WFIL facts for kids
 |
|
| Broadcast area | Delaware Valley |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 560 kHz |
| Branding | Philadelphia's Christian Radio |
| Programming | |
| Format | Christian radio |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
|
Sister stations
|
WNTP |
| History | |
|
First air date
|
March 18, 1922 |
|
Call sign meaning
|
combination of predecessor stations WFI and WLIT |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 52193 |
| Class | B |
| Power | 5,000 watts |
|
Transmitter coordinates
|
40°05′42.00″N 75°16′38.00″W / 40.0950000°N 75.2772222°W |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Listen LivePLS Link |
WFIL (560 AM) is a radio station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It is owned by Salem Media Group. The station broadcasts Christian radio programs, including teaching and talk shows.
WFIL shares its studios and transmitters with its sister station, WNTP (990 AM). These are located in Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania. During the day, WFIL's signal reaches Philadelphia and parts of the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania. It also covers parts of New Jersey and Delaware.
WFIL is very close on the radio dial to WMCA (at 570) in New York City. Both stations have similar histories. In the 1960s, they were both popular Top 40 music stations. As AM radio became less popular for music, both stations changed their formats. Today, both WFIL and WMCA broadcast Christian and religious programs.
Both WFIL and WMCA are 5,000-watt radio stations. However, they send less power towards each other. This is because they are so close on the dial. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) does not allow them to interfere with each other's signals. Both stations also had "Call For Action" telephone help lines. They were among the first radio stations in the U.S. to offer this service.
Contents
How WFIL Radio Began
WFIL was created in 1935 by joining two older radio stations. These stations both started in 1922. One was called WFI, and the other was first known as WDAR. Each station was owned by a large department store in Philadelphia. WFI belonged to Strawbridge and Clothier. WDAR was run by Lit Brothers.
Even though they were separate, the two stations worked well together. They shared airtime without problems. Around 1924, WDAR changed its name to WLIT. By the late 1920s, WFI and WLIT often worked together on shows and events. In 1935, the two department stores decided to combine their stations.
The new station was named WFIL. This name came from combining parts of the old names (WFI and WLIT). It was a happy accident that the new name sounded like "Philadelphia." The new WFIL became connected with NBC. Some old advertisements even said it was a "basic Blue" station.
WFIL's Journey Through the Years
In 1947, Walter Annenberg's Triangle Publications bought WFIL. This company also owned The Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper. By this time, WFIL was part of the ABC Radio Network. Triangle Publications owned many other radio and TV stations across the country.
In 1971, Triangle Publications sold WFIL and its sister stations. WFIL was sold to LIN Broadcasting. Its sister FM station became WIOQ. The TV station, WFIL-TV, changed its name to WPVI-TV.
|
WFIL Studio
|
|
 |
|
 Location in Philadelphia
Location in Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 4548 Market St. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Built | 1948 |
| Architect | Savery, Scheetz & Gilmour; Abraham Levy |
| Architectural style | Moderne |
| NRHP reference No. | 86002092 |
| Added to NRHP | July 28, 1986 |
The Rise of Rock and Roll Legends
WFIL's first radio studios were in the Widener Building in downtown Philadelphia. Later, under Triangle Publications, the stations moved. They went to a new building at 46th and Market Street in West Philadelphia. This was one of the first buildings in the country made especially for TV broadcasting.
It was in this new building that Triangle started broadcasting Bandstand. This show later became famous as American Bandstand. It was first hosted by Bob Horn, then by Dick Clark. Dick Clark started as a disc jockey on WFIL radio in 1952. He hosted the TV show for 31 years, and it became a national show on the ABC Television Network. In 1964, Clark moved the show to Hollywood.
Dick Clark became a very important person in the early days of rock and roll. American Bandstand helped many new music stars become famous. The WFIL studio at 4548 Market Street is now a historic place. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. This was because it was one of the first buildings built for TV and the home of American Bandstand.
WFIL's Music Changes Over Time
In February 1964, WFIL moved its stations again. They went to a new, modern building at City and Monument Avenues in Philadelphia. WPVI-TV still broadcasts from this location today.
On September 18, 1966, WFIL started playing "Top 40" rock and roll music. It quickly became very popular. People in Philadelphia called it "The Pop Music Explosion." The first group of radio hosts were called "Boss Jocks." They included:
- Chuck Browning (6-10am)
- Jay Cook (10am-2pm)
- Jim Nettleton (2-6pm)
- George Michael (6-10pm)
- Long John Wade (10pm-2am)
- Dave Parks (2-6am)
- Frank Kingston Smith (Weekends)
Other famous WFIL announcers from this time included Dr. Don Rose, Jim O'Brien, Dan Donovan, and Banana Joe Montione.
In the fall of 1977, the station's music style changed. It became more like adult contemporary music. Later, WFIL's studios moved to Domino Lane in Philadelphia. They moved into the building of FM station WUSL. During this time, more and more people started listening to FM stations. This made WFIL's ratings go down.
In September 1981, WFIL tried playing country music. But this did not help its popularity. In September 1983, the station switched to an "oldies" format. It was called "The Boss is Back" and played hits from 1955 to 1973. This oldies format lasted until April 8, 1987.
A new owner, WEAZ Inc., then stopped playing local music. WFIL began playing music from a satellite service called "Oldies Channel." This meant there were no more live radio hosts.
WFIL Becomes a Christian Radio Station
In November 1987, other FM stations like WOGL and WIOQ also started playing oldies music. They quickly became more popular than WFIL. The "Oldies Channel" format did not do well for WFIL. In 1989, WFIL quietly started playing the same music as its sister station, Easy 101.1 WEAZ.
In September 1991, the AM station started playing "beautiful music." This was a mostly automated format. Then, in May 1993, WEAZ became WBEB.
In October 1993, Salem Communications bought the AM station for $4 million. On November 1, 1993, the station was renamed WPHY. It started broadcasting religious programs, focusing on Christian talk and teaching.
The Christian teaching and talk format is still used today. In 1994, a TV station in South Carolina stopped using the WFIL name. Salem Communications quickly got the famous call sign back. The station officially became WFIL again on September 6, 1994.
In its rock-and-roll days, WFIL was known as "Famous 56." Its slogan was "Rockin' in the Cradle of Liberty." Its 5000-watt transmitter allowed its signal to be heard far away. It reached places like Staten Island in New York City. WFIL was also very popular in nearby Wilmington, Delaware, and in Reading and Allentown, Pennsylvania.
Today, WFIL is owned by Salem Media Group, along with WNTP (990 AM). WNTP used to be WIBG, which was WFIL's main rock-and-roll rival in the 1960s and 1970s. The studios, offices, and transmitters for both stations are now located together in Whitemarsh Township, Pennsylvania.
- WFIL in the FCC's AM station database
- WFIL in Nielsen Audio's AM station database
See also
In Spanish: WFIL para niños
