WTRW
 | |
| Broadcast area | Wilkes-Barre - Scranton - Northeastern Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 94.3 MHz |
| Branding | "94.3 The Talker" |
| Programming | |
| Format | Talk |
| Network | Fox News Radio |
| Affiliations | Compass Media Networks Premiere Networks Salem Radio Network Westwood One |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Bold Gold Media Group, LP |
| History | |
First air date | December 22, 1974 |
Former call signs | WCDL-FM (1979–1981) WLSP-FM (1981–1988) WSGD-FM (1988–1998) WCTP (1998–2000) WBHD (2000–2002) WCWI (2002–2004) WNAK-FM (2004–2006) WLNP (2006–2010) |
Call sign meaning | W Talk Radio W |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 58314 |
| Class | A |
| ERP | 970 watts |
| HAAT | 249 meters (817 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 41°32′37.00″N 75°27′44.00″W / 41.5436111°N 75.4622222°W |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Website | www.bold.gold/943thetalker |
WTRW (94.3 FM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Carbondale, Pennsylvania, and serving the Wilkes Barre-Scranton area of Northeastern Pennsylvania. The station broadcasts a talk radio format and is owned by the Bold Gold Media Group, LP.[2] [3] The studios are on North Sekol Road in Scranton.
WTRW is a Class A station. It has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 970 watts. The transmitter is on Salem Mountain Road near Firetower Drive in Waymart.[4]
Programming
WTRW has a weekday schedule mostly made up of nationally syndicated conservative talk shows: Hugh Hewitt, Sean Hannity, Dennis Prager, Mark Levin, Brian Kilmeade, Chris Plante, Red Eye Radio, Our American Stories with Lee Habeeb, and This Morning, America's First News with Gordon Deal.
Weekends feature shows on money, health, technology, real estate, religion and law, with a Sunday afternoon polka music show. Weekend talk shows include The Glenn Beck Radio Program, America Tonight with Rich Valdés, Bill Handel on the Law and Rich DeMuro on Tech. Most hours begin with an update from Fox News Radio.
History
The station signed on the air on December 22, 1974. The original call letters were WCDL-FM. On October 12, 1981, it changed its call sign to WLSP-FM, and on August 5, 1988 to WSGD-FM.
As WSGD-FM, the station broadcast an oldies format under three different names: "Solid Gold 94", "Cool 94", and (after its sale to Citadel Broadcasting) "Big Oldies", which simulcast with Dallas-licensed 93.7 WDLS.
On May 22, 1998, WSGD-FM changed its call sign to WCTP. 93.7 and 94.3 spent the Memorial Day weekend stunting with all Garth Brooks music, before launching as "Cat Country 94" the following Tuesday.
On December 8, 2000, the station changed its call letters to WBHD. The country format ended, and the station began stunting for several days. It was "The Love Channel", broadcasting a continuous loop of phoned-in voices of people seeking dates and relationships. After that, the station began simulcasting Mountain Top-licensed top 40 station WBHT.
On April 19, 2002, the station changed call letters again, this time to WCWI. The WBHT simulcast remained until the fall, when it was then replaced by a relaunched "Cat Country 94". That branding lasted for only a few months before Citadel put the station up for sale and replaced Cat Country 94 with a simulcast of Citadel Allentown-based WCTO ("Cat Country 96").
In the Winter of 2004, the station was sold to Route 81 Radio. On February 10, 2004, the station changed call letters to WNAK-FM and began simulcasting the adult standards format of WNAK 730 AM in Nanticoke.
On July 5, 2006, the station changed call letters once again, this time to WLNP.[5] The WNAK simulcast gave way to adult contemporary-formatted "Lite 94.3".
On February 1, 2010, Bold Gold Media closed on its purchase of WLNP and began temporarily simulcasting the format of co-owned "The River", WWRR 104.9 FM. On February 19, 2010, WLNP changed call letters to WTRW.
On March 23, 2010, WTRW changed to a conservative talk format, branded as "94.3 FM The Talker". Along with nationally-syndicated shows, WTRW featured local morning host David Madeira from May 2012 until December 2015.[6] In 2016, the station began only airing nationally syndicated talk shows, supplied by Premiere Networks, Salem Radio Network, Westwood One and other networks.
References
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for WTRW". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ "WTRW Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
- ^ "WTRW Station Information Profile". Arbitron.
- ^ Radio-Locator.com/WTRW
- ^ "WLNP Call Sign History". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
- ^ Bold Media Group website boldgoldradionepa.com. Accessed 2015-12-30
External links
- Facility details for Facility ID 58314 (WTRW) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- WTRW in Nielsen Audio's FM station database