A 50kw Class A AM radio that began broadcasting in Philadelphia on December 3, 1934 (it had been in Chicago for 13 years before that), at 1020 kHz, is preparing to celebrate six days of informing the Delaware Valley without cessation through its all-news programming.
And, it will see the celebration extend to an FM simulcast partner added in late November 2020.
KYW Newsradio (at 1060 kHz since March 1941) — today owned by Audacy Inc. — dates to autumn 1965, when Westinghouse regained control of a station that it had operated until the federal government intervened in the 1950s over media ownership concentration concerns. KYW’s change to all-News came just months after sibling WINS-AM in New York made a similar move, dropping Top 40 programming.
In 1995, Westinghouse acquired CBS, making KYW a sibling to what had been WCAU-AM 1210. Then CBS Radio was spun to Audacy, formerly known as Entercom, in a 2017 tax-free merger that fundamentally altered the Philadelphia-headquartered company founded by Joseph Field. Eventually, the Entercom-CBS Radio merger would result in a voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, resulting in today’s Audacy, under majority ownership of Soros Fund Management.
In fall 2020, an asset swap with Urban One brought WPHI-FM 103.9 to the fold for Audacy. It became a simulcast partner of KYW, giving it an FM signal in an era where AM radio consumption is largely on the wane and access to AM radio in vehicles remains threatened by EV manufacturers who claim including kHz-band receivers is technologically complex and burdensome.
At KYW, the Diamond Anniversary of its all-News programming will see the station will roll out a monthly series of special programming and initiatives throughout 2025. New imaging, on-air liners and fresh studio signage is being used. In February, KYW Newsradio listeners can send “love notes” via the Audacy app’s voicemail feature and be featured on the station. In March, KYW Newsradio will feature “60 Voices” from the Philadelphia area, with quotes from local community organizers, business leaders, celebrities and hometown heroes, sharing why they love living in the Delaware Valley.
“Local radio is vital more than ever, and it’s a privilege to work at a media outlet so connected to this region,” said David Yadgaroff, Senior Vice President and Market Manager for Audacy in Philadelphia and a KYW veteran staffer. “For generations, Philadelphians have turned to KYW for everything from breaking traffic updates to complex international headlines. When I walked in the door as an account executive in 1992, I was so excited to work at KYW Newsradio. That sense of pride has only grown and intensified. I’m in awe of our team and their impact on the community, and we’re excited to dedicate this year to those who have devoted their lives to reporting the facts.”
From November 9, 1992 through February 8, 1997, WPHI was associated with Jarad Broadcasting, airing a simulcast of WDRE-FM in Nassau-Suffolk under the WIBF call letters and branding as the “Underground Network” before attempting local programming against WMMR, WYSP and WPLY “Y-100.”
