WPGC 1580 Morningside

Where was WPGC 1580's studio & AM transmitter site back around 1967 ,when they were a RnR station and AM daytimer ? How many towers did they operate with and what was the power ? Also, where was their FM transmitter site at this time ? Exact locations if known.

Al

I think it was all right off the beltway.

WPGC's AM and FM site was located on Walker Mill Road. You would get off the Beltway at Pennsylvania Avenue and drive toward the city. It was a very short distance off the exit. As David said, the FM antenna was mounted on one of the 2 AM towers.

When WPGC-FM increased power from 15,700 to 50,000 watts, which was in 1971 or 1972, a new FM tower was built a short distance away off Walker Mill Road, probably less than a mile away from the AM site. When WPGC-AM went from 10,000 to 50,000 watts, they constructed a new array on Addison Road off Walker Mill Road, also a short distance from the original site.

I live in Western Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh area) there was a station here on 1580 (WANB Waynesburg with 250 watts) about 50 MILES south of Pittsburgh proper and another one on 1590 (WZUM) with a Signal into Pittsburgh. I could listen to WPGC with their 10,000 Watts in the early seventies.When they increased power to 50,000 Watts In certain suburban areas they overran 1590. We had relatives in the DC area when we would drive down we would listen to WPGC from here all way to their. When they added night service I got their Signal on my transistor radio in Virginia Beach.

How well did WPGC 1580 cover the Washington ,DC area with 10 kw and two towers on 1580 back in the late 60's ? What directions did the array send the signal ? Where were the nulls ?
In New Jersey at sunset just before the AM signed off ,the 1580 signal was loud in the late 60's.
Any idea what is now at the old WPGC AM site, it looks like area is all built up now.

Al

disk jockey johnny baze

johnny baze ( my father) had a radio show back around 1956 in that time period anyway and i was wondering if there was anyway to find out more about that .. my father died quit a few years ago so i cant find anything from him but there was a singer songwriter that was on with him some but i dont know how much and his name was wade holmes.. i would be grateful for any info

WPGC's site was on Walker Mill Road, a little bit inside the Pennsylvania Avenue exit of the Capital Beltway. David, if you consulted an old Broadcasting Yearbook, you may be correct, but I remember WPGC-FM going from 15,700 watts to 50,000 in the early 70's. When that happened, they built a new tower for the FM several blocks away from its old perch on one of the 1580 towers. When the AM increased power from 10,000 to 50,000 watts, which required going from 2 to 4 towers, the AM moved a few blocks from the old site to Addison Road.

Wow. This is an old thread. I see I responded back in 2017.

gr8oldies said:

WPGC is always one of the first stations in 2 to 3 hours before sunset into the midwest and one of the last to fade out

Click to expand...

The station is called WJFK now. I heard the legal station ID yesterday afternoon. It wasn't even close to dark and I was only ten miles from the transmitter of the station I was trying to listen to. I was hearing at least three stations taking turns, one of which was Spanish.