Peterson departs radio; Sparks steps into role

Mark Peterson who has spent nearly 37 years in radio in Beaver Falls announced Monday it was “time to step aside” though he wasn’t referring to an upcoming commercial break. He was just 21 and a student at nearby Geneva College when he started working at WBVP (1230 Beaver Falls) and its then FM sister WWKS (106.7 Beaver Falls; now WAOB-FM). Peterson calls it “a great decision”.

When Frank Iorio bought WJAS (1320) from Renda Broadcasting in 2014, Peterson and his wife, Cyndi, formed Sound Ideas Media, LLC and bought WBVP and its now-sister station WMBA (1460 Ambridge). He wrote and published book about the history of radio in Beaver County and was responsible for getting the station FM translators (99.3 for WBVP and 95.7 for WMBA) and putting them on the air. The Petersons sold the stations to St. Barnabas Broadcasting in 2021 and as part of the agreement, Mark stayed on board as general manager for one year. Now he seeks new opportunities to share time and talent.

Taking over the role, at least temporarily, is a protégé of Peterson’s, Frank Sparks who started at the station in 2013 and was named program director in 2017. Sparks looks forward to carrying the torch.