WORD-FM

This article is about the radio station in Pittsburgh. For other stations branded "Word FM" see Word FM

WORD-FM

City	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Broadcast area	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Branding	"101.5 WORD FM"
Slogan	"Radio You Can Believe In"
Frequency	101.5 MHz
First air date	1948 (as WPIT-FM)
Format	Christian Talk
ERP	43,000 watts
HAAT	161 meters
Class	B
Facility ID	58627
Callsign meaning	The "WORD" of God
Former callsigns	WPIT-FM (1948-1993)
Owner	Salem Media Group (Pennsylvania Media Associates, Inc.)
Sister stations	WPIT, WPGP (AM)
Webcast	Listen Live
Website	wordfm.com

WORD-FM is a Christian talk radio station based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Owned by the Salem Media Group, the station broadcasts on 101.5 MHz, with an ERP of 48 kW. Its transmitter is located in Reserve Township, Pennsylvania.

History

In Pittsburgh, WORD-FM was originally on the 104.7 frequency (now WPGB-FM). Salem Communications, which had formed in the early 1980s by Christian broadcasters Ed Atsinger and Stuart W. Epperson, had first made overtures to purchase WPIT AM/FM from Associated Communications back in the mid-80's, but the station had been sold to Boston-based Pyramid Broadcasting, which operated WPIT AM/FM under the name Kiss Limited Partnership, for a much higher price than what Salem was willing to pay.

Still recognizing the profit potential for Christian-formatted radio in Pittsburgh despite a competitor, Salem entered into an agreement with Pittsburgh-based Gateway Broadcasting Enterprises, which owned WYDD-FM (now WPGB) and WKPA-AM (now WMNY), both operating out of New Kensington, a suburb of Pittsburgh. The deal was signed in 1987, but due to legal complexities between the two companies, it would not be until January 1990 that the deal between Salem and Gateway was consummated.

Salem still had yet to obtain the contracts for the ministries that would provide the programming for the station. By the time of their takeover, WYDD had become Top 40 rocker WNRJ, which stayed around for about a year. Upon Salem's acquisition, WNRJ's format was immediately changed to beautiful music provided by Salt Lake City-based Bonneville Broadcasting and its airstaff laid off. The call letters were changed to WEZE-FM (the same calls as Salem's co-owned AM in Boston) and the station adopted the moniker "Easy 104.7".

WKPA, which operated independently of its FM sister since 1940, had its weekday programming substituted with a simulcast of WEZE-FM, but kept existing separate specialty programming on the weekends.

In August 1991, Salem announced that WEZE-FM would change to the heritage Christian-formatted radio formula that had become the staple of its other high-powered FM stations. Salem purchased the WORD call letters, which belonged to an AM station in Spartansburg, South Carolina, for $20,000. The format change took place in October, and 104.7 became WORD-FM.

Salem acquires WPIT AM/FM

In 1992, after a lengthy series of negotiations, the opportunity presented itself again for Salem to acquire WPIT AM/FM. New FCC rules governing ownership allowed Salem to hold more than two licenses simultaneously, and a deal was made for Salem to buy out its former rival and spin their existing stations off to new owners.

WKPA was spun off to Pentecostal Temple Development Corporation in November 1992 as a gift. PTDC was the business arm of Pentecostal Temple Church of God, pastored by former WPXI-TV reporter Dr. D. Loran Mann. WORD-FM 104.7 was also sold off to Entercom, Inc., which operated country music competitor WDSY-FM, and had been looking for an FM station for a duopoly property.

WORD-FM merger with WPIT

The transaction took place in January 1993, and WORD-FM moved its current call letters and format to 101.5, which had been the FM partial simulcast of WPIT. Some of WPIT-FM's existing programming elements were retained, but much of the programming mirrored WORD-FM's original format that began on 104.7.

104.7 then came under the control of Entercom in an LMA (local marketing agreement) deal with Salem until it was purchased outright six months later. The new 104.7 was assigned the call letters WXRB and adopted the moniker "Rebel 104.7 Hit Country" after stunting for a brief period with a Classic Rock format and the name "U.S. 104.7".

WPIT, which had been running all ministry-based conservative programming all day, then began to run Contemporary Christian music during the afternoon and evening hours to appease listeners who had grown accustomed to hearing CCM on WPIT-FM prior to the ownership change.

WORD-FM today

WPIT, which for years had been co-located with WPIT-FM at Gateway Towers in downtown Pittsburgh, joined the new WORD-FM at its home at Seven Parkway Center in Greentree, located just off I-279 south of the Fort Pitt Tunnells. WORD-FM still maintains the ministries as the mainstay of its programming, but has in recent years added CCM music back into its programming.

Unlike many other major market radio stations, WORD-FM has a stable, secure staff, some of whom have been with the station since its format switch from beautiful music to Christian Talk. General Manager Chuck Gratner (also known in the 1960s and 1970s as West Coast DJ legend Chuck Roy) managed WORD-FM from its start-up until his retirement in 2014. Former WORD-FM sales manager Tom Lemmon was appointed to succeed Gratner. Kenny Woods, formerly mid-days at crosstown oldies WWSW, has been at the station since 2001.

Weekend music

On weekends (Saturday and Sunday), WORD-FM plays Christian music during the early morning, afternoon, and evening on Saturdays, and during the early morning and afternoon on Sundays. Kenny Woods is the dj during the afternoon and Chris Reynolds hosts the Pop Top 20 Countdown Saturdays from 6pm to 8pm.

External links

Official website

Query the FCC's FM station database for WORD

Radio-Locator information on WORD

Query Nielsen Audio's FM station database for WORD

Radio stations in the Pittsburgh market

By AM frequency	540 590 620 660 680 730 770 810 860 910 940 970 1020¹ 1080 1150 1210 1250 1280 1320 1360 1380 1410 1450 1460 1480 1490 1510 1550 1570 1640 ¹ Clear-channel stations with extended nighttime coverage

By FM frequency	88.1 88.1 88.3 88.7 88.9 89.3 90.1 90.5 91.3 91.7 92.1 92.1 92.5 92.9 93.7 94.5 94.9 95.3 95.7 96.1 96.9 97.7 98.3 98.9 99.3 99.7 100.1 100.7 101.1 101.5 102.5 103.1 103.5 103.7 103.9 104.3 104.7 105.1 105.9 106.3 106.7 107.1 107.5 107.9

NOAA Weather Radio frequency	162.55

Digital Radio	89.3-1 89.3-2 90.5-1 90.5-2 90.5-3 91.3-1 92.9-1 92.9-2 92.9-3 92.9-4 93.7-1 93.7-2 93.7-3 94.5-1 94.5-2 96.1-1 96.1-2 96.9-1 96.9-2 96.9-3 96.9-4 99.7-1 100.7-1 100.7-2 100.7-3 102.5-1 102.5-2 105.9-1 105.9-2 107.9-1 107.9-2 107.9-3

By callsign	KDKA¹ KDKA-FM KFX300 KIH35 KQV W261AX WAMO WANB WAOB WAOB-FM WAVL WBGG WBJV WBUT WBVP WBZZ WCAL WCNS WCYJ WDIG WDSY-FM WDVE WEDO WEGW WESA WFSJ-LP WFGI WGBN WGLZ WHJB WISR WIUP WJAS WJPA WJPA-FM WJST WKBN WKFB WKGO WKHB WKPL WKST WKST-FM WKVE WLCY WLER WLSW WLTJ WMBA WMBS WMNY WHOT WMUG-LP WNJR WOGG WOGH WOGI WOHI WORD WPGB WPGP WPGR WPHP WPIT WPKL WPKV WPTS-FM WQED WQMU WQTW WRCT WRRK WSHH WSRU WTYM WUKL WVKF WVNP WWCS WWNL WWSW WWVA WXDX WYEP WYFU WZUM WZUM-FM

Defunct	WKZV 1110 AM WASP 1130 AM WBGI 1340 AM WSTV 1340 AM WZUM 1590 AM

Pennsylvania radio markets Allentown–Bethlehem Altoona Bradford–Coudersport Chambersburg–Waynesboro Erie Harrisburg–Lebanon–Carlisle Lancaster Montrose New Castle Philadelphia Pittsburgh Reading Sayre–Towanda–Mansfield–Wellsboro Wilkes-Barre–Scranton Williamsport York Other Pennsylvania radio regions Bedford Indiana Johnstown Lewistown–Mifflintown Meadville–Franklin Punxsutawney–DuBois St. Marys–Emporium–Kane State College Stroudsburg Sunbury–Selinsgrove–Lewisburg Warren Mass media in the Pittsburgh Area Radio stations TV stations Newspapers See also List of radio stations in Pennsylvania

Religious radio stations in the state of Pennsylvania

Stations	WAOB – Millvale WAOB-FM – Beaver Falls WAWN – Franklin WAYC – Bedford WBBY-LP – Berwick WBGM – New Berlin WBMR – Telford WBYN-FM – Boyertown WCIG – Carbondale WCOG-FM – Galeton WCOH-FM – Du Bois WCOX-FM – Trout Run WCSD-LP – Shawnee-On-Delaware WDAC – Lancaster WDKL – Masontown WEDO – Mckeesport WEFR – Erie WFBM – Beaver Falls WFBV – Selinsgrove WFIL – Philadelphia WFKJ – Cashtown WFRJ – Johnstown WHGT – Chambersburg WHMN-LP – Plymouth WISP – Doylestown WITK – Pittston WJCS – Allentown WJSA-FM – Jersey Shore WJSM – Martinsburg WKDN – Philadelphia WKDN-FM – State College WKGO – Murrysville WLIH – Whitneyville WLKE – Gallitzin WMES-LP – Altoona WMMH – Houtzdale WMUG-LP – Indiana WORD-FM – Pittsburgh WPCL – Spangler WPEL-FM – Montrose WPFG – Carlisle WPGM – Danville WPGM-FM – Danville WQJU – Mifflintown WQOR – Olyphant WRGN – Sweet Valley WTLR – State College WVCH – Chester WVME – Meadville WVMN – New Castle WWNL – Pittsburgh WXNM-LP – Erie WYFU – Masontown WYVL – Youngsville WYYC – York

See also adult contemporary classic hits college country news/talk NPR oldies religious rock sports top 40 urban other radio stations in Pennsylvania See also Classical Jazz Religious Spanish Smooth Jazz Other

Salem Media Group

AM radio stations	KBJD KCBQ KCRO KDIZ KDMT KDOW KDZR KEXB KFAX KFIA KGNW KGU KHCM KHNR KKOL KKMS KKNT KLFE KLUP KNTH KNTS KNUS KOTK KPDQ KPRZ KPXQ KRDY KRKS KRLA KSKY KSLR KTEK KTIE KTKZ KTNO KTRB KXXT KYCR KZNT WAFS WAVA WBIX WBZW WDTK WDWD WDYZ WEZE WFIA WFIL WGKA WGTK WGUL WHIM WHK WHKW WHKZ WIND WKAT WLCC WLQV WLSS WLTA WMCA WNIV WNTP WNYM WOCN WORL WPGP WPIT WRCW WRFD WROL WSDZ WTBN WTLN WTWD WWDJ WWMI WWRC WWTC WYLL WZAB¹

FM radio stations	KAIM-FM KBIQ KDAR KDIS-FM KFIS KFSH-FM KGBI-FM KGFT KGU-FM KHCM-FM KHTE-FM* KKHT-FM KKFS KKLA-FM KKOL-FM KKSP KLTY KPDQ-FM KRKS-FM KRYP KSAC-FM KWRD-FM WAVA-FM WBOZ WFFH WFFI WFHM-FM WFIA-FM WFSH-FM WGTK-FM WLTE WORD-FM WRTH WTOH

Salem Radio Network	FamilyTalk Solid Gospel The Word In Praise Today's Christian Music

Salem Publishing	Eagle Financial Publications Eagle Wellness FaithTalk Homecoming Magazine Preaching Magazine Regnery Publishing Singing News Townhall Xulon Press YouthWorker Journal

Salem Web Network	CCMmagazine.com Christianity.com Crosswalk.com Godtube Hot Air Human Events Oneplace.com RedState Townhall.com Twitchy.com

¹ = Co-owned with Florida City Radio under LMA. * = Station owned by Crain Media Group and operated by Salem under LMA.

Coordinates: 40°29′02″N 79°59′33″W / 40.4840°N 79.9925°W / 40.4840; -79.9925

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