The 106.3 license originally signed on as WCQO-FM ("CQO" being the initials of station founder Ada Ottie's daughter Constance Quinn) with a "Music of Your Life" format featuring music of the 1930s and 1940s. Charles Rutledge served as vice president and general manager of Blairsville Broadcasting Company, Inc., the original licensee, while Constance Quinn Ottie served as the station's operations manager.
The station broadcast from a two-story wood-framed house at the intersection of Routes 22 and 119 in Burrell Township, just outside the Blairsville borough limits. The ground floor housed the on-air and production studios, with sales and administrative offices on the top floor.
During these early years, the station broadcast a locally produced polka show, hosted by Mark Bertig who led the band "The Polish Friends" from the late 1970s to early 1980s. He would leave in 1985, only to return in 2002 to manage this station and three of its competitors under subsequent purchases by its present owner.
The WNQQ days: "Wink FM"
On April 15, 1985, the station was purchased by former WAMO-FM general manager Ray Gusky (dba WNQQ, Inc.), who rebranded the station with the call sign WNQQ-FM and adopted a hybrid AC /Music of Your Life format. Billed as "Wink-FM," the station added specialty programming, such as a locally based oldies program on Saturdays, "Jukebox Saturday Night with D.P. McIntire" (who would re-emerge decades later as the general manager of 101.9 WKRP in Raleigh, North Carolina) as well as a Sunday morning program featuring Irish folk music, "C'eol Na hEireann with Nancy Lee."
Transfer of the station's control went from Gusky to Jeff Dean (dba Pennsylvania Broadcast Associates) in December 1987.
Longo's Luckyland: WLCY and "Lucky 106.3"
John Longo, who started as a disc jockey in 1959, purchased WNQQ for $485,000 in November 1989, ten months following his purchase of WCNS in Latrobe.[citation needed] Signing an agreement with the former Drake Chenault Radio Network (now Jones Radio Network), the station was rebranded under the call letters WLCY-FM (once assigned to an AM-FM-TV combination in Tampa, Florida), revamping its soft adult contemporary format under the nickname "Lucky 106.3," conceived by Longo while showering one morning and prompting a derisive slogan among long-time staffers, "We used to think 'Wink' stinks... but now we're sure, 'Lucky' sucks." After a three-year hiatus and a stint at WPXZ McIntire would return to the station in a part-time role in 1989, with G.V. Rapp coming on as program director. Tony Michaels maintained his role hosting "Jukebox Saturday Night," having inherited it from McIntire's successor, Dave Justin.
Consolidating the business offices of the station with those of WCNS in Latrobe, Longo would conduct an interior renovation in 1990, moving the on-air studio into a front extension of the building, which was known affectionately as "The House." This move would be beneficial in several respects but also would provide on-air staff with moments of hilarity, such as when errant golf shots from a nearby course would strike screened-in studio windows during broadcasts. As part of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's Route 22/119 widening project, the building which had housed the station since its debut would be demolished in 2001. WLCY's on-air operations would be moved to Latrobe to complete its consolidation with WCNS, but a small sales office nonetheless was maintained in Blairsville.
Sale to Renda Broadcasting
Longo decided to sell the station in 2002 to Pittsburgh-based Renda Broadcasting Corporation for $900,000, following an LMA of almost two years.
In need of additional studio space to accommodate four radio stations (WDAD, WCCS, WLCY, WQMU), Renda Broadcasting acquired the former Gatti Pharmacy building at the corner of 9th and Philadelphia Streets in downtown Indiana, where the four stations and its business operations occupy the first and second floors. As the format of the station was in many ways identical to those of the other stations in this new four station cluster, WLCY's format was changed to country music shortly after the acquisition. The station competes with WFGI-FM by playing today's best country highlighted by throwback country hits. On-Air talent includes Andy Hart with the rest of Cat Country's music automated.
WSHH is a commercial radio station that is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This station is the flagship of Renda Broadcasting and airs an adult contemporary radio format. From mid-November through December 25, WSHH switches to all Christmas music.
WEDO is a commercial AM radio station licensed to McKeesport, Pennsylvania and serving Greater Pittsburgh. It carries a brokered programming radio format. Hosts buy segments of time on the station and may use their shows to advertise their products and services or seek donations to their ministries. Some shows are for ethnic communities, some are religious and others are devoted to special interests. WEDO is owned by Robert and Ashley Stevens through licensee Broadcast Communications, Inc. The studios and offices are located at the intersection of Routes 30 and 48 in Irwin, Pennsylvania, sharing space with other BCI-owned stations.
WJFA is a commercial radio station licensed to Apollo, Pennsylvania, and serving the northeast suburbs of the Greater Pittsburgh. The station carries a conservative talk radio format simulcast with WJFG 1480 AM in Latrobe. Both stations are owned by John Fredericks, through licensee Disruptor Radio LLC. They formerly carried the syndicated JACK-FM programming service.
WGBN is an urban contemporary gospel radio station that serves the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, market in the US. Owned by Pentecostal Temple Development Corporation, the station operates with a power of 1,000 watts, and is licensed to McKeesport, Pennsylvania.
Renda Broadcasting (RBC) is a privately held Pittsburgh-based radio broadcasting company founded by chief executive, Tony Renda.
WPGO is a non-commercial AM radio station licensed to Horseheads, New York, serving the Elmira-Corning radio market. It is owned by Montrose Broadcasting, Corporation and airs a Christian radio format, mixing Christian talk and teaching programs with Christian music. Much of the programming is simulcast from sister station WPEL-FM 96.5 FM in Montrose, Pennsylvania. The stations hold periodic fundraisers on the air to support the ministry. The studios are on High Street in Montrose.
KOMA is a classic hits formatted FM radio station serving the Oklahoma City area owned by Tyler Media, a locally-based, family-owned company controlled by brothers Ty and Tony Tyler. The station's studios are located in Northeast Oklahoma City with a transmitter site located a mile east from the studio.
WCER was an commercial radio station that was licensed to Canton, Ohio at 900 AM, serving the Canton metropolitan area. The station broadcast from 1947 to 2011, ceasing operations when the owners voluntarily allowed their license to expire, and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) cancelled it.
KMGL is an adult contemporary music formatted radio station serving the Oklahoma City area and is owned by Tyler Media, a locally-based, family-owned company controlled by brothers Ty and Tony Tyler. The station's studios are located in Northeast Oklahoma City with a transmitter site located a mile east from the studio.
KRXO-FM is a commercial radio station in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It is owned by Ty and Tony Tyler's Tyler Media, L.L.C., and it carries a sports radio format. The studios are on East Britton Road the northeast side of Oklahoma City. KRXO-FM is one of two Tyler Media stations in Oklahoma City that air a sports format, the other being KEBC. KRXO-FM has mostly Oklahoma-based sports shows with VSiN programming heard late nights and weekends.
WDAD is a radio station in Indiana County, Pennsylvania. It is owned and operated by Renda Broadcasting.
WKZV was a 1,000–watt, two-tower directional, daytime-only AM radio station in the Pittsburgh radio market, licensed to Washington, Pennsylvania. On May 16, 2013, the station went dark, and returned its license to the FCC, after ending its country music format of more than two decades.
WWMI is a radio station licensed to St. Petersburg, Florida, and serving the Tampa Bay radio market. It is owned by Relevant Radio, a non-profit Catholic broadcasting organization based in Wisconsin. WWMI carries its Relevant Radio network programming.
WQMU is a hot adult contemporary radio station broadcast on 92.5 FM. It is owned and operated by Renda Broadcasting.
WECZ is an American commercially licensed daytime-only radio station, licensed to serve the community of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. The station operates with a power of 5,000 watts daytime, and 1,000 watts during critical hours. WECZ is owned by Renda Radio, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Renda Broadcasting Corporation of Pittsburgh.
WCCS is a commercially licensed American radio station in Homer City, Pennsylvania, about 50 miles northeast of Pittsburgh and 25 miles northwest of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. WCCS broadcasts with a maximum daytime power output of 10,000 watts and 1,000 watts at night. The station operates with a four-tower directional antenna pattern and programs a daily format of news/talk, sports talk, and local news/sports reports.
WPXZ-FM is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, known as the "Weather Capital of the World". The station operates at a federally assigned frequency of 104.1 MHz and an effective radiated power of 3,000 watts. WPXZ, and its co-located sister stations, WECZ and WKQL, are all owned by Pittsburgh-based Renda Broadcasting Corporation.
WJFG is a commercial radio station licensed to Latrobe, Pennsylvania. It simulcasts with co-owned WJFA 910 AM in Apollo, Pennsylvania. They carry a conservative talk radio format and are owned by John Fredericks, through licensee Disruptor Radio LLC. The two stations formerly subscribed to the nationally syndicated JACK FM programming service.
WOKW is a commercially licensed FM radio station. It operates on the federally assigned frequency of 102.9 MHz at an effective radiated power of 3,000 watts. WOKW is licensed to Curwensville, Pennsylvania, but maintains studios and offices in Lawrence Township, just outside of Clearfield.
KHTT is a top 40 mainstream (CHR) radio station licensed to Muskogee, Oklahoma, and serving the Tulsa metropolitan area. It is owned by Griffin Communications. The radio studios are located in Downtown Tulsa and the transmitter is south of Bixby.
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