WKHB (620
kHz
The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose expression in terms of SI base units is s−1, meaning that on ...
"KHB Radio") is a
commercial
Commercial may refer to:
* a dose of advertising conveyed through media (such as - for example - radio or television)
** Radio advertisement
** Television advertisement
* (adjective for:) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and s ...
AM radio station
Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radio ...
licensed
A license (or licence) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit).
A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another party (licensee) as an element of an agreeme ...
to
Irwin, Pennsylvania
Irwin is a borough in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh. Some of the most extensive bituminous coal deposits in the State are located here. In the past, iron foundries, flour mills, car shops, facing and planing mills, e ...
, and serving
Greater Pittsburgh
Greater Pittsburgh is a populous region centered around its largest city and economic hub, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The region encompasses Pittsburgh's urban core county, Allegheny, and six adjacent Pennsylvania counties: Armstrong, Beaver, B ...
. It is owned by Broadcast Communications, Inc., and it carries a
brokered programming
Brokered programming (also known as time-buy and blocktime) is a form of broadcast content in which the show's producer pays a radio or television station for air time, rather than exchanging programming for pay or the opportunity to play spot comm ...
radio format
A radio format or programming format (not to be confused with broadcast programming) describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. The radio format emerged mainly in the United States in the 1950s, at a time when Radio broadcasting, ...
. During the day, hosts pay the station for time on the air and may advertise their products or services during their shows. At night, WKHB plays
oldies
Oldies is a term for musical genres such as pop music, rock and roll, doo-wop, surf music (broadly characterized as classic rock and pop rock) from the second half of the 20th century, specifically from around the mid-1950s to the 1980s, as we ...
music.
By day, WKHB transmits with 5,500
watt
The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantify the rate of energy transfer. The watt is named after James Wa ...
s, but at night, to prevent interference to other stations on
620 AM
The following radio stations broadcast on AM frequency 620 kHz: 620 AM is a Regional broadcast frequency.
In Antigua and Barbuda
* V2C-AM in Saint John's
In Argentina
* LRA18 in El Turbio
* LRA26 in Resistencia, Chaco
* LRA28 La Ri ...
, WKHB reduces power to only 50 watts. The
transmitter
In electronics and telecommunications, a radio transmitter or just transmitter is an electronic device which produces radio waves with an antenna (radio), antenna. The transmitter itself generates a radio frequency alternating current, which i ...
is off Turkey Farm Road in
Wendel.
Radio-Locator.com/WKHB
/ref> Programming is simulcast
Simulcast (a portmanteau of simultaneous broadcast) is the broadcasting of programmes/programs or events across more than one resolution, bitrate or medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at exactly the same time (that is, simultane ...
on three FM translator
A broadcast relay station, also known as a satellite station, relay transmitter, broadcast translator (U.S.), re-broadcaster (Canada), repeater (two-way radio) or complementary station (Mexico), is a broadcast transmitter which repeats (or tran ...
s: 102.1 in Central Allegheny County, 94.1 in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
and 92.3 in Westmoreland County.
History
Beginnings as WHJB
620 began as WHJB, formerly licensed to Greensburg, Pennsylvania
Greensburg is a city in and the county seat of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States, and a part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. The city lies within the Laurel Highlands and the ecoregion of the Western Allegheny Plateau (ecoregion), W ...
. It signed on
Signing may refer to:
* Using sign language
* Signature
A signature (; from la, signare, "to sign") is a handwritten (and often stylized) depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on do ...
the air on October 28, 1934. The station began as a daytimer
A clear-channel station is an AM radio station in North America that has the highest protection from interference from other stations, particularly concerning night-time skywave propagation. The system exists to ensure the viability of cross-coun ...
, operating at a power of 250 watts, non-directional, and required to go off the air at night. The station's call letters
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally assigne ...
stood for founder H.J. Brennen. doing business as Pittsburgh Radio Supply House, broadcasting from a studio at 128 North Penn Avenue in Greensburg.
WHJB, as the first radio station on the air in suburban Pittsburgh, experienced steady growth and prospered over its formative years, getting nighttime power authorization by 1955, as well as a daytime power increase, with power settings at 1,000 watts during the day, and 500 watts at night, adopting a directional antenna pattern with changing patterns for night and day operation. By 1960, the name of the licensee had changed its name to WHJB, Inc., though the station still was owned by the Brennen family. That changed in 1962 when control was transferred to others after the Brennen family's interests were sold to Robert Burstein, and then to general manager Melvin Goldberg by 1967.
WHJB-FM signs on
On November 1, 1964, WHJB welcomed WHJB-FM, its like-named FM sister station to the air. Though the stations shared identical call letters, they were initially programmed separately, until 1967, when several changes took place.
That year, WHJB and its FM sister, by this time named WOKU-FM, now simulcasting for half the broadcast day, moved to new studios and offices at 227 West Otterman Street in Greensburg. The stations moved to another location at 245 Brown Street near the Greensburg city limits in 1974, where they remained for the rest of the 20th century.
As "Disco 107" in 1979, WOKU won an award from ''Billboard'' magazine as "Large-Market Disco Station of the Year."
In 1980, WHJB upgraded its transmitting facilities again, increasing its power to 2,500 watts daytime and 500 watts at night, which it kept until shortly after its sale in 1996. WHJB's antenna array along U.S. Route 30 (four towers for the AM directional pattern, plus a fifth tower for the FM, later used as an auxiliary site) could be seen overlooking Greensburg for many years, but came down after the sale was completed.
1996 sale
The station was sold in 1996 to Broadcast Communications, Inc.
Broadcast Communications, Inc. moved WHJB's transmitter site closer to Pittsburgh, raised its daytime power twice, and changed its community of license to Irwin, Pennsylvania, a nearby suburb of Pittsburgh. WHJB had always been primarily a Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania radio station while WKHB with its higher power and closer tower, aspires to serve the tri-state greater Pittsburgh area.
Although the station continued to operate as a music-formatted, stand-alone AM outlet for several more years, the call letter change to WKHB in 1999 was more or less concurrent with a format switch to all paid programming. Music continues to air in the station's off-peak hours, 7:15 p.m. to 6:30 a.m., consisting of classic hits from the mid-1960s to the mid-’80s.
Program Hosts
Morning host and station manager Barry Banker celebrated 40 years with the station in 2006. Banker retired and was replaced in morning drive by Bill Korch from nearby WEDO.
Veteran Pittsburgh on-air personality and programmer Clarke Ingram Clarke Ingram is a United States radio personality and programming executive.
Ingram is best known in his home market (and hometown) of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Career
Ingram was formerly the program director of two Pittsburgh stations, top 40 ...
was associated with the station (and sister station WKFB
WKFB (770 AM) is a radio station licensed to Jeannette, Pennsylvania that serves the greater Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most ...
) as Program Director and Operations Manager for several years in the mid-2000s.
Caleb Michaels and Michael J. Daniels appear at various times, often at night, doing the classic hits format, which at times is simulcast with sister station 103.9 WKHB-FM.
KHB also features a variety of talk programming including: health, ministry, and local issues. KHB has an extended lineup of weekend polka shows that air on Saturdays and Sundays.
References
Sources
1945 Broadcasting Yearbook
1956 Broadcasting Yearbook
1963 Broadcasting Yearbook
1965 Broadcasting Yearbook
1967 Broadcasting Yearbook
1971 Broadcasting Yearbook
1975 Broadcasting Yearbook
1981 Broadcasting Yearbook
External links
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{{coord, 40, 18, 14, N, 79, 35, 50, W, type:landmark_region:US_source:FCC, display=title
KHB
Radio stations established in 1934
1934 establishments in Pennsylvania