By any name, WESA showed staying power

The station went on the air Nov. 12, 1947, thanks to the insight of a group of Charleroi businessmen known as the Monongahela Valley Broadcasting Corp.

The MVBC board of directors at that time was made up of Dr. A.S. Sickman, president; Thomas Labin, vice president; Russell B. Stahlman, secretary; L.S. Clarke, treasurer; and Earl Eisenhower, Milton Hammond, Dr. F.N. Parent, Alvin Porter and David P. Zelenski.

Construction on the station began earlier in the year on a site along the banks of the Monongahela River behind what is now known as Chamber Plaza. The building is still located on the same site today.

B.D. Trnavsky, a well-known local architect, designed the two-story structure, and Joseph Lettrich and Sons was the general contractor. Others involved in the project were Rider Construction Co., Charleroi Supply Co., Marshall and Carson Plumbing, the Authority of the Borough of Charleroi, Manufacturers Light and Heat Co., West Penn Power Co., Thomas S. Neil (electrical contractor), Pittsburgh Corning Glass Co., Charleroi Electrical Supply Co., Pittsburgh Steel Co., Latchem Brothers Transfer, J.B. Tierney (landscaping), Patsy Boccabello and Son, Ed Ercius, Peter Vanderveen and Sons, United Refrigeration Sales Corp., Alvin Shannon, Bob DeSellem, Capt. R.J. Hiernaux, James Krutz, and Pebble and Miekie.

WESA went on the air as a dawn-to-dusk (sunup to sundown) operation at the 940 spot on the AM dial. The board hired Pierre Paulin, former announcer at KDKA in Pittsburgh, as its first business manager. Charles Kreitzer was the sales manager and Regis McNulty was the salesman. (Paulin was slain in Detroit on Sept. 14, 1964, one of three victims of a shooting at a private home in the Motor City.)

Initial staff announcers were Ed Bartell, Dave King, Bill Purcell and Jim Youngman. Henry Niederkofler was the chief engineer, and J.W. Govier Jr. and Jerry Land also served as engineers. Other staff included Mary Conley, production manager; Margaret Mollard and Larry Frazee, continuity writers; Mary Thompson, secretary; Sara Louis Callaghan, receptionist; and Lois Francious, bookkeeper.

The initial schedule of programs included the Hi Neighbor show, News and Music, Rhythm Parade, Stars On Horizon, Informality Time and Phone Quiz.

In preparation for a grand opening Community Day celebration on Nov. 16, 1947, the station ran half-page ads in The Charleroi Mail and The Daily Independent (Monessen) to invite the public to the open house. Those ads also contained a survey coupon asking listeners:

"What kind of music do you like best? Sweet, Swing, Western, Gypsy, Hawaiian, South American, Classical. What kind of shows would you prefer? Mystery, Dramatic, Shopping, Cooking, Poetry."

Christ Lutheran Church of Charleroi had the distinction to broadcast the first religious service over WESA on Nov. 17, 1947. In May 1964, Father Andrew Bjalobok of SS. Cyril and Methodius Church in Charleroi celebrated the first Catholic Mass broadcast over WESA.

It should be noted that the primary sources of radio information and entertainment at the time WESA went on the air were Pittsburgh stations WWSW, KQV, WJAS, WCAE and KDKA. The founders of WESA explained that "local citizens throughout the mid-Monongahela Valley deserve their own radio station"; hence the birth of WESA.

The station's legacy of serving the mid-Monongahela Valley with "local news" began early in its history. In The Charleroi Mail of Nov. 27, 1950, WESA was commended by civic, government, industrial and religious leaders for performing an "unprecedented public service" during the emergency caused by the season's first heavy snowfall. The area was virtually crippled and paralyzed by more than four feet of snow, and vehicular traffic was throttled considerably as snow reached the level of windows on automobiles.

Granted permission by the Federal Communications Commission to continue operations around the clock, WESA began operating on a 24-hour basis until the emergency broke. Station staff broadcast news bulletins about the weather emergency and appeals from stricken residents in outlying vicinities at various intervals to keep listeners posted on developments.

L.S. Clarke of the station's board of directors told The Charleroi Mail the station was able to do this because, "Burgess James W. McGuire (of Charleroi) went right to bat with the FCC. He and other borough officials declared a state of emergency. Similar action was taken by Mayor Hugo J. Parente and other city officials in Monessen."

Operators and officials at the Bell Telephone office in Charleroi were praised for their extra efforts in getting Charleroi and WESA linked to FCC officials in New York who gave their verbal approval to the 24-hour emergency broadcasting.

The station continued to grow as a community resource in the 1950s under the guidance of general manager George Gailey. The familiar voices of Bill Richards, George Baker and Bill "The Turk" Quay enhanced the musical offerings that included Big Band sounds, Top 40 songs and a toned-down presentation of the new rock 'n' roll music.

Live broadcasts from The Manos theater in Monessen were hosted by Quay and called attention to "Auto Row" in that city. Others who manned the microphones at various times in that decade were Jim Youngman, Bill Betler, Dee Galiffa and Tim Lee (the original T.L.). It was during these years, too, that Giovanni Pro began his popular Italian Hour show on Sunday afternoons.

Bill Richards became station manager and also led the news team in the 1960s. It was during that era that John Barbero launched one of the most successful personal careers in WESA history. Barbero hosted a popular music show that was a favorite of young and old listeners alike from 1964 to 1973.

Although Barbero's show was a showcase for Top 40 and rock 'n' roll music, the station's regular format was easy listening, with songs by the likes of Robert Goulet and Barbra Streisand. Pro continued his Italian Hour during that decade, and other popular "specialty shows" included polkas with George Almasi and the Croatian Hour with Bernie Luketich.

Other on-air personalities during those years included Terry Lee, Tom Beck, Bob Vance (Bob Campbell), Dick Jessen, Tom Ballentine (John Ballentine), women's talk show hostess Linda Dial (Charlotte Regula), Jay Morton, Ken Breakwell, Hank Baughman, Carl Marcocci, John Billy and Sam Woncheck. Sam Deeb led the sales staff, Syl Garafolo was the engineer, Betty Wagner served as bookkeeper/accountant, Doreen Siaboda was the secretary, and Florence Raicos was the housekeeper.

A fire in the 1960s caused heavy damage to the building and prompted a major remodeling job. Studios were moved to the second floor of the structure and the station remained on the air. However, as FM grew in popularity, WESA got a prime position on the FM dial to enhance its service. In 1968, WESA-FM was born, serving the area from the position of 98.3 on the FM dial.

The station continued to gain popularity for its music programming and also attained a widespread reputation for its excellent local news coverage. That reputation was emphasized in 1990 when WESA won five coveted Joe Snyder Awards for outstanding news service in a small market. Cliff Gorski was the news director, and the staff also included Bruce Sakalik and Amy Sinclair.

Among the other on-air personalities whose voices graced the airwaves in the '80s and '90s were Mike Ryan, Eric Hagman, Kathy Kerestes, Rod Kornrumpf, Shelly Duffey, Pete Povich, John Randall, Tom Butler, Brian Cleary, Ted Mathews, Cliff Ewing, Chris Lash, Tom Lamb, Mary Ann Ritchey, Melanie Taylor and Donn Henderson. Administrative staff included George Samples, Bruce Baker, AI Murdoch, Dave Waugaman and Phil Sparacella.

One of the longest running shows in the station's history began in 1982 when popular area disk-jockey Jim "J.D. the D.J." Dudas went on the air with Mon Valley Memories. The oldies show continued as one of the top programs of its kind in Western Pennsylvania until 2000. Dudas packed his records and moved to WJPA in Washington, where his special brand of music prevails Sundays from noon to 6 p.m.

In addition to playing music from the '50s and '60s at WESA, Dudas featured special guests such as Jimmy Beaumont of the Skyliners, Jimmy Ross of The Jaggerz, Richie Merrit, Leon Daniels, the Laurels, Pure Gold, Porky Chedwick, Jay Mitchell and the legendary Joe Rock, to name just a few, on his show.

Significantly, John Barbero served as celebrity guest host of Mon Valley Memories on many occasions.

WESA was owned for many years by Laubaugh Radio Properties. Laubaugh sold WESA to Farr Communications on May 15, 1985. Rita Resick was president of Farr Communications and general manager of the station. Renae Revy was the program director.

In 1998 the call letters on the FM side were changed to WZKT (298) and featured popular music of the day on 98.3 FM. The AM side (WESA) continued on the original 940 spot on the dial and presented local and syndicated talk shows and music shows, as well as simulcasting some of the FM broadcasting. The Morning Show, with Larry Resick as host, was a favorite of listeners throughout the region. In addition to the Mon Valley Memories show with Dudas, the Sunday lineup on the AM dial included George Almasi and his polka favorites, Bernie Luketich and the Croatian Hour, and "Talking Oldies" with Larry Travesarri.

The station also continued to do local high football and basketball games with Bruce Sakalik as the play-by-play announcer. It also was part of the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball radio network.

Continuing the community service heritage that began early in the station's history, WZKT/WESA remained visible in the community with a number of live remote broadcasts at community, civic and church fairs, business grand openings and similar events. The station's annual Cash For Kids campaign was one of the most successful fundraising campaigns of its kind in the area for many years and helped thousands of needy children in the area.

Another major event was the Mon Valley Memories Cruisin' Car Show, a summer Sunday mixture of classic cars and oldies music drawing people from throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania. Jim Dudas was the host of that event, which attracted between 3,000 and 5,000 participants on occasion.

The station was sold by Farr Communications to Keymarket Broadcasting in early 2000, and a country music format was instituted as part of the Froggyland network of stations in the region. The transmitter and license were eventually moved from Charleroi.

Those actions ended the legacy of a local radio station and left a large communications and entertainment void in the mid-Monongahela Valley. It ended a tradition that had remained contemporary while preserving its past and fulfilling the dream of its founders.

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