WTYM

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WTYM is a commercially-licensed AM radio station broadcasting at 1380 khz with a maximum power output of 1,000 watts, non-directional. The station is wholly owned by Vernal Enterprises, Inc. of Indiana, Pennsylvania, and is licensed to the borough of Kittanning, the seat of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania.

[edit] Beginnings: As WACB, "The Ace of Entertainment"

WTYM originally began as WACB, with its early roots dating back to its sign-on in 1948. The call letters were an acronym for Armstrong County Broadcasting, the parent company of the station until 1982. It was the second AM station to sign on in Armstrong County, with WAVL doing so in nearby Apollo the year before. A third AM station, also licensed to Kittanning, signed on a few years later, but ceased operations not long after.

WACB had been a independent, community-oriented station, playing a variety of oldies, talk, and Top 40 music, not much different than others of its day. The station's studios and offices were located at the corner of Market and Water streets adjacent to the Kittanning Community Bridge from the time of its inception up to about 1980. From there, the station moved its operations to 221 Butler Road in West Kittanning, not far from its transmitter site in North Buffalo Township.

[edit] The Nicholas Years

The station was sold in late 1981 by Armstrong County Broadcasting to Nicholas Broadcasting Company, Incorporated. Armstrong County Broadcasting at that time, was owned and operated by Raymond H. Rosenblum, whose brother Joel, coincidentally, was operating a station of his own (WISR) in nearby Butler at time. Nicholas Broadcasting, headed by Ralph A. Nicholas, Jr. and his son Ralph A. "Hap" Nicholas III, purchased the station for $300,000. Another co-incidence: The Nicholases were Butler natives who had done business with Joel Rosenblum in the past, and were somewhat familiar already with the business, although moving and transport was their primary business.

Nicholas Broadcasting then sank a large amount of money into a new studio and office building at the station's transmitter location along Bunker Hill Road in North Buffalo Township, along with new, though not entirely state-of-the-art, equipment.

[edit] Adults Exclusively Yours

In an effort to maximize revenue potential for an AM standalone station at a time when FM was fast gaining momentum, Nicholas Broadcasting announced the launch of a weekly publication called "Adults Exclusively Yours". The free publication, found in many area businesses, provided the station with a sight advertising vehicle that augmented its radio advertising. The paper featured a mix of satire, written by the station's personalities and management, a comic strip, horoscopes, and large print ads. Adults Exclusively Yours was launched in September of 1987.

Later that year, after many years of petitioning the FCC, WACB was granted license for limited nighttime power, to begin in January of 1988. This allowed the station to finally broadcast 24 hours a day, but since FCC regulations at that time mandated an operator present during all hours of operation, WACB chose to sign off at midnight. Because their new licensed nighttime power was only 28 watts, it was not efficient to keep the transmitter running for that extended period of time at that power level, resulting in higher maintenance costs.

In April of 1989, WACB cut back its broadcast hours to 9pm. Three months later, it cut back to 6pm. In November of that year, Adults Exclusively Yours ceased publication, laying off its two graphic design artists, due to financial difficulties.

[edit] Classic Hits To Country: The All-American

On July 4, 1990, WACB committed a bold format move by switching from its AC-Oldies format to Country. The "Ace of Entertainment" moniker was dropped, and the station became known as "The All-American". Though the listenership of the station improved dramatically, it did little to increase revenue. The station was later advertised for sale.

[edit] Changing TYMes: The Birth of WTYM

WACB was purchased in July of 1992 by its present owner, Vernal Enterprises, Incorporated; a company owned by former WACB announcer Larry Schrecongost, who once worked for the station in 1967, at a price of $85,000. The call letters were immediately switched to WTYM (for Good TYMe Radio) and the format switched to 50's through 70's oldies. Schrecongost, who had made his fortune through cellular tower rentals, was also an engineer by trade, and updated the station to much more modern, digital equipment. Schrecongost packed the station with wall-to-wall live and tape-delayed local high school sports games, which carved out a very successful niche that had never been attempted before.

Two other AM stations, both of which had been bankrupt and off the air, returned to the air as WTYM's affiliates: WNCC Barnesboro, and WRDD Ebensburg. An FM station, WHPA (93.5 The Heart) went on the air in 1999. Vernal Enterprises also owns a LPTV station, WLLS-TV49, licensed to Indiana, Pennsylvania.