WKFB

WKFB is an AM radio station licensed to Jeannette, Pennsylvania that serves the greater Pittsburgh area. Known as 770 KFB, the station operates with 750 watts, and airs a mix of health talk and paid programming, with oldies music throughout the day and on weekends. The radio station is home to several Pittsburgh oldies personalities, including Frankie Day, "Caveman" Ralph and "Big Ray" Edwards.

WKFB is co-owned with WKHB (620), also near Pittsburgh. Because WKFB shares the same frequency as "clear channel" station WABC-AM in New York City; it broadcasts only during daytime hours. However, WKFB also is simulcast on FM translator station W248AR Monroeville (97.5) and automated oldies are heard on that frequency during the nighttime hours when WKFB is off the air.

History

For many years this station was WBCW (1530), and for a brief period, WKTW. The station originally operated at 1530 kHz with a daytime-only power of 1,000 watts, with 250 watts during critical hours, barely reaching the fringes of Westmoreland County. WBCW was founded by broadcast engineer Albert Calisti, who first put it on the air back in 1974, having completed an eight-year stint as general manager of competitor WTRA (now WCNS).

Very much a family business, Calisti did the engineering and hosted a provocative and often amusing local talk show, his wife Verna kept the books and sold airtime, and their daughter Jacqueline Rae served as program director. The station only had one employee outside of the Calisti family: Clair Thomas, who served as the station's news and music director.

The Calistis maintained ownership of the station with a primary local and syndicated talk format until 1996, when they sold it to Broadcast Communications, which had just acquired then-Greensburg-based WHJB-AM 620 . Al Calisti died of cancer seven years later.

Under the new ownership, the station moved from its original location at 111 South Fourth Street in Jeannette to WHJB's building at 245 Brown Street in Greensburg. A frequency change to 770 was made in early 2004, giving the station much better coverage of the Pittsburgh market and the ability to do so at a lower power, allowing the station to reach as far north as eastern Armstrong County. The call letters WKFB were selected to be similar to sister station WKHB.

On-air hosts and programs

The station's recent history has been heavily influenced by Frankie Day, a North Versailles, Pennsylvania businessman who has leased up to sixty hours of air time per week for various oldies programs since Spring 2005. "The Morning Memory Show" was broadcast during weekday morning drive time from April 2006 through the Fall of 2013. The show originally featured "Caveman" Ralph and Frankie Day, later joined by Dale Jonez and Glenn Raymer. In May 2009, "Caveman" decided to cut back on his air time and concentrate on his Saturday morning show. Glenn Raymer replaced him on the morning show starting on June 1st of that year. With the return of "Big Ray" Edwards to the station in April 2011, oldies programming was broadcast continuously from 7 am until noon Monday through Friday. "The Union Edge" appears from noon to 3 pm, followed by one hour of Frankie Day, then Pittsburgh chiropractor Dr. James Winer's alternative health show airs weekdays from 4 until 5.

In February 2012 due to heath concerns, Frankie Day decided to drastically cut his workload and on air hours. "The Morning Memory Show" aired from 7 to 10 am weekdays, followed by "Big Ray" from 10 am to noon. In July 2012 Frankie's afternoon show returned for one hour (3 to 4 pm weekdays). In the Fall of 2013 the morning drive show returned to its original roots as "The Frankie Day Oldies Show", with Frankie performing the hosting duties solo from 8 to 10 am.

Weekends are full of ethnic and religious programs, as well as oldies all day Saturdays. These shows feature "Caveman" Ralph, "Dr. Doo Wop" and Eugene Reid. As of July 2012 Frankie Day's Saturday show returned from 2 pm until signoff.

An Internet-only radio station, www.soundsofphillyradio.com, simulcasts "The Frankie Day Oldies Show" from 8 to 10 am weekdays and from 3 to 4 PM along with a pre recorded hour of Frankie from 4 to 5 PM Monday through Thursday and from 4 to 5 pm Saturdays. Many of the afternoon shows broadcast on the internet are ones specially produced for Sounds Of Philly Radio.

References

External links

• Frankie Day's web site
• Query the FCC's AM station database for WKFB
• Radio-Locator Information on WKFB
• Query Nielsen Audio's AM station database for WKFB
• Query the FCC's FM station database for W248AR
• Radio-Locator information on W248AR
• Query Nielsen Audio's FM station database for W248AR

Coordinates: 40°17′20″N 79°42′04″W / 40.28889°N 79.70111°W / 40.28889; -79.70111