| Broadcast area | Youngstown, Ohio |
|---|---|
| Branding | Newsradio 570 WKBN |
| Frequency | 570 (kHz) |
| First air date | September 26, 1926 |
| Format | News/Talk |
| Power | 5,000 watts |
| Class | B |
| Callsign meaning | None, sequentially assigned by the FCC |
| Owner | Clear Channel Communications |
| Sister stations | WAKZ, WBBG, WMXY, WNCD, WNIO |
| Website | www.570wkbn.com |
WKBN is an AM radio station in Youngstown, Ohio, USA broadcasting at 570 kHz with a talk radio format. The station also carries games for the Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Indians, and Youngstown State Penguin football and basketball. The station recently signed a deal to carry Youngstown State football and basketball; they had previously carried Ohio State football and basketball, which has now been moved to 1390 WNIO and 106.1 WBBG.
The station was founded in 1926 by Warren P. Williamson, Jr. (1900–1996). It was Youngstown's first radio station, signing on the air on September 26, 1926 at 1400 kHz at 50 watts. The original facilities were in the basement of Williamson's home, but by the following year operations had moved to studios in the YMCA in downtown Youngstown. Ownership was organized in the name of the Radio Electric Service Co., and later WKBN Broadcasting Corporation. With the implementation of the FRC's General Order 40 on November 11, 1928 the station moved 570 kHz where it remains today.
Shortly after WKBN's launch, the station became a charter affiliate of the nascent CBS Radio Network, an affiliation that would last until the end of the century. In the 1930s and 1940s, WKBN established a major presence in Youngstown as the city's CBS network affiliate, and for many years it was one of only two radio stations licensed to Youngstown (the other being WFMJ, now WNIO, which signed on in 1939).
Williamson started WKBN-FM in 1948, and for many years it transmitted the same programming as the AM station. The FM station is now WMXY. He also started WKBN-TV in 1953, which became a predominantly CBS-TV affiliate in part due to the AM station's long history with the radio network (WKBN-TV to this day has retained the CBS-TV affiliation).
On January 22, 1999 WKBN Broadcasting Corporation sold WKBN and WKBN-FM to Jacor Communications, ending 75 years of Williamson family ownership. Jacor, however, did not own the stations very long. On April 29, 1999 Clear Channel Communications completed its $6.5 billion purchase of Jacor and its 454 stations, including WKBN and WKBN-FM.
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