WEDO goes country while maintaining paid programs
August 2, 2022With the arrival of a new automation computer, Broadcast Communications, Inc’s WEDO (810/W227DB 93.3 McKeesport) is sporting country music throughout the day parts where paid programming isn’t on the air. Previous programming was done out of a basic desktop computer until the new equipment could be acquired.
As you know WEDO now shares its tower in a “diplex” with KQV (1410) which is non-commercial and is owned by the non-comm subsidiary Broadcast Educational Communications, Inc. Recently a similar automation system was put into action for the station which is simulcast on WKGO (88.1 Murrysville) allowing for even more of the beautiful music format to be programmed.
WEDO has gone through a lot of changes over the years. I interned there in 1974, when they were going head to head with WTAE-AM, and the Oldies format. WEDO was kicking butt in the ratings back then. In 1980, I worked there for a short while, when they went religion. That was a pretty boring format, but religion paid the bills. I got it. Then, former owners, the Baron’s, started adding pay to play Oldies DJ’s, back into the mix, eventually dropping the religion completely, for all kinds of pay to play programming. It worked for a good while, keeping the station afloat. Then the current owner bought it, roughly 5 years ago, and kept things pretty much the same, but then when businesses who sponsored these shows closed during the “hard times”, WEDO lost a lot of the pay to play shows. I’m not sure what their thinking is, in going Country. If it were Classic Country, I may tune in. This is Pittsburgh, with a much older demographic. Classic Country could work. I guess we’ll see where they go with this. As far as picking up KQV at 88.1 ?? I just tried. I like KQV’s easy listening format, but I could not pick up 88.1 very well, where I live. I live close to the WEDO tower, but 88.1 isn’t coming from that tower. Any chance they could put 88.1 on WEDO’s tower too?
88.1 is licensed to Murrysville. Remember that used to be WRWJ which was trying to come on board in the early 1990s… at the same time WRCT was looking to boost its signal on 88.3. As such, WRCT had to go directional putting 1750 watts to the North, South and West; 650 W to the East. Additionally with the much stronger WZUM on 88.1 out of Bethany, WV, there’s no way WKGO can move any farther west.
It sounds like old-school classic country too, a la WKZV. I guess with the demise of Willie 103.5 someone sensed an opportunity here. Not that there’s anything wrong with that but I will miss the old-tyme radio shows they had been running in the early evenings.
It’s just coincidence with the format.