450 small and middle-market radio properties in the U.S. The Clear Channel Wheeling stations were initially slated to be sold to Florida based GoodRadio.TV LLC
in May 2007, but the deal soon collapsed prior to FCC approval.
, Rush Limbaugh
, Sean Hannity
, Michael Savage
, and George Noory
. The station opts for paid programming in the late nights.
Until 2009, unlike most Clear Channel news talk stations, WWVA did not air Coast to Coast AM
. Instead, it aired America's Trucking Network
(still listing it as Truckin' Bozo on the schedule, even several years after the show changed its name) originating from former sister station WLW
. The truck show had been a longtime staple of WWVA's nighttime schedule. WWVA was one of the first stations to syndicate The Truckin' Bozo (as well as one of the last; outside of WLW, only one other terrestrial station
still carries the syndicated program), and even before that, Buddy Ray hosted a longtime truck show on the station. The truck programming was unceremoniously dropped in 2009, replaced with Coast to Coast, already available from the many other AM signals that penetrate the area.
Its radio signals can be picked up quite strongly in as far away as Toronto, Ontario, giving Toronto the ability to hear such programs which are not permitted to air in Toronto due to Canadian content
regulations.
WWVA relies on a fairly large amount of paid and religious programming during the evening and weekend hours. It is one of a handful of 50,000 watt
AM stations that still do this practice, including WCKY
in Cincinnati, Ohio
and KXEL
in Waterloo, Iowa
.
, to the ground. The station was knocked completely off the air and took its programming to sister station WBBD
on August 5.
On August 5, 2010 at 10:30 pm, transmissions on 1170 AM were restored using temporary equipment. Work continues to restore full power and facilities.
AM broadcasting
AM broadcasting is the process of radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation. AM was the first method of impressing sound on a radio signal and is still widely used today. Commercial and public AM broadcasting is carried out in the medium wave band world wide, and on long wave and short wave...
radio station
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...
that broadcasts on a frequency of 1170 kHz with studios in Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling is a city in Ohio and Marshall counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia; it is the county seat of Ohio County. Wheeling is the principal city of the Wheeling Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and towers formerly located in St. Clairsville, Ohio
St. Clairsville, Ohio
St. Clairsville is a city in Belmont County, Ohio in the United States. It is part of the Wheeling, West Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 5,057 at the 2000 census. This county seat of Belmont County has been nicknamed "Paradise on the Hill." St. Clairsville was named after...
, before they were destroyed in an August 2010 storm. The station is currently operating with reduced power due to the damage.
When on the air, it is a class A 50,000 watt
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
clear-channel station, sharing the frequency with KFAQ
KFAQ
KFAQ is a news/talk radio station in the Tulsa, Oklahoma, area. The station is owned by Journal Broadcast Group and airs a mix of local and national talk shows. The station is an ABC News Radio affiliate...
(formerly KVOO) in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
. WWVA can be heard in most of the eastern two-thirds of the United States at night, as well as most of Canada. The station is currently owned 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...
and uses the on-air nickname "The Big One" (borrowed from sister stations WLW
WLW
WLW is a clear channel talk radio station located in Cincinnati, Ohio, run by Clear Channel Communications. The station broadcasts locally on 700 kHz AM...
and WTAM
WTAM
WTAM — branded Newsradio WTAM 1100 — is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio, serving Greater Cleveland and much of surrounding Northeast Ohio. Owned by Clear Channel Communications, the station broadcasts primarily a news/talk format...
).
WWVA was one of the first stations in the US to have an in-studio Citizens' Band Radio
Citizens' band radio
Citizens' Band radio is, in many countries, a system of short-distance radio communications between individuals on a selection of 40 channels within the 27-MHz band. Citizens' Band is distinct from the FRS, GMRS, MURS and amateur radio...
to talk to listeners at night, in between songs and other on-air items, during the 1970s when it produced and ran an in-house nightly truckers' show hosted by the popular radio personality, Buddy Ray. Ray left the station in the early 1980s.
In two instances has WWVA been threatened with relocation, neither being successful: first in 1930 to Charleston
Charleston, West Virginia
Charleston is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers in Kanawha County. As of the 2010 census, it has a population of 51,400, and its metropolitan area 304,214. It is the county seat of Kanawha County.Early...
by then-owner West Virginia Broadcasting Corporation, and again in 2004 to Stow, Ohio
Stow, Ohio
Stow is a city in Summit County, Ohio, United States. The population was 32,139 at the 2000 census and 33,899 as of 2008. It is a suburban community that is part of the Akron metropolitan area. Stow is located adjacent to several other suburban communities in Summit and Portage Counties...
(a suburb of Akron) 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...
.
History
WWVA began broadcasting at 2:00 a.m. on December 13, 1926. John Stroebel threw the switch that sent power to a home-built 50-watt transmitter in the basement of his home. One week earlier, the Federal Communications CommissionFederal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
had granted a broadcast license on 860 kilocycles to the radio station WWVA. In its first year of operation, it broadcast to listeners with home-made crystal sets, principally from Stroebel's own home.
Through the years, WWVA has been granted several power increases. In May 1941, the FCC moved WWVA to 1170 KC, and in August of that same year, granted the ultimate power for AM stations: 50,000 watts. In doing so, WWVA became the most powerful AM station in the entire state of West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
.
WWVA has changed hands many times over the years. Past owners include Fidelity Investments
Fidelity Investments
FMR LLC or Fidelity Investments is an American multinational financial services corporation one of the largest mutual fund and financial services groups in the world. It was founded in 1946 and serves North American investors. Fidelity Ventures is its venture capital arm...
, West Virginia Broadcasting Corporation, Storer Broadcasting
Storer Broadcasting
Storer Broadcasting, Inc. was an American company which owned several television and radio stations in the northeast United States. It was incorporated in Ohio in 1927, and sold its broadcasting properties in 1983.-1920s—1940s:...
, Basic Communications, Screen Gems
Screen Gems
Screen Gems is an American movie production company and subsidiary company of Sony Pictures Entertainment's Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group that has served several different purposes for its parent companies over the decades since its incorporation....
Radio - a division of Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
, Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
, Price Broadcasting, Osborn Communications, Atlantic Star Communications, AMFM Inc., and currently 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...
.
WWVA’s broadcast history includes the airing of such notable live broadcasts as President Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
’s visit to the Wheeling area. In the 1980s, WWVA briefly enjoyed a reputation as one of the leading radio news operations in the country, and won several national news reporting awards under the leadership of prominent broadcast journalists such as Jim Forsyth and Colleen Marshall, but that reputation faded in the 1990s. Harvey, however, remained on the station's schedule, and the legendary Jamboree USA and Jamboree in the Hills
Jamboree in the Hills
Jamboree in the Hills, also known as the "Super Bowl of Country Music," is an annual four-day-festival of country music in the rolling hills of Morristown, Ohio in Belmont County...
broadcasts. The WWVA Jamboree
WWVA Jamboree
WWVA Jamboree, renamed Jamboree U.S.A. in the 1960s, and the Wheeling Jamboree in 2009, is a pioneering American radio show that featured country music from 1933–2008, and again since January 2009...
broadcasts started on January 7, 1933 and was even transmitted to troops abroad during the height of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Under Basic ownership, the Jamboree became the centerpiece of an all-contemporary country western
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...
format starting on November 8, 1965, a format that saw ratings skyrocket weeks after it debuted. WWVA's studios and the Jamboree moved to the Capitol Music Hall in 1970, a civic center that is the largest in the state of West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
.
This 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...
format lasted until 1997, when WWVA abandoned it in favor of news/talk. Assumption of ownership by Clear Channel Communications resulted in the addition of such hosts as Rush Limbaugh
Rush Limbaugh
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in American conservatism. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United...
and Glenn Beck
Glenn Beck
Glenn Edward Lee Beck is an American conservative radio host, vlogger, author, entrepreneur, political commentator and former television host. He hosts the Glenn Beck Program, a nationally syndicated talk-radio show that airs throughout the United States on Premiere Radio Networks...
. A series of cost-cutting moves in January 2004 resulted in the elimination of both local talk hosts (George Kellas and Jim Harrington) and most of the news department. Coinciding with this was an attempt to relocate the broadcast frequency to Stow, Ohio
Stow, Ohio
Stow is a city in Summit County, Ohio, United States. The population was 32,139 at the 2000 census and 33,899 as of 2008. It is a suburban community that is part of the Akron metropolitan area. Stow is located adjacent to several other suburban communities in Summit and Portage Counties...
under an FCC major construction permit
Construction permit
A construction permit or building permit is a permit required in most jurisdictions for new construction, or adding on to pre-existing structures, and in some cases for major renovations. Generally, the new construction must be inspected during construction and after completion to ensure compliance...
four weeks later. This permit was withdrawn in August 2004.
Since then, much of WWVA's programming today emulates regional sister stations WPGB-FM in Pittsburgh and WHLO
WHLO
WHLO is an AM radio station in Akron, Ohio, USA, operating on 640 kHz, and owned by Clear Channel Communications.The station has a news/talk format with Jim Quinn's program from WPGB in Pittsburgh, and a schedule of syndicated talkers during the day, headed by Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, with a...
in Akron, Ohio
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
. One local link to the station's past was the afternoon drive show hosted by former sportscaster Steve Novotney, but he was also fired from WWVA in November 2006. At the time, the only local talk show remaining on WWVA was Saturday Sports Day with John Simonson, but WWVA, then in negotiations with new ownership, made a bold move when they paid more money to David Bloomquist to export his Bloomdaddy Experience from rival local station, WKKX
WKKX
WKKX is a News/Talk formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Wheeling, West Virginia, serving Wheeling in West Virginia and St. Clairsville in Ohio. WKKX is owned and operated by RCK 1 Group, LLC.-Programming:...
in late May/early June 2007. The move was controversial (even though the reason given by WKKX to let Bloomquist go appeared to been in conjunction to the Don Imus Rutgers controversy that transpired on MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
around that same time), as WKKX members appeared very bitter about the exit.
The Original Wheeling Radio Jamboree formerly Jamboree USA, In spite of 120 broadcasts of archives between December 2005 & April 2008 is the second-longest running program in radio history (The Grand Ole Opry on WSM
WSM (AM)
WSM is the callsign of a 50,000 watt AM radio station located in Nashville, Tennessee. Operating at 650 kHz, its clear channel signal can reach much of North America and various countries, especially late at night...
Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
is the oldest, having first aired in 1925). However, in an ironic move, the Jamboree was dropped from WWVA's schedule in December 2008, and has since been picked up by community & talk station 1600 AM WKKX.
On November 16, 2006, WWVA, WOVK
WOVK
WOVK is a radio station broadcasting a Country format. Licensed to Wheeling, West Virginia, USA, it serves the Wheeling area. The station is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications....
, WVKF
WVKF
WVKF is a radio station broadcasting a contemporary hit radio format. Licensed to Shadyside, Ohio, USA, the station serves the Wheeling, West Virginia, area. The station is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications...
, WKWK
WKWK
WKWK-FM is an Adult Contemporary formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Wheeling, West Virginia, serving the Wheeling/Steubenville. WKWK is owned and operated by Clear Channel Communications.-External links:*...
, WEGW
WEGW
WEGW is an Active Rock formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Wheeling, West Virginia, serving the Wheeling/Steubenville. WEGW is owned and operated by Clear Channel Communications....
and WBBD
WBBD
WBBD is an oldies and talk formatted broadcast radio station, licensed to Wheeling, West Virginia, serving Wheeling in West Virginia and St. Clairsville in Ohio...
were announced for sale as part of Clear Channel's divestiture of almost 450 small and middle-market radio properties in the U.S. The Clear Channel Wheeling stations were initially slated to be sold to Florida based GoodRadio.TV LLC
GoodRadio.TV LLC
Good Radio Networks LLC is a West Palm Beach, Florida based radio ownership group headed by former Pax president Dean Goodman. Partners in this venture include former NAB Chairman Eddie Fritz, and former founder of NextMedia, Carl Hirsch.GoodRadio was established in late 2006 with the purchase of...
in May 2007, but the deal soon collapsed prior to FCC approval.
Programming
WWVA's weekday programming is identical to that of most Clear Channel news talk stations, carrying Glenn BeckGlenn Beck
Glenn Edward Lee Beck is an American conservative radio host, vlogger, author, entrepreneur, political commentator and former television host. He hosts the Glenn Beck Program, a nationally syndicated talk-radio show that airs throughout the United States on Premiere Radio Networks...
, Rush Limbaugh
Rush Limbaugh
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in American conservatism. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United...
, Sean Hannity
Sean Hannity
Sean Hannity is an American radio and television host, author, and conservative political commentator. He is the host of The Sean Hannity Show, a nationally syndicated talk radio show that airs throughout the United States on Premiere Radio Networks. Hannity also hosts a cable news show, Hannity,...
, Michael Savage
Michael Savage (commentator)
Michael Savage is a conservative American radio host, author, and political commentator. He is the host of The Savage Nation, a nationally syndicated talk show that airs throughout the United States on Talk Radio Network...
, and George Noory
George Noory
George Ralph Noory is a Lebanese-American radio talk show host.As of 2010, he is the weekday host of the late-night radio talk show Coast to Coast AM. He is heard across the United States and Canada on many AM and FM stations as well as on XM Satellite Radio. His show is one of the most listened...
. The station opts for paid programming in the late nights.
Until 2009, unlike most Clear Channel news talk stations, WWVA did not air Coast to Coast AM
Coast to Coast AM
Coast to Coast AM is a North American late-night syndicated radio talk show that deals with a variety of topics, but most frequently ones that relate to either the paranormal or conspiracy theories. It was created by Art Bell and is distributed by Premiere Radio Networks. The program currently...
. Instead, it aired America's Trucking Network
America's Trucking Network
"Steve Sommers" redirects here. Not to be confused with Steve Somers, a New York radio host.America's Trucking Network is a nightly terrestrial and satellite radio broadcast based in Cincinnati, Ohio that was formerly syndicated across the United States...
(still listing it as Truckin' Bozo on the schedule, even several years after the show changed its name) originating from former sister station WLW
WLW
WLW is a clear channel talk radio station located in Cincinnati, Ohio, run by Clear Channel Communications. The station broadcasts locally on 700 kHz AM...
. The truck show had been a longtime staple of WWVA's nighttime schedule. WWVA was one of the first stations to syndicate The Truckin' Bozo (as well as one of the last; outside of WLW, only one other terrestrial station
KWKH
KWKH is a classic country music radio station serving Shreveport, Louisiana. The 50-kilowatt station broadcasts at 1130 kHz. Formerly owned by Clear Channel Communications and Gap Central Broadcasting, it is now owned by Townsquare Media....
still carries the syndicated program), and even before that, Buddy Ray hosted a longtime truck show on the station. The truck programming was unceremoniously dropped in 2009, replaced with Coast to Coast, already available from the many other AM signals that penetrate the area.
Its radio signals can be picked up quite strongly in as far away as Toronto, Ontario, giving Toronto the ability to hear such programs which are not permitted to air in Toronto due to Canadian content
Canadian content
Canadian content refers to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission requirements that radio and television broadcasters must air a certain percentage of content that was at least partly written, produced, presented, or otherwise contributed to by persons from...
regulations.
WWVA relies on a fairly large amount of paid and religious programming during the evening and weekend hours. It is one of a handful of 50,000 watt
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
AM stations that still do this practice, including WCKY
WCKY (AM)
WCKY is an AM radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, broadcasting at 1530 kHz with 50,000 watts, and its transmitter is located in nearby Villa Hills, Kentucky. It is a class A clear channel station, sharing the frequency with KFBK in Sacramento, and can be heard, particularly at night, over most...
in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
and KXEL
KXEL
KXEL is a Class A AM radio station serving the Waterloo/Cedar Rapids metropolitan area with a News/Talk format. It broadcasts on AM frequency 1540 kHz and is under ownership of Bahakel Communications. KXEL is also the flagship station of the University of Northern Iowa Sports...
in Waterloo, Iowa
Waterloo, Iowa
Waterloo is a city in and the county seat of Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census the population decreased by 0.5% to 68,406. Waterloo is part of the Waterloo – Cedar Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is the more populous of the two...
.
Towers Down and Off Air
On August 4, 2010, a severe thunderstorm, classified as a "down burst" by the National Weather Service, pushed through the Wheeling area knocking the 3 tower array, located in nearby St. Clairsville, OhioSt. Clairsville, Ohio
St. Clairsville is a city in Belmont County, Ohio in the United States. It is part of the Wheeling, West Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 5,057 at the 2000 census. This county seat of Belmont County has been nicknamed "Paradise on the Hill." St. Clairsville was named after...
, to the ground. The station was knocked completely off the air and took its programming to sister station WBBD
WBBD
WBBD is an oldies and talk formatted broadcast radio station, licensed to Wheeling, West Virginia, serving Wheeling in West Virginia and St. Clairsville in Ohio...
on August 5.
On August 5, 2010 at 10:30 pm, transmissions on 1170 AM were restored using temporary equipment. Work continues to restore full power and facilities.