WZSK
 | |
| Broadcast area | Bedford, Pennsylvania Somerset, Pennsylvania Altoona, Pennsylvania Cumberland, Maryland |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 1040 AM kHz |
| Branding | "NewsTalk 1040" |
| Programming | |
| Format | News/Talk[1] |
| Affiliations | ABC Radio News |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | New Millennium Communications Group, Inc. |
| WSKE | |
| History | |
First air date | March 15, 1963[2] |
Former call signs | WSKE (1963-2000) WZSK (2000-Present)[3] |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 54570 |
| Class | D |
| Power | 10,000 Watts daytime 4,000 Watts critical hours |
Transmitter coordinates | 40°0′26.0″N 78°21′44.0″W / 40.007222°N 78.362222°W |
WZSK is a News/Talk formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Everett, Pennsylvania, serving Bedford, Somerset, and Altoona in Pennsylvania and Cumberland in Maryland.[1] WZSK is owned and operated by New Millennium Communications Group, Inc.[4]
1040 AM is a United States clear-channel frequency, on which WHO is the dominant Class A station. WZSK must leave the air during nighttime hours in order to prevent interference to the skywave signal of WHO.
History
Beginnings
The groundwork for WZSK was first laid in 1962. Known then as WSKE(AM), founders Dennis and Willard Sleighter first applied for its construction permit in November 1962. The station first operated at an FCC assigned frequency of 1050 kHz, with a maximum output power of 250 watts. The station went on the air March 25, 1963 from its longtime facilities along East First Avenue and Juaniata Street in Everett.
In August 1964, the Sleighters applied for a construction permit to move WSKE's dial position from 1050 kHz to 1110 kHz and increase its power to 5,000 watts. The FCC denied the permit in March of 1967. Shortly after, the Sleighters sold the station to the Bakner family, who would control the station over the next three decades.
Sale to Bakner Family
Melvin Bakner, known by his on-air name "Shorty King", formed Radio Everett, Inc. and acquired WSKE in July 1967. Under his direction, the station boasted a country format, which became popular with local listeners. In 1979, WSKE applied for a power increase to 1,000 watts and installed a directional antenna system. Bakner's son Martin, also began working at the station as a teenager and would remain there until its sale in 2002.
WSKE petitioned for a frequency change again in the 1980s, and was granted a move its present dial position of 1040 kHz and a power increase to 10,000 watts daytime and 4,000 watts, critical hours.
On April 27, 1987, Radio Everett, Inc. successfully applied for an FM license at 104.3 mHz. That station became known as WSKE-FM and became a full simulcast of its then-same-named AM sister. The station allowed Everett to have local radio service after WSKE was required to sign off after local sunset. The FM broadcast 18 hours a day at that time.
References
- ^ a b "Arbitron Station Information Profiles". Nielsen Audio/Nielsen Holdings. Retrieved June 22, 2016.
- ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 2010 (PDF). ProQuest, LLC/Reed Publishing (Nederland), B.V. 2010. p. D-463. Retrieved June 22, 2016.
- ^ "Call Sign History". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved June 22, 2016.
- ^ "WZSK Facility Record". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved June 22, 2016.
External links
- Facility details for Facility ID WZSK ({{{2}}}) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- {{{2}}} in Nielsen Audio's AM station database
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