WRRK

WRRK
City Braddock, Pennsylvania
Broadcast area Pittsburgh metropolitan area
Branding 96.9 BOB-FM
Slogan "We Play Anything"
Frequency 96.9 MHz (also on HD Radio)
96.9 HD-2 for Bob's B-Sides
96.9 HD-3 for Bob's Malt Shop Oldies
96.9 HD-4 for Stay Tuned.... (TV/Movie theme songs)
First air date June 1959 (as WLOA-FM)
Format Variety Hits
ERP 45,000 watts
HAAT 162 meters
Class B
Facility ID 72333
Callsign meaning RRK Rock (WRRK's former on-air branding)
Former callsigns WLOA-FM (1959-1978)
WFFM (1978-1982)
WHYW (1982-1986)
WMYG (1986-1991)
Owner Saul Frischling
(WPNT Media Subsidiary, LLC)
Sister stations WLTJ
Webcast Listen Live
Website bobfm969.com

WRRK (96.9 BOB-FM) is a Variety Hits radio station serving the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania market. The station, which is owned by Saul Frischling, through licensee WPNT Media Subsidiary, LLC, broadcasts at 96.9 MHz with an ERP of 45 kW, and is licensed to Braddock, Pennsylvania. Its studios are located at Centre City Tower in Downtown Pittsburgh and the transmitter tower is in the city's Hazelwood neighborhood.

History

WRRK was previously the call sign of a top 40/rock station in Manistee, MI.

WRRK (PA)'s previous formats and call letters included Easy Listening and Adult Contemporary as WLOA-FM (it was also simulcast on an AM station when it was WLOA, which is now All-Talk WZUM) and Soft Rock as WFFM. In 1985, the station known as WHYW (since 1982) began featuring Classic Rock from 7 pm to midnight while retaining the Soft Rock format from 5 am to 7 pm and playing jazz overnight. They maintained their "Y-97 FM" identity during this time. In March 1986 the station went to classic rock full time; the calls were changed to WMYG and they began referring to themselves as "Magic Y-97 FM," shortening it to simply "Magic 97 FM" later that same year. In 1991, the station switched to a current-based rock format, and the calls were changed to WRRK. When the station was bought by Legend Communications in 1993, the classic rock format was resurrected, but the station retained the WRRK call letters. The format lasted for 13 years, as "Channel 97" and "97RRK".

On November 1, 2005, at Midnight, WRRK switched to an Adult Hits format, under the moniker "96.9 Bob FM". The first song Bob played in the Steel City was Werewolves of London by Warren Zevon.[1] Station IDs were accompanied by claims that listening to them is like "having your radio dial stuck in scan mode". Songs such as The Eagles' "Hotel California" are played back to back with Stacie Orrico's "More to Life" or Nick Lachey's "Whats Left of Me" .

In early 2006, it was rumored that the station had changed its call sign to WBZB. However, this was not true,[2] and WBON, a station on Long Island, New York, used the WBZB calls for nine months in 2007.

Some time before December 2007, BobFM96.9 started broadcasting in HD. WRRK-HD2 (Bob's B-Sides) plays a set "mix" of songs with a repeat period of less than 24 hours. WRRK-HD3 (Bob's Malt Shop) plays music from the '50's and '60's .[3]

Former DJs include Mark Andrew, John Pfab, Jim Quinn, Lee Sackett,and Ed Weigle.[4] During their WFFM days DJs included Doug Southerland and George Hart. [5]

Actor George Peppard worked at the station when it was known as WLOA-FM. [6]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/2000s/2005/RR-2005-11-04.pdf
  2. ↑ Pittsburgh - 96.9 Bob FM VarietyHits.com accessed March 8, 2009.
  3. ↑ Find a Station iBiquity Corporation accessed March 8, 2009.
  4. ↑ 440:Satisfaction Radio Broadcasting History, Radio Stations by City (Pittsburgh) accessed 6/26/09
  5. ↑ 440:Satisfaction Radio Broadcasting History, Radio Stations by City (Pittsburgh)accessed 1/21/16
  6. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MM1B6iuvvgQ

External links

Coordinates: 40°24′42″N 79°55′52″W / 40.4117°N 79.9312°W / 40.4117; -79.9312

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