Tom Kutza polka program returns to WISL1480.com this Sunday at NOON

[jjtreese]

A Shamokin and Anthracite Coal Region tradition returns as veteran radio personality Tom Kutza brings back his Sunday afternoon polka show on the new WISL1480.com.
Starting at noon Sunday, Sept. 2, Kutza will present a weekly two-hour program featuring the best in polka music traditional to northeast and central Pennsylvania. Expect to hear songs from the Kryger Brothers, Jimmy Sturr, The King Brothers Orchestra, The Polka Family and many others. Kutza played these great bands on WISL radio for more than 40 years on his weekly polka radio show.
Kutza says that when WISL went silent in 2001, Shamokin, like many other areas lost their venue for this type of local traditional programming. Kutza says he is excited to begin a new tradition on a new medium, through the rebirth of WISL radio at www.WISL1480.com. A production of Radio Anthracite, WISL is now available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week and listenable from anywhere, even from the average smart phone.
Tom Kutza was a radio host on WISL radio in Shamokin from 1960 until 1998. He became the tourism director for Northumberland County following his career in radio. Since then, Kutza has hosted many community events, been featured in parades and continues to host "Letters to Santa" and "Christmas Eve With Tom Kutza" every Christmas season.
WISL1480.com is an Internet radio station currently hosted through Loudcaster.com and offers an oldies format featuring the greatest hits of the 50s, 60s and early 70s. In addition to the music, WISL will feature local programming, such as local church services, news and information and sports programming specific to the Shamokin and Mount Carmel areas.

 

[Zenith Transoceanic]

Is there any prospect that the actual radio station will be back any time soon?

 

[Steve Green NEPA]

There had been a try at reviving it, T-O, some months after Clear Channel bought it and the FM 95.3 and flushed the AM.

I worked in Shamokin one day a week then, and tuned in. They played segued Oldies with no IDs, and the fidelity was truly horrible. One night, WTOP 1500 was louder than WISL was, near Ranshaw. That is not much more than a mile from the tower site. The revival at the time may have been just a trial run, but wow, did it sound awful.

I never saw the WISL towers. In fact, I forget if they had three or four. There's an old topo map of Shamokin somewhere. I gather the towers were not lit at night ; I would have seen them. Their Radio-Locator map is no more, but iIrc they were somewhat directional north, at least at night.

WISL 1480 used to be *it* for the local young people in the area back in the 60's, particularly on weekend evenings, at clambakes and bush parties and local concerts. But I suspect that a return to Polka music would pull in more revenue on 1480 than any other format in 2012.

1480 would have to do something about that equipment and fidelity, and balance that with the cost of a directional system, STL .....
IF the license hasn't been turned in.

 

[Zenith Transoceanic]

Thank you for your reply, Steve. I picked up the signal once in Wilkes-Barre when I was doing some DXing years ago.

 

[ka2xuk]

Is there any prospect that the actual radio station will be back any time soon?

No. The license was cancelled quite some time ago, so that station is officially dead. The only way it could come back would be for the FCC to open a filing window for new AM station construction permit applications. The applicants would then have to bid in an auction in order to get the actual construction permit.

The application would have to include an engineering study to ensure that a revived WISL would fit and be in compliance with present-day AM regulations. Such studies are not cheap, especially for proposed stations that would need directional arrays. Many AM stations that went on the air in the 1950s and early 60s were shoehorned into the band. A prime example was WERA (now defunct) in Plainfield, NJ, which went on the air in September, 1961. With 500 watts on 1590, WERA was located only 23 miles from the transmitter site of WWRL, 1600 kHz, which serves New York City. WERA had a 3-tower array and the proof of performance for that array was as thick as a phone book. Needless to say, WERA cannot be revived, at least on 1590.

WISL frequently had problems with people stealing the ground radials. This accounted for the poor signal that the station had in its last days.

 

[DaveWilliams]

Alot of radio has gone away from that area over the years, WQIN-1290, WMIM-1590, WISL-1480, WMBT-1530 and WPAM-1450. Its a shame to see all of that happen.

 

[Denny E.]

I'm glad to hear this about Tom. I worked with Tom Kutza from 1966 to 1972 at WISL in its heydays. It's a shame that the vibe and less sculptured type of radio are now non existent. It was truly a joy to work with Tom and the many others at WISL.

Dennis

 

[Steve Green NEPA]

As well, Dave, to add to that Grim Reaper scroll, WHLM 550 in Bloomsburg has been dark for years. I haven't been by their site off the interstate lately, so I don;t even know if their towers are still standing. I doubt it. Of those mentioned, WHLM 550 arguably had the best signal day and night -- plus an awesome dial spot. If they haven't been on for more than a decade, there has to be severe doubt that WISL 1480 is going to phoenix itself.

Word locally is that Clear Channel is still having a few bright light bulbs standing in the dunce's corner for buying two *FM stations* -- 95.3 and 99.7 -- to boost their ratings in Williamsport. It didn't work. So the notion of puttiing back on a WARM 590, or a WHLM 550, a WPAM 1450, et al, is beyond ludicrous. Smoke signals might be more efficient in these hills.

 

[NigelWick]

The WHLM 550 tower came down long ago. It looks like there's some big apartment/condo looking thing on the site.

 

[kfitz]

WPAM's license is still alive, Licensed and silent as of March 2012.

 

[benale]

Years ago the WHLM staff referred to the towers off Route 42 a half mile South of I 80 as "the five tall towers of power". 550 AM began programming separate from 106.5 in 1989, using reel to reel tapes with a nostalgia format. They switched to Classic Country in 1992,still using reel to reels. In 1995 they went talk with a variety of different shows,including Doug Stephen and Tom Leykis. In 1997 they went to the satellite "Music of Your Life" with Gary Owens, Wink Martindale and Chuck Southcott. I did a local morning show during all the music formats. When WHLM/WJMW(the 550 calls)was sold in 1998, the AM stayed on with music until October 1999 when they once again simulcasted. In November of 99 the station went silent and the towers came down in December.

That 550 signal at 1000 watts really carried. These days the WHLM calls are on 930AM and 103.5 FM,WHLM standing for it's owner Harry L. Magee. WJMW's calls were for the owners son, Jim Magee.

 

[Tim Y]

ADDENDUM- "Death Scroll"

WSCR,1320-Scranton.
WTHT,1300-Hazleton.
WGSA,1310-Ephrata.


The WSCR call letters are now held by "The Score"- Formerly WMAQ in Chicago. ( 670 khz ).
:'(