WRTA (1240

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) is a

news News is information about current events. This may be provided through many different Media (communication), media: word of mouth, printing, Mail, postal systems, broadcasting, Telecommunications, electronic communication, or through the te ...

/ talk formatted

broadcast Broadcasting is the data distribution, distribution of sound, audio audiovisual content to dispersed audiences via a electronic medium (communication), mass communications medium, typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum (radio waves), ...

radio station Radio broadcasting is the broadcasting of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based rad ...

licensed to

Altoona, Pennsylvania Altoona ( ) is a city in Blair County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 43,963 at the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Altoona Metropolitan statistical area, metropolitan area, w ...

, serving Altoona and

Blair County, Pennsylvania Blair County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 122,822. Its county seat is Hollidaysburg, and its largest city is Altoona. The county was created on February 26, 1846, from parts of Hu ...

. WRTA is owned and operated by Matt Lightner, through licensee Lightner Communications LLC.

History

WRTA began broadcasting June 18, 1947, on 1240 kHz with 250 W power. The station was an

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...

affiliate and was owned by Roy Thompson. Roy Thompson sold WRTA to the Altoona Trans Audio Corporation in March 1956. The Altoona Trans Audio Corporation was composed of Martin J. Malarkey Jr., John L. Miller, Horace Richards, and Louis "Lou" Murray. In September 1982, the Altoona Trans Audio Corporation elected David Rodney "Rod" Wolf President and Chief Operating Officer. Wolf still maintained his positions as Treasurer and General Manager. Rod Wolf joined WRTA in January 1957 where he served in multiple capacities on and off the air. Rod Wolf, President of Altoona Trans Audio, announced the sale of WRTA to David A. Barger, president of Handsome Brothers Inc., in November 2003. The sale marked the first change in ownership of WRTA in more than 45 years. Rebecca Barger sold the station to Lightner Communications, LLC (Matt Lightner) in July 2019, joining it with stations WKMC,

WYUP WYUP (1400 AM broadcasting, AM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Loretto, Pennsylvania and serving Blair, and Cambria Counties in west central Pennsylvania. WYUP operates fulltime with 1,000 watts. The station is owned by Matt Lightner, ...

WBRX WBRX (94.7 FM, "Mix 94.7") is a radio station broadcasting an adult contemporary format. Licensed to the suburb of Cresson, Pennsylvania, it serves the Altoona, Pennsylvania metropolitan area. It first began broadcasting in 1981 under the cal ...

, WBXQ and

WTRN WTRN is an American commercial AM radio station, licensed to the borough of Tyrone, Pennsylvania. The station operates at the federally assigned frequency of 1340 kHz with a full-time power output of 1,000 watts. WTRN also operates two FM trans ...

. Matt Lightner is a long time Broadcast Engineer and area business owner. The sale was consummated on October 1, 2019, at a price of $675,000. WRTA added an FM translator at 98.5 MHz (W253CJ) that provides city grade FM coverage of Altoona, PA and coverage in all of Blair county, and part of Cambria county.

References

External links

NewsTalk 1240 WRTA Online
{{News/Talk Radio Stations in Pennsylvania

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Radio stations established in 1947