WVPO

WVPO
City Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
Broadcast area Stroudsburg
Branding ESPN 840 AM
Frequency 840 kHz
First air date 1947 (as WHAB)
Format Sports
Power 250 watts day
Class D
Facility ID 47423
Transmitter coordinates 40°58′26.00″N 75°11′43.00″W / 40.9738889°N 75.1952778°W / 40.9738889; -75.1952778
Callsign meaning Voice Of The POconos[1]
Former callsigns WHAB (1947–1948)
Affiliations ESPN Radio
Owner Connoisseur Media
(Connoisseur Media Licenses, LLC)
Sister stations WSBG, WWYY
Website http://www.espnpoconos.com/

WVPO (840 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a sports format. Licensed to Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, USA, the station serves the Stroudsburg area. The station is currently owned by Connoisseur Media, through licensee Connoisseur Media Licenses, LLC, and features programming from ESPN Radio.[2][3]

History

WVPO began operation as WHAB in 1947. A year later, the station changed its call letters to WVPO "The Voice of the Poconos." The station offered a blend of local news and popular music. In the 1950s, the station moved studio locations after a devastating fire hit Main Street. Legend has it that a safe on the third floor made a quick descent to the first floor of the building when the fire struck. The studios were moved to 22 South 6th Street, in the building that formerly housed Stroudsburg's Post Office, where they remain to this day. In the 1960s, the station employed a middle of the road (MOR) format, playing mostly pop standards. In the early 1980s, WVPO evolved into an adult contemporary format. Their local owners were known as Keystone Broadcasters.

In 1994, WVPO and WSBG were sold to Nassau Broadcasting Partners. The format remained adult contemporary until 1997. That year, the station switched to an adult standards format playing the easy listening hits of the 1950s and 1960s, along with some softer oldies of the 1960s and 1970s, and some contemporary artists doing pop standards.

In 1998, WVPO and WSBG were sold to Multicultural Broadcasting, but continued to be managed by Nassau.

In 2002, Nassau acquired full ownership of WVPO and WSBG. In the Summer of 2003, WVPO dropped the MOR Adult Standards format in favor of an oldies format. During this time, WVPO aired a sports programming including: NY Jets and NY Giants NFL football, NY Yankees Baseball, and has been the home of ESU Warrior (East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania) college football for over 40 years.

In December 2006, Nassau ended local programming on WVPO and WPLY and began to simulcast co-owned FM station WWYY, after a planned sale fell through. The final breath of live air staff at WVPO, in December 2006, consisted of Peter Ward weekday mornings, Rod Bauman weekday mid-days, and Linda Murphy weekday afternoons, with other various weekend and fill-in staff.

In the last week of January 2007, WVPO and WPLY changed to a format of syndicated talk programs, after firing their staff only weeks before Christmas, with no advance warning. The new lineup features Imus in the Morning along with various political and financial talk programs.

In 2012, WVPO celebrated its 50th season as the broadcast home of East Stroudsburg University football games. Long-time WVPO/WSBG announcer Chuck Seese began his 24th season as the play-by-play voice of the Warriors.

The station, along with nine other Nassau stations in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, was purchased at bankruptcy auction by NB Broadcasting in May 2012. NB Broadcasting is controlled by Nassau's creditors — Goldman Sachs, Pluss Enterprises, and P.E. Capital.[4][5] In November, NB Broadcasting filed a motion to assign its rights to the stations to Connoisseur Media.[6] The transaction, at a price of $38.7 million, was consummated on May 29, 2013.

References

  1. ↑ "Call Letter Origins". Radio History on the Web.
  2. ↑ "WVPO Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  3. ↑ "WVPO Station Information Profile". Arbitron.
  4. ↑ "10 Nassau Stations Go To NB Broadcasting LLC". All Access. May 30, 2012. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
  5. ↑ Pierce, David (June 12, 2012). "Pocono radio stations now in the hands of creditors". Pocono Record. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
  6. ↑ "Connoisseur Moves To Assume Debtor's Bid To Buy 10 Nassau Stations, Including WPST". All Access. November 21, 2012. Retrieved November 21, 2012.
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