WBCB (AM)
| |
Broadcast area | Philadelphia metropolitan area |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 1490 kHz |
| Branding | WBCB 1490 AM |
| Programming | |
| Format | Talk/Sports |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | B & L Media Ventures, LLC |
| History | |
First air date | December 8, 1957 |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| 53648 | |
| Class | C |
| Power | 1,000 watts unlimited |
| Translator | 107.3 W297CL (Levittown) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live |
| Website | www |
WBCB (1490 kHz) is an AM broadcast station licensed to Levittown, Pennsylvania, and serving the areas of Bucks County, Pennsylvania and other parts of suburban Philadelphia. Its programming mixes talk and local sports.
WBCB began broadcasting on December 8, 1957, under the ownership of Drew J.T. O'Keefe, a Main Line attorney. He owned the station until he died in the late 1980s. The early years were marked by the emergence of soon-to-be big-name personalities like Bill Bircher and Horace Greely McNabb. Since 1992, the station has been owned by local businessman Pasquale T. Deon Jr. and veteran Philadelphia Eagles broadcaster Merrill Reese, who was a WBCB alumnus early in his career.
From the beginning until well into the 1980s, WBCB was focused on service to the Lower Bucks County region. During this time its surrounding suburbs were growing and many families were moving to the new developments of Levittown and Fairless Hills. While the station broadcast a good amount of musical programming, it also provided a good deal of local news in the mix. Many kids grew up listening to the station for their school lunch menus as well as snow day announcements. It even broadcast a daily report of lost dogs called Dog Gone so the community could keep an eye out for them. Its advertising revenue came almost entirely from local merchants, who saw the station as the best way to get into this expanding suburban market.
As with many stations that serve such markets, WBCB was assigned a "graveyard frequency" of 1490 KHz. These are specifically low power, usually no more than 1000 Watts, so that they can reach only a small area and thus many stations can be "buried" on this frequency without much concern that their signals will overlap. This is why these stations often reduce power after dark, as AM radio transmission can travel much farther then and without the power reduction there is a chance of interference.
On March 13, 2026, WBCB changed their format from full service to talk/sports.[2]
Current personalities
[edit source]- Merrill Reese
- Dan Baker
- Greg Luzinski
- Dennis Ostopowicz
- Ted Efaw, Program Director
- Steve Lawlor
- Chris Ermer
- Jim Foxwell, Mornings
- Pat Wandling, Speak Your Piece
- Lou Powers
- Joe LeCompte
- Brooks Saint Ives
- Billy Werndl
- Paul Jolovitz
- Keith Noonan
- Mike Warren
- Rich Fisher
- Ryan Baxter
- Gus Barber
- Jordan Hirsch
Alumni personalities
[edit source]Vince Reed, News, for over 40 years.
Bruce Bailey, ca. 1971, evening shift from 7 p.m. to midnight
Jerry Angert, 1989–1991, GM, PD, Morning Host
Steve Bessler, Morning Drive, 1980s
Ken Wright 1978 - 1982 Afternoon Drive
Ron Castro (Ron Carlyle, Don McAlister) Overnights, news, and other fill-in, 1966
Bill Tourot, Overnight DJ, 1982
Tom Richards, Overnight fill-in, 1982
Jim Costanzo, Overnight fill-in, 1982
Paul Baroli Jr, Program Manager, Coffee With Kahuna, for 10 years.
Dick Fennessy (Tom Sommers) 1972-1974 Afternoons/Evenings
John Brown Evenings and Afternoons 1970s
Dan Wing - News Anchor/Sports Director/DJ - 2007-2014
Bill Matter, afternoon drive fill-in, 1979
Al Stewart (Allan Hotlen) Nights
"Quick" Karl Rahmer 6 p.m.-Midnight
Charles A. Hidalgo, On Air Talent, 1984 to 1994
Jim Glogowski - Jimmy G, 1970s and 11980s
Speciality shows
[edit source]- Afternoons with Steve Lawlor
- Monday Night Kickoff
- Pro Football Report with Merrill Reese
- Pro Wrestling Weekly
- The Bull Session with Dan Baker and Greg "The Bull" Luzinski
- Baseball Insiders with John Brazer and Tommy Greene
- Slobberknocker Showdown
- Wide Open with Fred Fletcher
- The Dennis Ostopowicz Polka Show
- Sunshine Music Memories with Smilin' Lou Powers
- Jolly and the Loon
References
[edit source]- ↑ "Facility Technical Data for WBCB". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ↑ WBCB Flips to Talk/Sports Radioinsight - March 13, 2026
External links
[edit source]- Facility details for Facility ID 53648 (WBCB) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- WBCB in Nielsen Audio's AM station database
- Facility details for Facility ID 201592 (W297CL) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- W297CL at FCCdata.org