WABC (AM)

WABC (AM) is a commercial news/talk radio station licensed to New York City and serving the New York metropolitan area. Owned by John Catsimatidis through Red Apple Media, it broadcasts on 770 kHz with a powerful 50,000-watt clear-channel signal. The station, with origins dating to 1921, is one of the most historically significant broadcast outlets in the United States, having been a flagship for Top 40 music in the 1960s and 1970s before transitioning to its current talk format.

History

The station first signed on the air in 1921 as WJZ, originally owned by the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) and later by the Blue Network, a precursor to the American Broadcasting Company (ABC). Under the ownership of ABC Radio, the call letters changed to WABC in 1953, and the station became a cornerstone of the ABC Radio Network. In the 1960s, under program director Rick Sklar, WABC rose to national prominence as the dominant Top 40 music station in America, featuring legendary disc jockeys like Bruce Morrow and Dan Ingram. Following a decline in music listenership, the station shifted to a talk radio format in 1982, which it has maintained since, though with varying ideological focuses under different owners including Capital Cities/ABC and The Walt Disney Company. In 2020, the station was acquired by businessman John Catsimatidis and his Red Apple Media group.

Programming

WABC's schedule is dominated by local and syndicated conservative talk programming. Weekday hosts include Bernie McGuirk and Sid Rosenberg, Rita Cosby, and John Catsimatidis himself. The station also carries nationally syndicated shows from figures such as Mark Levin and Brian Kilmeade. On weekends, programming features a mix of talk shows on topics like personal finance, health, and current events, alongside specialty programs like the long-running *Radio Disney*-era holdover, The Saturday Night Oldies Party. WABC also serves as the flagship station for broadcasts of New York Yankees baseball and carries special coverage of events like Election Day and breaking news.

Coverage and signal

WABC broadcasts with 50,000 watts during the day and 25,000 watts at night from a transmitter site in Lodi, New Jersey. Its signal on 770 kHz, a clear-channel frequency designated for Class A operation, provides groundwave coverage throughout the New York metropolitan area and significant skywave reception across much of the Eastern United States at night. The station's signal can be heard from New England to the Carolinas and as far west as Ohio under ideal conditions. It is also available worldwide via streaming on its website and through various mobile apps.

Studios and transmitter

The station's main studios and business offices are located in the Financial District of Manhattan at 2 Rector Street. Its broadcast transmitter, a directional antenna array, is situated off Route 46 in Lodi, New Jersey, near the Hackensack River. This facility, shared with sister station WLIR, is critical for maintaining the station's directional signal pattern, which protects co-channel stations like KABC in Los Angeles and CJBC in Toronto.

External influences

WABC's history and operations have been significantly shaped by broader trends in American broadcasting, regulatory decisions by the Federal Communications Commission, and competition within the New York City media market. Its iconic Top 40 era influenced music programming nationwide and was studied by contemporaries like KHJ in Los Angeles. The station's transition to talk radio mirrored industry shifts following the repeal of the Fairness Doctrine and the rise of personalities like Rush Limbaugh. Ownership changes, from ABC Radio to Disney to local entrepreneur John Catsimatidis, reflect the consolidation and subsequent fragmentation of the radio industry in the 21st century.

Category:Radio stations in New York City Category:Clear-channel stations Category:News/talk radio stations in the United States