WPGR (AM)

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**WPGR**
Broadcast area	Monroeville, Pennsylvania/Pittsburgh
Branding	"AM1510, WPGR"
First air date	1960
Frequency	1510 (kHz)
Format	Urban Gospel
ERP	5,000 watts (Daytime) 1 watt (Nighttime) 2,500 watts (Critical Hours)
Callsign meaning	W PittsburGh Radio
Owner	Sheridan Broadcasting Corporation
Website	http://www.wamo.com

WPGR is a Urban Gospel radio station serving the Pittsburgh area. The station, which is owned by Sheridan Broadcasting Corporation, broadcasts at 1510 kHz, with an effective radiated power of 5 kW-D/1w-N/2.5 kW-C pattern, and is licensed to Monroeville, Pennsylvania.

[edit] History

WPGR, whose previous formats included adult contemporary, urban contemporary and modern rock, flipped to its current format (which had previously been at what's now WWNL) in 1999.

This station first went on the air as WPSL back in 1964, and operated as a daytime-only operation with a power output of 250 watts, non-directional. WPSL was primarily a broadcast outlet for an announcer training school managed by Pittsburgh radio great Bill Lynch. The station later evolved into a commercial enterprise, maintaining its same ownership until being silenced in 1979.

The station returned to the air in 1980 under a new set of call letters, WRUA, and a new owner, Barua Communications of Monroeville, founded by a local podiatrist. The station operated under these same call letters until 1988, when Barua leased the station to another operator (Julco Enterprises), Robert Julian. WRUA took on a new set of call letters, and WXVX (the last three standing for the Roman numeral 1510) was born. WXVX was created as an outlet for progressive and alternative rock after New Kensington-licensed FM station WXXP switched its format to adult contemporary and adopted the slogan "Mix 100.7".

WXVX's presentation was that of inmates running the asylum, with concerts being held outside the station's ramshackle studio building in Monroeville, by up and coming new rock acts. Though the station proved popular with listeners, and introduced acts such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Lenny Kravitz to the market, it didn't meet its financial goals and the station reverted back to Barua's control. A volunteer airstaff, dedicated to the format, kept the station going by working for free and selling airtime, including its General Manager, another legendary Pittsburgh radio personality, Paul Goodman.

Goodman managed to keep WXVX afloat until it was leased again in 1994 to Chae Communications, a broadcast company controlled by former WLOA General Manager Del King, who programmed a format of adult urban contemporary. Unable to make a go of the operation, King let the contract lapse and purchased outright another station in Steubenville, Ohio, which turned out to be a financial success. WXVX was finally sold in 1997 to Westmoreland County broadcaster and engineer Michael Horvath, who had also recently purchased WPLW in Carnegie, changing the latter's call letters to the original WZUM. Horvath abandoned the WXVX alternative rock format, and put an automated format of 80's music on the air, soliciting the airtime for sale to those interested in their own radio programs.

Horvath then sold both his stations in 2005 to their existing owners.