WKGE

Infobox Radio Station
name = WKGE


area = Johnstown, Pennsylvania
city = Johnstown
branding = The Edge 850-1400
slogan =
airdate =
frequency = 850 (kHz)
format = Talk (WWGE)
power = 10,000 watts
class = B
owner = Birach Broadcasting Corporation
website = [http://www.birach.com/]
callsign_meaning = W K EDGE |

WKGE is an American AM radio station licensed to broadcast on 850 kHz at 10 kW day and night, serving the community of Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

History

First signing on the air in 1925 at 1490 kHz, this station was known for much of its history as WJAC, under common ownership with WJAC-TV for many years.

Forever moved the calls and format of WNTJ over to 850AM, where it has been operating as a simulcast of the news/talk programming on WNTW in Somerset, PA. It has since moved back to 1490kHz with Forever's divesture of the 850 signal and subsequent re-acqusition of the 1490 signal. Birach, who purchased the signal in November 2007, now airs a simulcast of talk station WWGE in Loretto.

The station was the first to sign on in Johnstown as WJAC at 1400 kHz, then moved to 850 kHz in the early 1960's.

tation Sale

The current license holder, Forever Communications of Altoona, PA announced an agreement to sell WNTJ to Birach Broadcasting of Southfield, Michigan, with the transfer of ownership finalized by the end of 2007, according to the FCC website. Birach had acquired both WNTJ and WCND in Shelbyville, Kentucky in the transaction, but no studio or office building was acquired for WNTJ. Birach instead opted to simulcast talk station WWGE in Loretto, Pennsylvania via an agreement with WWGE's owner, Pennsylvania Radiowerks.

WKGE is operated using an unusual directional nine-tower array that requires a lot of maintenance, and Forever Broadcasting was trying to sell the station for a while. The array, sitting on 115 acres of land, is located in Paint Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania.

WKGE currently airs the Pittsburgh Penguins [http://www.tribune-democrat.com/local/local_story_318234744.html] . According to the FCC filing, the proposed sales price for the station is $230,000. [http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101206390&formid=314&fac_num=72964]

External Links

[http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/amq?state=&call=WKGE&arn=&city=&freq=530&fre2=1700&type=0&facid=&class=&list=0&dist=&dlat2=&mlat2=&slat2=&NS=N&dlon2=&mlon2=&slon2=&EW=W&size=9 Query FCC database for WKGE]

[http://www.edge-radio.com Edge Radio Web Site]

[http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/finder?sr=Y&call=WKGE Radio-Locator.com Info]