Community hub
Recent from talks
Contribute something to knowledge base
Content stats: 0 posts, 0 articles, 0 media, 0 notes
Members stats: 0 subscribers, 0 contributors, 0 moderators, 0 supporters
Subscribers
Supporters
Contributors
Moderators
Hub AI
WOPG (AM) AI simulator
(@WOPG (AM)_simulator)
Hub AI
WOPG (AM) AI simulator
(@WOPG (AM)_simulator)
WOPG (AM)
WOPG (1460 kHz) is an AM radio station licensed to Albany, New York, and serving the Capital District. It is owned by Pax et Bonum, Inc. (Peace and Goodness in Latin) and has a Christian radio format aimed at Roman Catholic listeners, with much of its programming coming from the EWTN Radio network. WOPG simulcasts with WOPG-FM 89.9 in Esperance, New York.
WOPG operates with 5,000 watts of power non-directional by day, and employs a directional antenna at night to protect other stations on AM 1460. The transmitter site is on Kenwood Avenue in Delmar, New York.
According to FCC records, WOPG only dates back to October 21, 1947, when it was authorized, as WOKO, to replace an earlier WOKO whose license had been revoked. However, the 1947 authorization inherited its predecessor's call letters, as well as its frequency. For these reasons, it is almost universally recognized as a direct continuation of the original WOKO, which dated to 1924. This makes WOPG the oldest station licensed in Albany, and the third-oldest in the Capital District.
The original WOKO was first licensed, with the sequentially issued call letters WDBX, in June 1924 to Otto Baur at 138 Dyckman Street in New York City. The initial authorization was for only 5 watts transmitting on 1290 kHz, and the station referred to itself as "New York's Smallest Radio Station". In 1925 WDBX's power was increased to 50 watts, and its call sign changed to WOKO.
In mid-1926 the station was purchased by Harold E. Smith and moved north of New York City to Peekskill. In early 1928 the station made a move further north, setting up the station's transmitter on Mount Beacon in southern Dutchess County and serving Poughkeepsie and Newburgh from the Hotel Windsor in Poughkeepsie. WOKO was billed as "The Voice from the Clouds" for its transmitter site on one of the highest mountains in the Hudson Valley. On November 11, 1928, under the provisions of the Federal Radio Commission's General Order 40, WOKO was assigned to 1440 kHz.
The Newburgh-Poukeepsie area of the Hudson Valley was still largely undeveloped, with few advertising opportunities. Without a network affiliation, and limited nighttime hours due to having to share its frequency with WHEC-WABO in Rochester, the station was unprofitable. In late 1929 Harold E. Smith contacted Sam Pickard, vice president in charge of station relations for the CBS Radio Network, to see if WOKO could become a CBS affiliate. Pickard determined that the station did not meet the standards for affiliation. However, Pickard told Smith his station would qualify if it were to move to Albany and expand its hours of operation.
WOKO received approval from the Federal Radio Commission (FRC) to make the changes suggested by Pickard. On April 17, 1931, the station wwas authorized to begin broadcasting full-time from Albany on 1430 kHz. It was the first radio station licensed to New York's state capital. WGY had signed on from nearby Schenectady in 1922, followed later that year by WHAZ in Troy. The station became profitable, due to its expanded hours of operation, combined with CBS's lineup of comedies, news, sports, soap operas, game shows and big band broadcasts during the "Golden Age of Radio". With the implementation of the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement in March 1941, stations on 1430 kHz, including WOKO, shifted to 1460 kHz, its assignment ever since.
WOKO's license came up for its periodic renewal on October 1, 1942. However, before the renewal process began, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) unearthed evidence that the station owner, WOKO, Inc., had not fully disclosed the company's stockholders. It emerged that in return for his aid in the station moving to Albany as the Capital District's CBS affiliate, Sam Pickard had acquired 240 shares of the company's 1,000 shares of stock. This had not been disclosed in WOKO's financial reports to the FRC and the FCC over the past 12 years. In 1943, Sam Pickard's wife, Francke, attempted to dispose of the 240 shares for $75,000, but the FCC blocked the sale. The FCC launched an investigation into whether WOKO, Inc. was qualified to be a licensee. On March 27, 1945, the Commission "concluded that the applicant cannot be entrusted with the responsibilities of a licensee" and denied renewal of WOKO's license.
WOPG (AM)
WOPG (1460 kHz) is an AM radio station licensed to Albany, New York, and serving the Capital District. It is owned by Pax et Bonum, Inc. (Peace and Goodness in Latin) and has a Christian radio format aimed at Roman Catholic listeners, with much of its programming coming from the EWTN Radio network. WOPG simulcasts with WOPG-FM 89.9 in Esperance, New York.
WOPG operates with 5,000 watts of power non-directional by day, and employs a directional antenna at night to protect other stations on AM 1460. The transmitter site is on Kenwood Avenue in Delmar, New York.
According to FCC records, WOPG only dates back to October 21, 1947, when it was authorized, as WOKO, to replace an earlier WOKO whose license had been revoked. However, the 1947 authorization inherited its predecessor's call letters, as well as its frequency. For these reasons, it is almost universally recognized as a direct continuation of the original WOKO, which dated to 1924. This makes WOPG the oldest station licensed in Albany, and the third-oldest in the Capital District.
The original WOKO was first licensed, with the sequentially issued call letters WDBX, in June 1924 to Otto Baur at 138 Dyckman Street in New York City. The initial authorization was for only 5 watts transmitting on 1290 kHz, and the station referred to itself as "New York's Smallest Radio Station". In 1925 WDBX's power was increased to 50 watts, and its call sign changed to WOKO.
In mid-1926 the station was purchased by Harold E. Smith and moved north of New York City to Peekskill. In early 1928 the station made a move further north, setting up the station's transmitter on Mount Beacon in southern Dutchess County and serving Poughkeepsie and Newburgh from the Hotel Windsor in Poughkeepsie. WOKO was billed as "The Voice from the Clouds" for its transmitter site on one of the highest mountains in the Hudson Valley. On November 11, 1928, under the provisions of the Federal Radio Commission's General Order 40, WOKO was assigned to 1440 kHz.
The Newburgh-Poukeepsie area of the Hudson Valley was still largely undeveloped, with few advertising opportunities. Without a network affiliation, and limited nighttime hours due to having to share its frequency with WHEC-WABO in Rochester, the station was unprofitable. In late 1929 Harold E. Smith contacted Sam Pickard, vice president in charge of station relations for the CBS Radio Network, to see if WOKO could become a CBS affiliate. Pickard determined that the station did not meet the standards for affiliation. However, Pickard told Smith his station would qualify if it were to move to Albany and expand its hours of operation.
WOKO received approval from the Federal Radio Commission (FRC) to make the changes suggested by Pickard. On April 17, 1931, the station wwas authorized to begin broadcasting full-time from Albany on 1430 kHz. It was the first radio station licensed to New York's state capital. WGY had signed on from nearby Schenectady in 1922, followed later that year by WHAZ in Troy. The station became profitable, due to its expanded hours of operation, combined with CBS's lineup of comedies, news, sports, soap operas, game shows and big band broadcasts during the "Golden Age of Radio". With the implementation of the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement in March 1941, stations on 1430 kHz, including WOKO, shifted to 1460 kHz, its assignment ever since.
WOKO's license came up for its periodic renewal on October 1, 1942. However, before the renewal process began, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) unearthed evidence that the station owner, WOKO, Inc., had not fully disclosed the company's stockholders. It emerged that in return for his aid in the station moving to Albany as the Capital District's CBS affiliate, Sam Pickard had acquired 240 shares of the company's 1,000 shares of stock. This had not been disclosed in WOKO's financial reports to the FRC and the FCC over the past 12 years. In 1943, Sam Pickard's wife, Francke, attempted to dispose of the 240 shares for $75,000, but the FCC blocked the sale. The FCC launched an investigation into whether WOKO, Inc. was qualified to be a licensee. On March 27, 1945, the Commission "concluded that the applicant cannot be entrusted with the responsibilities of a licensee" and denied renewal of WOKO's license.