Commercialization of Broadcasting in Philadelphia traces it's roots to Philadelphia's biggest local department stores. WLIT (Lit Brothers) WFI (Strawbridge & Clothiers) (Share timers later to merge as WFIL), WOO (John Wanamaker's) and WIP (Gimblel Brothers), which first took to the air in March of 1922. The WIP call letters were selected to stand for 'In Philadelphia'. Many of the three call letter call signs were acquired from decommissioned ships which had been assigned call signs for early auditory transmission signal identification. These major department stores established their stations, studios and transmitters above their flagship stores on Market Street East between 13th & 8th in Center City Philadelphia.
The Federal Navigation bureau and later the Federal Radio Commission in an effort to regulate and quell radio interference battles by ever hungrier broadcast companies periodically changed the frequency positions of all the radio stations. WIP operating at 500 watts would migrate from 833 KHz to 750 KHz in 1923 to 590 Khz and to 860 KHz in 1927. In the beginning and with each change, radio stations would share time with another radio stations. WIP would share time with John Wanamaker's WOO during many of these frequency skips. Thus these share timer arrangements meant that one station would be on for and hour and a half while the other station would remain silent. Then one would sign off while the another would sign on. This continued all day and night and would continually lead to battles or complaints being filed by one accusing the other of being on an extra minute or maybe not signing off at all. In Philadelphia these battles became rather aggressive as these broadcast companies also enthralled the competitive department store business distain on the same street no less. It has been described as vicious on many occasions as price battles broke with one station announcing instant price drops as soon as the other would sign off the air.
WIP (QSL) card here.
Gimbel Brothers Department Store WIP radio stationary here.
In 1928 John Wanamaker's WOO would sign off for good and Gimbel Brothers department store's WIP would land on 610 KHz and become a share timer with WFAN which was not a department store company. Subsequently WIP would buy out WFAN by 1931. In 1932 Gimbel Brothers Broadcasting would spin off WIP-WFAN to a new company by under the single call sign WIP, as the Pennsylvania Broadcasting Company. In 1940, to accommodate a power increase to 5,000 watts and employ new transmission tower methods the transmitter site was moved to it's current site in Bellmawr, NJ.
WIP-WFAN letter head stationary picture here.
Frequency Modulation experiments began in the 30's and on April 20, 1942, WIP-FM signed on the air using the call letters W49PH at 44.9 MHz. Once again the Federal regulator authorities (now know as the Federal Communication Commission) periodically shifted around the radio spectrum. This time moving the whole band from 42-50 MHz. to 88-108 MHz. By 1945 WIP-FM (now using standard calls)would move to 93.9, then 97.5 and then finally to 93.3 MHz.
Early WIP logo here.
In 1958, WIP AM and FM were sold for $2,500,000 to WIP Broadcasting, Inc., a new syndicate headed by Benedict Gimbel, Jr., the station's former General Manager.
In 1960, WIP AM and FM were sold again for $2,700,000. This essentially ended any connection the station had with the Gimbel family or retail concern. On May 11, 1961, WIP's licensee name was changed to the parent company of the new owner John W. Kluge's Metromedia Inc. The offices and studios were moved to more modern and larger quarters in the Wellington Building, overlooking Rittenhouse Square at 19th and Walnut Street. In 1961 stereo broadcasting is approved by the FCC.
FM radio basically was all but completely ignored by the listening public. So by the mid-late 60's the FCC was forcibly promoting the separation of AM & FM simulcast content to spur the development of the FM broadcast medium. Sensing these trends in the late 60's Metromedia Broadcasting changed the WIP FM calls to WMMR which stood for MetroMedia. By late 1968 WMMR became an Album Oriented Rock Station following the switch of WDAS FM to Hyski's Underground headed by Philadelphia Broadcast Pioneer Hy Lit. A year later WMMR would raid WDAS FM's air staff acquiring Ed Sciaky, Michael Tearson, Gene Shay, among others and later WDAS FM alum, T. Morgan & Rod Carson would also land at WMMR. WMMR would remain an Album Oriented Rock Station to this day.
WIP FM would be forever gone................That is, until now.
The Federal Navigation bureau and later the Federal Radio Commission in an effort to regulate and quell radio interference battles by ever hungrier broadcast companies periodically changed the frequency positions of all the radio stations. WIP operating at 500 watts would migrate from 833 KHz to 750 KHz in 1923 to 590 Khz and to 860 KHz in 1927. In the beginning and with each change, radio stations would share time with another radio stations. WIP would share time with John Wanamaker's WOO during many of these frequency skips. Thus these share timer arrangements meant that one station would be on for and hour and a half while the other station would remain silent. Then one would sign off while the another would sign on. This continued all day and night and would continually lead to battles or complaints being filed by one accusing the other of being on an extra minute or maybe not signing off at all. In Philadelphia these battles became rather aggressive as these broadcast companies also enthralled the competitive department store business distain on the same street no less. It has been described as vicious on many occasions as price battles broke with one station announcing instant price drops as soon as the other would sign off the air.
WIP (QSL) card here.
Gimbel Brothers Department Store WIP radio stationary here.
In 1928 John Wanamaker's WOO would sign off for good and Gimbel Brothers department store's WIP would land on 610 KHz and become a share timer with WFAN which was not a department store company. Subsequently WIP would buy out WFAN by 1931. In 1932 Gimbel Brothers Broadcasting would spin off WIP-WFAN to a new company by under the single call sign WIP, as the Pennsylvania Broadcasting Company. In 1940, to accommodate a power increase to 5,000 watts and employ new transmission tower methods the transmitter site was moved to it's current site in Bellmawr, NJ.
WIP-WFAN letter head stationary picture here.
Frequency Modulation experiments began in the 30's and on April 20, 1942, WIP-FM signed on the air using the call letters W49PH at 44.9 MHz. Once again the Federal regulator authorities (now know as the Federal Communication Commission) periodically shifted around the radio spectrum. This time moving the whole band from 42-50 MHz. to 88-108 MHz. By 1945 WIP-FM (now using standard calls)would move to 93.9, then 97.5 and then finally to 93.3 MHz.
Early WIP logo here.
In 1958, WIP AM and FM were sold for $2,500,000 to WIP Broadcasting, Inc., a new syndicate headed by Benedict Gimbel, Jr., the station's former General Manager.
In 1960, WIP AM and FM were sold again for $2,700,000. This essentially ended any connection the station had with the Gimbel family or retail concern. On May 11, 1961, WIP's licensee name was changed to the parent company of the new owner John W. Kluge's Metromedia Inc. The offices and studios were moved to more modern and larger quarters in the Wellington Building, overlooking Rittenhouse Square at 19th and Walnut Street. In 1961 stereo broadcasting is approved by the FCC.
FM radio basically was all but completely ignored by the listening public. So by the mid-late 60's the FCC was forcibly promoting the separation of AM & FM simulcast content to spur the development of the FM broadcast medium. Sensing these trends in the late 60's Metromedia Broadcasting changed the WIP FM calls to WMMR which stood for MetroMedia. By late 1968 WMMR became an Album Oriented Rock Station following the switch of WDAS FM to Hyski's Underground headed by Philadelphia Broadcast Pioneer Hy Lit. A year later WMMR would raid WDAS FM's air staff acquiring Ed Sciaky, Michael Tearson, Gene Shay, among others and later WDAS FM alum, T. Morgan & Rod Carson would also land at WMMR. WMMR would remain an Album Oriented Rock Station to this day.
WIP FM would be forever gone................That is, until now.
