WAOB (AM) facts for kids
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| Broadcast area | Pittsburgh metropolitan area |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 860 kHz |
| Programming | |
| Format | Catholic talk and teaching |
| Affiliations | EWTN Radio |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | St. Joseph Ministries |
| History | |
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First air date
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1948 (as WHOD–Homestead, Pennsylvania) |
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Call sign meaning
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We Are One Body |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 60155 |
| Class | B |
| Power | 1,000 watts (Daytime) 830 watts (Nighttime) |
| Links | |
| Website | WAOB.org |
WAOB (860 kHz) is an AM radio station. It is licensed to Millvale, Pennsylvania, and serves the Greater Pittsburgh area. This station is owned by St. Joseph Ministries. It broadcasts Catholic talk and teaching programs. Some shows are made locally with the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Other shows come from EWTN Radio. The studios and offices are in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. For 50 years, this station served Pittsburgh's African-American community as WAMO.
WAOB broadcasts with 1,000 watts during the day. At night, it lowers its power to 830 watts. This is because 860 AM is a special "clear channel" frequency. This frequency is mainly for CJBC in Toronto. WAOB must reduce its power to avoid causing interference to CJBC. It uses a special directional antenna all the time. You can also hear WAOB's programs on 106.7 WAOB-FM in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. It is also on WPGR 1510 AM in Monroeville, Pennsylvania.
A Look Back: WAOB's History
The station first started broadcasting in 1948. Its original name was WHOD. It was licensed to Homestead, Pennsylvania. Steel City Broadcasting, Inc., owned it back then. Pittsburgh is often called the "Steel City." At first, it only broadcast with 250 watts. It was a "daytimer," meaning it had to stop broadcasting at night.
In 1956, the station changed its name to WAMO. The "AMO" stood for the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio rivers. It also changed its license city to Pittsburgh. WAMO served the area's African-American community for the next 50 years. It played R&B and soul music. It also had Black talk and news shows during the week. On Sundays, it played religious programs.
In 1960, WAMO added an FM station, 105.9 WAMO-FM (now WXDX-FM). Over time, WAMO-FM became an urban contemporary station. WAMO 860 focused on Black news, talk, classic soul music, and urban gospel.
In the 1990s, the station's signal was made stronger. Its city of license changed from Pittsburgh to Millvale. For a while in the 1990s, the station's name switched between WYJZ and WAMO.
The "Oldies" Pioneer
What made WAMO famous was a disc jockey named Craig "Porky" Chedwick. In the 1950s, he started playing what became known as "the first oldies." He looked for old R&B songs in record bins and antique stores. He built a large collection of records. Through his show, he created what was later called "Pittsburgh's Oldies." Other DJs in Pittsburgh and across the country copied his style. Many people say Chedwick was the "father of Oldies" radio.
Changes in Programming
On January 31, 2006, WAMO made a deal with Radio One. It started broadcasting their "Urban Talk" shows. This change happened on February 27, 2006. This type of programming did not last long. On August 28, 2006, the station went back to playing music. It played "R&B and classic soul." It kept the syndicated Steve Harvey and Bev Smith shows in the mornings and late nights.
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On May 15, 2009, Sheridan announced that WAMO-AM, WAMO-FM, and WPGR-AM would be sold. St. Joseph Missions bought them. On September 8, 2009, WAMO-AM and its FM sister station stopped broadcasting. This ended 61 years of serving Pittsburgh's African-American community. The station's name changed to WAOB. It returned to the air in February 2010. It became a non-commercial religious station.
Another AM station in Pittsburgh, on 660 AM in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, later took the WAMO name. It now broadcasts urban contemporary music. It also has an FM translator at 107.3 MHz.
