WKHB

WKHB is an AM radio station licensed to Irwin, Pennsylvania, United States, which serves the greater Pittsburgh area. Known as 620 KHB, the station operates with 5,500 watts daytime (reduced power at night) and airs a mix of health talk and paid programming with oldies music in the early morning, evening and overnight hours. It is also known for its weekend polka shows.

WKHB's high power on a low frequency yields what is generally considered to be the second-best daytime AM signal in the Pittsburgh area (behind KDKA), covering nearly two million people in various portions of five states. Veteran Pittsburgh radio personality/programmer Clarke Ingram has recently been associated with the stations, and was named Program Director in 2005 and promoted to Operations Manager in 2006. As of 2008, Ingram continues his OM duties, with owner Bob Stevens holding the General Manager and Program Director titles. Michael J. Daniels was brought in as Assistant Program Director in late 2007.

WKHB and its sister station WKFB (770) are owned by Broadcast Communications Inc., which also owns and operates radio stations in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania.

History

620 began as WHJB, formerly licensed to Greensburg. The station began as a daytime-only operation, but later increased power and received nighttime authorization, operating at 2,500 watts daytime and 500 watts at night at the time of its sale in 1996. WHJB's directional antenna array of five towers along U.S. Route 30 could be seen overlooking Greensburg for many years, but would come down after the sale.

The station was sold in 1996 to Bob Stevens, who had put WKYN-FM (now WDDH) on the air in [St. Mary's, Pennsylvania]] and sold it as soon as he learned that WHJB was for sale. Stevens formed Broadcast Communications, Inc. and purchased WHJB, spinning off its sister FM station WSSZ (now WGSM) to Pittsburgh-based Sheridan Broadcasting. As a condition of the sale, the transmitter site was not included and had to move within a short period of time, as the property was being sold for development of a shopping center in the area.

Stevens moved WHJB's transmitter site closer to Pittsburgh, raised its daytime power twice, and changed its city of license to Irwin, a nearby suburb. WHJB had always been primarily a Westmoreland County radio station while WKHB, with its higher power and closer tower, aspires to serve Pittsburgh and Allegheny County.

John Longo, who today owns Latrobe-based competitor WCNS-AM, had previously managed the station during the WHJB years, and had also served as a consultant to other affiliate stations of its then-corporate ownership.

WHJB had suffered in its last few years, with obvious disinvestment and the loss of its previous transmitter site. The call letter change to WKHB in 1999 was more or less concurrent with a format switch to paid programming. Music continued to air in the station's off-peak hours, Contemporary Christian music at first, then a selection of 1970s hits, followed by the present mix of 60s, 70s, and 80s oldies.

On-Air Personalities and Programs

For a brief time former KDKA and WJAS personality Jack Wheeler hosted the early-morning show on 620 KHB. Wheeler left the station at the end of 2003 to move back to Florida. Current morning host (and station manager) Barry Banker celebrated 40 years with the station in 2006, and is joined in the morning by veteran Bill DeFabio and his daily sports updates.

As of 2008, newcomer Eric O'Brien is heard on Monday evenings, Michael J. Daniels is heard on Thursdays, and Jay Thurber is heard on Sundays, while Caleb Michaels (a nom de air for the station's owner) and Ingram appear at irregular times, usually at night doing the oldies format. Automated oldies are heard starting at 7:15 PM on most other evenings.

Regular non-music programs include Health Breakthroughs with Dr. James Winer, Alternatives to Medicine with Dr. Martin Gallagher, and the daily Scriptural Rosary, which has now aired on Pittsburgh radio for over 30 years. There is an extended lineup of polka shows on Saturday, and midday Sunday, with a schedule of local religious programs on Sunday morning and afternoon.