WWSW-FM
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| City of license | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Pittsburgh metropolitan area |
| Branding | 94.5 3WS |
| Slogan | "Life's Good, Sing Along" |
| Frequency | 94.5 MHz (also on HD Radio) 94.5 HD-2 for Jammin' Oldies |
| First air date | 1940s |
| Format | Classic Hits |
| ERP | 50,000 watts |
| HAAT | 247 meters |
| Class | B |
| Facility ID | 59968 |
| Callsign meaning | The "3W" branding is a take on the letter W being used in callsign 3 times |
| Former callsigns | WMOT (1940s-1950's) WWSW-FM (1950's-1973) WPEZ (1973-1980) |
| Owner | iHeartMedia, Inc. (AMFM Radio Licenses, L.L.C. sister_stations = WBGG, WDVE, WKST-FM, WPGB, WXDX) |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | 3wsradio.com |
- "3WS" redirects here. For the Buffalo, New York radio station with the same brand, see WWWS.
WWSW-FM (3WS), is a classic hits radio station based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The iHeartMedia, Inc. station broadcasts at 94.5 MHz with an ERP of 50 kW. Its transmitter is located in Pittsburgh just north of downtown, while its studios are located west of downtown. The current airstaff is made up of Jonny Hartwell, Sheri Van Dyke, Mike Frazer, Steve Grenato, and Kate Harris.
Contents
History
Early years
The station signed on as WMOT in the late 1940s,[1] and was a classical music station until the early 1960s. The station eventually changed its call letters to match its AM sister station, WWSW. The station became WPEZ in 1973 and was a successful top 40 station for the next seven years.
As 3WS
On Labor Day, 1980, the station gave up top 40 for an adult contemporary format, changing its identity at that time to "3WS", and recapturing its sister station's call letters of WWSW. For most of the 80's, the station began to slowly add more and more oldies titles into its playlist, based on listener response.
The AM and FM stations both flipped to oldies in 1988, simulcast for much of the time. When not simulcasting, the FM played a core blend of oldies hits from the 60s and 70s, while the AM leaned more towards 50s and 60s titles. In 1991, the AM's independent programming was abandoned and simulcast the FM 100 percent.
The AM split from the FM in 2000 and adopted a sports radio format as WBGG. In 2006, it was announced that Pitt Panthers football and basketball games would be aired on WWSW-FM.
Transition from Oldies to Classic Hits
Like many oldies stations, WWSW-FM recently had been de-emphasizing music of the 1950s and 1960s in favor of more songs from the 1970s (and even a few from the 1980s), while declining to use the word "oldies" on the air. In 2006, the music was abruptly adjusted forward with more emphasis on the 1970s and even more from the 1980s. The station started to play artists it had ignored before, like Styx, Huey Lewis & the News, Supertramp and Bruce Springsteen, while dropping long-time staples of an earlier vintage like the Dave Clark Five, Gary Lewis and the Playboys and Herman's Hermits. (However, The Beatles continue to be a staple of the station's on air playlist.)
For more than a month prior to Christmas, WWSW switches to all holiday music format, putting a break to the usual classic hits played throughout the year. This includes eliminating the specials such as "All Request Cafe" Ultimate Radio Party" "American Top 40" etc. The classic hits usually return December 26. Much of the evening and overnights as well as most of the weekend shows are voice tracked without a live person.
Some of the disc jockeys that broadcast at 3WS were Jim Merkel, Gary Dickson, Kenny Woods, Steve Hansen, Cris Winter, Bumper Morgan (deceased) RD Summers (deceased) Theresa Colaizzi, Ray Walker, Bonnie Diver, and Lani Daniels. During the prime years at 3WS the morning show featured Merkel and Dickson, the station had oldies concerts that filled Three Rivers Stadium many times with oldies acts, and even Wolfman Jack made an appearance on February 23, 1991. The station received 3 Marconi awards for best oldies station in the United States, while the morning show received 5 AIR awards (achievement in radio) for best morning show in Pittsburgh. Longtime air personality Jim Merkel was released from 3WS on October 4, 2010 after more than 31 years on the staff.
Programming
Disc Jockeys
- Jonny Hartwell (5:00AM–9:00AM) Mon–Fri
- Sheri Van Dyke (9:00AM–4:00PM) Mon–Fri
- Mike Frazer (4:00PM–10:00PM) Mon–Fri
- Kate Harris (Noon–5:00PM) Saturdays
- Steve Granato (Noon–5:00PM) Sundays
Other shows
- Sunday Night Diner (7:00PM–10:00PM) Sundays
- All Request Cafe (Noon–1:00PM) Mon–Fri
- Casey Kasem's American Top 40 - The 70s (9:00AM–Noon) Sundays
- Beatles Brunch (8:30AM–9:00AM) Sundays
WWSW HD2
On April 25, 2006, Clear Channel announced that WWSW's HD2 subchannel will carry a format focusing on Rhythmic Oldies, which was originally on its sister station WPGB (when it was WJJJ).
References
External links
- WWSW-FM official website
- Query the FCC's FM station database for WWSW
- Radio-Locator information on WWSW
- Query Nielsen Audio's FM station database for WWSW
- List of "grandfathered" FM radio stations in the U.S.
- Sunday Night Oldies Diner Website.
- Jeff Roteman's tribute to 3WS RADIO
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