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WSHH
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WSHH
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WSHH (99.7 FM) is a commercial radio station in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is the flagship of Renda Media and airs an adult contemporary radio format. WSHH is Pittsburgh's affiliate of the syndicated Delilah show, which airs every night. Between Mid-November and December 25 each year, WSHH airs a Christmas music format.

Key Information

The station's transmitter is co-located with NBC network affiliate WPXI on Rising Main Avenue in Pittsburgh near Interstate 279. Its studios and offices located on Parish Street.

History

[edit]

WJAS-FM

[edit]
WSHH on a SPARC HD Radio with RDS.

On March 8, 1948, the station first signed on as WJAS-FM[2] It was the FM counterpart to WJAS, owned by the Pittsburgh Radio Supply House.

The two stations simulcast and were network affiliates of CBS Radio, airing its dramas, comedies, news, sports, soap operas, game shows and big band broadcasts during the "Golden Age of Radio." As network programming moved from radio to television in the 1950s, WJAS-AM-FM carried a full service, middle of the road format of music, talk, news and sports.

On November 1, 1957, the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) gained control of WJAS and WJAS-FM, adding them to their roster of network owned-and-operated stations.[3] Later that month the call letters were changed to WAMP and WFMP, which was derived from "AM and FM Pittsburgh".[4] Three years later, both stations changed back to their original call letters.[5]

Beautiful music WSHH

[edit]

In the late 1960s, WJAS-FM ended its simulcast and began playing beautiful music, which continued into the 1970s and 1980s. In 1973, WJAS-AM-FM were sold to Heftel Broadcasting.[6] Heftel made some significant changes: WJAS switched to a talk format with the call sign WKTQ, while WJAS-FM became WSHH, using the moniker "Wish 100."

During the 1970s, beautiful music was well represented on Pittsburgh radio: WKJF, which later became WJOI, was the leader for many years, and KDKA-FM aired automated beautiful music during the day and classical music at night. (It became WPNT in 1979 with beautiful music (no more classical) and live announcers.) Despite the competition, by the late 1970s, WSHH was Pittsburgh's number two station behind KDKA. WSHH's ratings were helped by a full staff of live announcers, to add some personality and information, in addition to the instrumental music sweeps.

Nationwide acquisition

[edit]

Nationwide Communications, a division of Nationwide Insurance, bought WKTQ and WSHH in 1975.[7] In 1982, Nationwide fired most of the WSHH staff, replacing them with an automated "live assist" format, to cut expenses. John Ford was the last live announcer before the switch.

During Wish's halcyon years, the station had only two announcers for the 24-hour broadcast day - program director and morning announcer Joe Fenn and afternoon announcer Tom Malloy. Both men would work a live four-hour on-air shift, but their pre-recorded voices would be heard for another eight hours each day.

Renda ownership

[edit]

Wish was sold in October 1983 to its current owner, Renda Broadcasting Corporation.[8] It was the first major market FM acquisition for company president Anthony F. Renda, who had also owned WIXZ (now WGBN) in suburban McKeesport during the 1970s. (Renda bought that station back in 1997.) Renda also acquired WPXZ and WECZ in Punxsutawney three years prior to the acquisition of Wish 100.

While the ratings for WSHH remained high, its audience was aging, while advertisers usually prefer younger listeners. The groundwork for a format change began in 1988, when Renda lured legendary Pittsburgh DJ Jack Bogut away from WTAE to do mornings.

Switch to adult contemporary

[edit]

In 1989, Renda Broadcasting decided to challenge former easy listening WLTJ's position as Pittsburgh's soft adult contemporary at-work station by changing WSHH itself to Soft AC, on December 26, 1989.[9] The switch worked with WSHH becoming the Soft AC leader.

In 1997, WSHH moved from its longtime home on Crane Avenue in Green Tree to Parrish Street, just off Greentree Road and approximately a mile from the Crane Avenue building. This new building houses WSHH's studios and offices, as well as the corporate offices for Renda Broadcasting.

In 2009, WSHH saw its AC rival WLTJ move to a younger direction as a Hot AC station. By 2012, WSHH became Pittsburgh's last remaining AC, when suburban AC station WLER-FM in Butler, flipped to mainstream rock.

Christmas music

[edit]

During the Christmas season, WSHH plays holiday-themed music, beginning in mid-November. WSHH, like many other Christmas music stations, returns to regular programming on December 26. In recent years, WSHH has aired a Christmas Preview Weekend, which is a full Christmas music format for the weekend only, in the weekends leading up to Thanksgiving. This Christmas music format competes with Classic Hits-formatted WWSW-FM, owned by iHeartMedia. In 2024, WSHH continued the Christmas music through the weekend after Christmas instead of ending on December 26.

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

WSHH

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
WSHH (99.7 FM) is a commercial radio station licensed to , . Owned by Renda Broadcasting Corporation of , the station airs an adult contemporary format branded as "WISH 99.7". Its studios are located at 900 Parish Street in the Pittsburgh suburb of Green Tree, while the transmitter site is on the city's North Side, co-located with television station .

History

Early years as WJAS-FM

WJAS-FM signed on the air on March 8, 1948, as the FM counterpart to its WJAS (1320 AM), a Network affiliate owned by the Pittsburgh Radio Supply House. The new FM outlet simulcasted the AM station's programming, which included network shows, local news, and music, to promote FM radio adoption in the area. Operating on the 99.7 MHz , WJAS-FM launched with an () of 20 kilowatts from a transmitter site shared with the AM station. This setup allowed the station to cover the region effectively, though FM listenership remained limited in the postwar era due to the dominance of AM radio and fewer FM receivers. In 1957, acquired WJAS-AM and WJAS-FM from the Pittsburgh Radio Supply House, prompting a call sign change to WFMP for the FM station (paired with WAMP on AM) and a shift to a middle-of-the-road music format under affiliation. The WFMP calls derived from "AM and FM Pittsburgh," reflecting the duo's integrated operations. sold the stations back to the Pittsburgh Radio Supply House in 1960, restoring the WJAS-FM call letters on November 4. WJAS-FM resumed simulcasting WJAS-AM and maintained this arrangement through the late , as FM technology improved but AM audiences began to wane, eventually prompting a format evolution toward .

Adoption of beautiful music format

In the late 1960s, WJAS-FM broke from its long-standing of the AM station's programming and transitioned to an independent format, featuring light s and orchestral arrangements aimed at adult listeners. This shift allowed the FM station to target the growing demand for relaxed, easy-listening content in Pittsburgh's competitive radio market. On April 4, 1973, under the ownership of Cecil Heftel, the station adopted the WSHH call letters, standing for "Wish" to evoke an aspirational, uplifting brand identity aligned with the serene nature of . The rebranding launched as " Wish 100," emphasizing mostly selections including orchestral covers of popular songs and light classics, with occasional vocals to appeal to the 25-54 demographic seeking for work or home. Programming followed the standard beautiful music clock, delivering quarter-hour blocks of seamless, non-intrusive tunes to foster listener retention. The format quickly gained traction amid competition from established outlets like WKJF (later WJOI), Pittsburgh's leading beautiful music station at the time, as well as other easy-listening challengers. Initial audience growth was steady, positioning WSHH as a viable contender by capturing commuters and office workers who preferred its calming playlist over rock or talk alternatives. Heftel's upgrades, including relocating the transmitter from its original Crane Avenue site to improve signal coverage, further supported this expansion. Studios remained at the Crane Avenue facility in Banksville during this period, where engineers and on-air staff adapted to the format's demands for smooth transitions and minimal interruptions. The subsequent acquisition by Nationwide Communications in 1975 provided additional stability, enabling sustained investment in the approach through the mid-1970s.

Nationwide Communications era

In 1975, Nationwide Communications, a division of Nationwide Insurance based in , acquired WSHH and its sister station WKTQ from Cecil Heftel Broadcasting Corporation, incorporating the Pittsburgh outlet into its expanding group of radio stations across multiple markets. This purchase aligned with Nationwide's strategy to build a diverse portfolio that included , top-40, and other formats to target varied demographics. Throughout the Nationwide era from 1975 to 1983, WSHH upheld its established format, emphasizing instrumental tracks and light orchestral arrangements to provide a serene listening experience for adults. The format proved resilient in the competitive market, where it competed against dominant news-talk and rock stations. Nationwide's corporate oversight focused on operational efficiency rather than major overhauls, allowing the station to maintain its niche appeal without significant disruptions. WSHH demonstrated solid performance in audience metrics during this time. In the AIM'79 Arbitron ratings, it captured an 8.7 percent share among total 12+, while by AIM'80, it had declined to a 7.3 percent share, reflecting growing listener loyalty amid increasing FM competition. These results underscored the format's effectiveness in attracting middle-aged and older demographics, contributing to the station's stability as a key player in the region's radio landscape. By 1983, as part of Nationwide's broader divestitures to streamline its holdings, the company sold WSHH to Renda Management for $2.25 million, with no immediate changes planned to the programming. This handover preserved the format's continuity into the subsequent ownership period.

Renda Broadcasting ownership

In , Renda , a privately held, family-owned company based in founded by Tony Renda, acquired WSHH from Nationwide Communications, marking its first major-market FM station purchase and establishing a long-term local presence in the radio market. Under Renda's ownership, the station maintained its format throughout the , emphasizing instrumental selections with limited vocals to appeal to an adult audience seeking relaxed at-work listening. This continuity provided operational stability, allowing the station to focus on -specific operations rather than the broader corporate strategies of its previous owner. Tony Renda assumed general manager duties at WSHH shortly after the acquisition, overseeing day-to-day management and reinforcing the station's commitment to the format, which he believed held strong potential given the station's favorable dial position and signal coverage. Key personnel changes included the appointment of Paul Goldstein as sales manager to bolster local advertising efforts, while the station avoided major staff overhauls to preserve its established programming rhythm. Renda's local roots emphasized community-oriented content, such as occasional features highlighting events and listener requests, fostering a sense of regional connection amid the format's nationwide popularity. To modernize operations and refine its , WSHH signed a two-year contract with Schulke Radio Productions in 1984 for ongoing music research, involving audience testing to ensure selections remained appealing and competitive. This initiative contributed to gradual market share gains in the segment, positioning the station as a steady performer in Pittsburgh's fragmented radio landscape during the mid-to-late . By 1988-1989, continued audience research under Renda's direction began identifying shifts in listener preferences, setting the stage for format evolution in response to evolving market trends.

Transition to adult contemporary

On December 26, 1989, WSHH abandoned its long-standing format, which had emphasized instrumental covers and standards, in favor of a soft adult contemporary approach featuring all-vocal tracks. The station rebranded as "Wish 99.7," targeting a broader audience with a playlist centered on ballads from the 1980s, such as those by and , while phasing out crooner-era artists like . This shift aimed to compete directly with established soft AC outlets like WLTJ, drawing in younger listeners seeking more contemporary vocal-oriented content. The transition revitalized the station's appeal, as the new format incorporated emerging adult contemporary hits alongside its foundation, leading to improved listener engagement in the local market. Initial programming included extended holiday music segments, such as a 36-hour marathon that began on the day of the change, which became an annual tradition extending the AC format seasonally. Through the 1990s and into the 2000s, WSHH evolved by gradually adding current adult contemporary tracks to its rotation, balancing nostalgic soft hits with modern releases to maintain competitiveness against rivals like WBZZ. A notable tweak occurred in the mid-1990s when the branding refined to emphasize "Wish 99.7" more prominently in on-air imaging. By the early 2000s, the station had solidified its position as a heritage AC outlet, with ongoing adjustments to currents and programming ensuring sustained relevance up to 2010.

Post-2010 developments

In 2014, Renda Broadcasting relocated WSHH's studios and offices to a new facility at 900 Parish Street in Pittsburgh's North Side, shared with sister stations WJAS and WETT. The station continued its adult contemporary format, emphasizing workday listening with live personalities and seasonal all-Christmas programming starting in late each year. As of 2025, WSHH remains owned by Renda Media (formerly Renda Broadcasting), serving as the company's with no major format changes, maintaining its focus on soft AC hits for the 25-54 demographic in the area.

Programming

Adult contemporary format

WSHH, operating under the branding Wish 99.7, delivers an adult contemporary (AC) format that blends upbeat pop and rhythmic hits spanning the through the , designed to appeal to a core audience of adults aged 25-54. This approach emphasizes current and recurrent tracks alongside nostalgic favorites, fostering a workday-friendly with minimal repetition through a weekly library of approximately 800-1,000 songs. The format's structure prioritizes variety, drawing from artists like , , and classic acts such as Foreigner to maintain listener engagement without overexposure of any single track. The daily programming schedule reflects a balance of local talent and syndicated content, tailored to the rhythm of commuters and professionals. Mornings from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. are hosted by Jordan Kline, while afternoons from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. feature Steve Granato. Midday slots from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. offer musical variety hosted by Melanie Heinkel, often incorporating listener contests and light-hearted segments. Evenings wind down with the syndicated show, airing nightly since the early from 9:00 p.m. to midnight, providing dedications and advice alongside soft AC selections. In the market, Wish 99.7 consistently ranks in the top 5 for ratings among adults 25-54, achieving shares around 6.0-6.4 in recent 2025 books, underscoring its strong appeal through community integration. The station emphasizes local events and promotions, such as ticket giveaways for concerts and custom campaigns like the Madness Tour, which ties into seasonal festivities while reinforcing year-round listener loyalty. As a brief seasonal variation, the format incorporates a overlay from mid-November through December.

Christmas music programming

WSHH transitions to an all-Christmas music format each year in mid-November, typically around November 14, and maintains it through December 25, featuring a rotation of classics and contemporary tracks such as Elton John's "." In 2025, full Christmas programming began on November 14 following preview weekends. In 2024, the station extended its holiday programming for the first time beyond , continuing through the post- weekend from December 26 to 29, which aligned with broader trends showing a 17.7% lift in cumulative audience for stations adopting extended formats that year. The format draws listeners with traditions like the annual "36 Hours of Christmas" marathon, which spotlights over 100 holiday songs including "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" by and "Frosty the Snowman" by , alongside dedicated segments for listener requests. Key events include "Mistletoe Madness," such as the 2025 Luminare Christmas! tour performance at Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall on December 16, and partnerships with local charities; holiday broadcasts have raised millions of dollars for the . This seasonal overlay significantly elevates the station's performance, securing a 10.5 share in the Pittsburgh market during the 2024 holiday period (December 5 to January 8) and positioning it among the market leaders. Following the holidays, WSHH returns to its standard adult contemporary lineup.

On-air personalities and shows

The current on-air lineup at WSHH, branded as Wish 99.7, features a mix of local hosts emphasizing community connections and adult contemporary music delivery. Jordan Kline hosts mornings from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. weekdays, bringing over 25 years of radio and television experience; she began her career at age 15 in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, spent 15 years in Columbus, Ohio, and returned to her Pittsburgh roots in 2016. Melanie Heinkel handles middays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. weekdays, with a background starting in 1996 in Fort Myers, Florida; as a recent transplant to Pittsburgh, she focuses on building listener relationships through charity involvement and family-oriented segments. Steve Granato anchors afternoons from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. weekdays and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., a Pittsburgh native who entered radio in 1977 in New Castle, Pennsylvania, and incorporates local interests like cycling and Penguins hockey into his show. Ron Antill contributes on Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., a veteran since 1975 who highlights Pittsburgh's cultural staples such as classic cars and Italian cuisine. Evenings are led by the syndicated program from 9:00 p.m. to midnight daily, offering advice, dedications, and storytelling that has aired nationally for over 25 years; the show integrates seamlessly with WSHH's format, fostering emotional listener engagement. Weekend programming includes "Wish Weekend" blocks for mornings and evenings, featuring occasional specials with guest hosts or themed content to maintain local relevance without fixed personalities. Notable past personalities have shaped WSHH's identity during its beautiful music era and adult contemporary shift. Cris Winter co-hosted mornings in the , including stints as "Cris & Chris in the Morning" with Chris Shovlin until her departure in 2020 after nearly 40 years in radio; she was instrumental in promotional campaigns during format evolutions. Dan Dunlap held afternoons for over 30 years until the mid-, known for smooth transitions and longevity that anchored listener loyalty through ownership changes. Ron Antill, now on weekends, previously served as program director and morning host in the early , contributing to events and format launches. Earlier alumni like Jack Bogut, who joined in 1988 for Make-A-Wish broadcasts, added promotional flair during the station's Nationwide Communications period. WSHH's talent draws heavily from Pittsburgh natives or long-term residents, infusing shows with regional pride and direct community interaction, such as shoutouts to local events and listener call-ins that highlight landmarks and traditions.

Technical information

Signal coverage and transmitter

WSHH operates on the of 99.7 MHz as a Class B FM station with an (ERP) of 17,000 watts and a (HAAT) of 260 meters (853 ft). The station's is 55709, as registered with the . The transmitter is situated on Television Hill in 's Fineview neighborhood, co-located on the tower shared with WPXI-TV at coordinates 40° 27' 48" N, 80° 00' 15" W, near Interstate 279. This location provides primary signal coverage across the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, encompassing Allegheny, Washington, and counties in . The signal extends as a rimshot into portions of neighboring and . The station signed on in 1948. Due to its Class B allocation, WSHH experiences minimal interference from adjacent stations, though Pittsburgh's hilly urban terrain can challenge consistent signal reception in some areas. The transmitter operations integrate seamlessly with the station's broadcast infrastructure to ensure reliable over-the-air delivery.

Studios and facilities

WSHH's original studios, established upon the station's launch as WJAS-FM in 1948, were located in the Chamber of Commerce Building in , shared with its AM counterpart and reflecting the early integration of facilities in the city. In the early , coinciding with the adoption of the format under new ownership, the station relocated its studios to Broadcast Plaza at 1459 Crane Avenue in Pittsburgh's Banksville neighborhood, a move that supported the format's emphasis on serene production environments. The studios remained at the Crane Avenue location through the , maintaining operations during the era with dedicated spaces for on-air talent and production. By the mid-, further relocations occurred as part of ownership changes, culminating in a move in to the current facility at 900 Parish Street in Green Tree, a suburb of . Since the late , WSHH has operated from the third floor of 900 Parish Street, sharing the building with WJAS and the corporate headquarters of Renda Broadcasting on the fourth floor, enabling integrated operations across Renda Media properties. The modern facility includes production rooms and a booth designed for efficient , with digital equipment supporting high-quality audio processing. WSHH broadcasts in .

References

  1. https://radio-locator.com/info/WSHH-FM
  2. https://wishpittsburgh.com/contact/station-info
  3. https://rendabroadcasting.com/our-markets/pittsburgh-pa
  4. https://www.fybush.com/nerw-20140602/
  5. https://www.pbrtv.com/pittsburgh/pittsburgh-area-fm-radio-stations/
  6. https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-BC/Broadcasting-Magazine/BC-1948/1948-04-19-BC.pdf
  7. https://www.pbrtv.com/wjas-turns-100/
  8. https://www.pbrtv.com/wpxi-at-63/
  9. https://www.pbrtv.com/pittsburgh/pittsburgh-area-am-radio-stations/
  10. https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Ratings-Directories/R&R-Ratings-Report-1980-Vol-1.pdf
  11. https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Archive-RandR/1980s/1983/RR-1983-09-23.pdf
  12. https://archive.triblive.com/news/renda-signals-growth-in-radio/
  13. https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Archive-RandR/1980s/1984/RR-1984-04-20.pdf
  14. https://www.pbrtv.com/wish-goes-on-twenty-years-after-shedding-beautiful-music/
  15. https://www.powergold.com/2021/01/27/how-the-soft-ac-wars-shaped-the-format/
  16. https://www.facebook.com/groups/smalltownradiotv/posts/2146238259072074/
  17. https://wishpittsburgh.com/
  18. https://nuvoodoo.com/2016/02/10/how-big-is-your-playlist-do-your-listeners-know-that/
  19. https://wishpittsburgh.com/music/last-played
  20. https://wishpittsburgh.com/on-air/delilah
  21. https://www.pbrtv.com/delilah-featured/
  22. https://wishpittsburgh.com/schedule
  23. https://radioinsight.com/headlines/300898/april-2025-4-3-4-30-nielsen-audio-ppm-ratings-day-3-wmmo-soars-to-new-high/
  24. https://www.facebook.com/WISH997/
  25. https://radioinsight.com/blogs/286355/the-first-song-of-christmas/
  26. https://www.facebook.com/WISH997/photos/the-magic-of-christmas-is-coming-to-wish-997-join-us-for-our-very-special-christ/1465831705548182/
  27. https://m.facebook.com/WISH997/photos/still-in-the-holiday-mood-wish-997-is-still-playing-christmas-music-tune-in/1174458518018837/
  28. https://www.facebook.com/katzmediagrp/photos/katz-media-group-took-a-closer-look-at-holiday-radio-and-the-results-are-in-goin/1124789386503158/
  29. https://wishpittsburgh.com/pages/36-hours-of-christmas
  30. https://media.socastsrm.com/wordpress/wp-content/blogs.dir/2147/files/2018/11/WISH99.7_36-HOURS_SONG-LIST.pdf
  31. https://www.facebook.com/WISH997/posts/jordan-kline-wants-to-send-you-to-see-the-ultimate-holiday-rock-concert-luminare/1467779762020043/
  32. https://wishpittsburgh.com/pages/2024-make-a-wish-virtual-holiday-campaign
  33. https://promonet.radio-online.com/wire/wshh-fm080212.pdf
  34. https://radioinsight.com/headlines/293284/holiday-2024-12-5-1-8-nielsen-audio-ppm-ratings-day-3-one-in-three-cleveland-radio-listeners-choose-christmas-music/
  35. https://www.rabbitears.info/tower.php?request=site&asrn=1032235
  36. https://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WSHH&service=FM
  37. https://www.fcc.gov/media/radio/fmpower
  38. https://www.pbrtv.com/40-years-since-13q-2/
  39. https://www.pbrtv.com/about-pbrtv-2/about-the-creator/
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