WGMF (AM)

WGMF
City Nanticoke, Pennsylvania
Broadcast area Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton
Branding GEM 104
Slogan Northeast PA's
Greatest Hits
Frequency 730 kHz
Translator(s) 92.5 W223CC (Wilkes-Barre)
95.3 W237DP (Mountain Top)
99.5 W258DJ (Hazleton)
104.5 W283BE (Scranton)
First air date 1947 (1947)
Format Classic Hits (WZMF simulcast)
Power 1,000 Watts (day)
12 Watts (night)
Class D
Facility ID 59757
Transmitter coordinates 41°13′09″N 75°59′15″W / 41.21917°N 75.98750°W / 41.21917; -75.98750
Former callsigns WHWL
WNAK (?-2010)
WZMF (2010-2018)
Owner Geos Communications
Sister stations WGMF-FM, WZMF
Webcast Listen Live
Website www.gem104.com

WGMF is an AM broadcasting radio station licensed to the city of Nanticoke, Pennsylvania and serves the Wilkes-Barre, Scranton, and Hazleton radio markets with a Classic Hits format, switching from Adult Standards and Tropical and Spanish language adult contemporary format [1] in December 2008. The station simulcasts sister WZMF located in Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania.[2][3] WGMF broadcasts at a frequency of 730 kHz with 1,000 Watts of power during the daytime with a non-directional antenna. During the nighttime hours, the station must reduce its power substantially to just 12 Watts which limits its listen able area to just the local Nanticoke area. The power reduction at nighttime is required by rules set by the Federal Communications Commission in order to avoid interference from CKAC, a Canadian Class A radio station also on 730 kHz. WGMF also broadcasts at a frequency of 104.5 MHz with 27 Watts of power from a site atop Dewey/West Mtn near Keyser Valley/Scranton, Pennsylvania which covers Scranton, Old Forge, Avoca, Dickson City, Pittston, and Jessup, Pennsylvania. WGMF also broadcasts at a frequency of 92.5 MHz with 250 Watts of power from a site atop Penobscot Mountain near Mountain Top, Pennsylvania which covers Wilkes-Barre, Mountain Top, Wyoming, Nanticoke, Hazleton, Dallas, West Pittston, and Kingston, Pennsylvania.

History

The radio station has its origins as WHWL, the last three letters standing for the initials of Henry W. Lark, the station's former owner.[4] The station then changed hands and was owned by Radio Anthracite, Inc. with the call signs changing along the way to WNAK. The station changed ownership in 1958 to Attorney Martin Phillips and Wyoming Radio, Inc.[5] In 1965, Bob Neilson, Charmaine Grove, and accountant Harold Detwiler (to be known collectively as Seven-Thirty Broadcasters, Inc.) purchased radio station WNAK from Attorney Martin Phillips and Wyoming Radio, Inc.[6] During the 1980s, WNAK started broadcasting with the Kahn-Hazeltine AM stereo system, the only northeastern Pennsylvania AM broadcasting station to use the system.

In 2003, Seven-Thirty Broadcasters and WNAK were acquired by the present day owners of the station, Route 81 Radio, based in West Chester, PA.[7] From 2004 until 2006, WNAK was simulcast on the former WNAK-FM located in Carbondale, Pennsylvania at 94.3 MHz. WNAK-FM is now known as "Lite 94.3" and broadcasts a soft rock format with the call signs WLNP. WLNP is still the sister station to WNAK and part of the Route 81 Radio group of stations. In 2005, WNAK was honored by the National Association of Broadcasters as the Adult Standards format station of the year in Pennsylvania.[8] The station switched from an Adult Standards format on October 15, 2007 to Spanish language programming simulcasting sister station WCDL, "Caliente (Hot) 1440", from Carbondale, Pennsylvania.[2][3]

The station's programming as "Caliente" was a mix of locally produced shows from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays followed by syndicated shows from Bustos Broadcasting.[2]

It was announced in early December 2008 that WNAK, along with sister station WCDL, would be returning to a standards format. Newspaper ads have used the slogan "The Greatest Music of All Time" and have featured photos of singers such as Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Dean Martin and Peggy Lee. It has been reported that the stations are currently airing continuous Christmas music with the final format to launch after Christmas. The station changed its call sign to WZMF on April 23, 2010. WZMF switched to a simulcast of the-then 1460 kHz WGMF on May 5, 2010 airing a Classic Hits/Oldies format.

On July 4, 2018, WZMF and WGMF swapped call signs.

References

  1. ↑ "More 'Caliente' For Northeast Pennsylvania". Hispanic Market Weekly (Coral Gables, Florida). Retrieved October 22, 2007.
  2. 1 2 3 "In Brief: WNAK going Spanish". Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania). Retrieved October 12, 2007.
  3. 1 2 Scott Schaffer. "Radio Stations Broadcasting in Spanish". WNEP-TV (Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania). Retrieved October 15, 2007.
  4. ↑ "Search Results". April 25, 2000.
  5. ↑ Fastcase
  6. ↑ NewspaperARCHIVE.com - Search old newspaper articles online
  7. ↑ Route 81 Radio Creates Radio Broadcasting Company. - PR Newswire - HighBeam Research
  8. ↑ Congrats WNAK Adult Standards Station Of The Year!

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