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WWNL (1080 AM) is a commercial radio station in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. It broadcasts a Christian talk and teaching radio format and is owned by Steel City Radio, Inc. Programming is supplied by the Wilkins Radio Network. WWNL features local and national religious leaders, including Charles Stanley, John MacArthur, David Jeremiah and Michael Youssef. WWNL is a brokered 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 50,000 watts, the maximum permitted for AM radio stations in the United States. Because AM 1080 is a clear channel frequency reserved for Class A stations KRLD Dallas and WTIC Hartford, WWNL is a daytimer, required to sign off the air at night. During critical hours, WWNL is powered at 25,000 watts. It uses a directional antenna at all times. The transmitter, with a four-tower array, is off Lah Road in Gibsonia, Pennsylvania.

History

WILY and WEEP

In 1947, the station signed on the air, using WILY as its call sign. It primarily served Pittsburgh's African American audience in the 1950s. In 1957, it became WEEP, a Top 40 station, before switching to the call letters WYRE in 1961 and then back to WEEP.

Country music

Unable to compete with KQV in the Top 40 format, WEEP changed to country 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 (now WDSY-FM) to country music as well, a first such FM station in Pittsburgh. Other than a one-year period with a talk radio format in 1976, WEEP broadcast a country format for almost 30 years.

By the 1980s, WEEP and WDSY simulcast part of the day, before WEEP changed to an oldies format on December 15, 1986. In September 1990, it adopted an all-business news and talk format.

In February 1992, the call letters were changed to WDSY and the station became a full time simulcast of WDSY-FM's country format. This was short-lived with the AM station going back to the WEEP call letters and affiliating with the Satellite 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.

Gospel and Christian radio

In April 1997, WDSY was sold and changed formats to urban gospel as WPGR. In July 1999, the format moved to 1510.

Following two months of simulcasting, 1080 changed to a Christian radio format, using the WWNL call sign. Starting as a music-based station, WWNL has added more talk and paid programming in recent years, affiliated with the Wilkins Radio Network.

History of call letters

The call letters WWNL were previously assigned to an AM station in Newport, Kentucky. It initially broadcast on 1110 kHz but moved to 740 kHz in 1948.

References

1. "Facility Technical Data for WWNL". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
2. Radio-Locator.com/WWNL
3. "WEEP Sheds Country for Gold" (PDF). Radio & Records. January 2, 1987. p. 3. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
4. "Street Talk" (PDF). Radio & Records. February 7, 1992. p. 24. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
5. "Country - Footnotes" (PDF). Radio & Records. March 26, 1993. p. 40. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
6. "FCC Okays WWNL Move, 1110-740 kc" (PDF). Broadcasting. May 24, 1948. Retrieved December 13, 2014.

External links

• FCC History Cards for WWNL
• Facility details for Facility ID 18517 (WWNL) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
• WWNL in Nielsen Audio's AM station database

40°36′17″N 79°57′37″W / 40.60472°N 79.96028°W / 40.60472; -79.96028

• Christian radio stations in Pennsylvania
• Radio stations in Pittsburgh
• American Basketball Association flagship radio stations
• Radio stations established in 1947
• 1947 establishments in Pennsylvania
• Daytime-only radio stations in Pennsylvania