WHAT (AM)

WHAT
City	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Branding	El Zol 97.1 & 1340
Slogan	El Ritmo de Philly
Frequency	1340 kHz
Translator(s)	97.1 W246AQ (Collingswood, NJ)
First air date	1926
Format	Spanish music
Power	1,000 watts unlimited
Class	C
Facility ID	33686
Transmitter coordinates	40°00′6″N 75°12′34″W / 40.00167°N 75.20944°W / 40.00167; -75.20944Coordinates: 40°00′6″N 75°12′34″W / 40.00167°N 75.20944°W / 40.00167; -75.20944
Owner	Aztec Capital Partners, Inc
Webcast	Listen Live
Website	ElZolPhilly.com

El Zol 1340 WHAT-AM is a commercial radio station located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, broadcasting on 1340 AM. The station is owned by Aztec Capital Partners, Inc.

History

Founded as WNAT On October 17, 1922, a new Philadelphia radio station was authorized by the government to the Lennig Brothers Co, a radio supply company headed up by Frederick Lennig at 827 Spring Garden Street.

Banks Ownership

On February 12, 1944, former WIP salesman William Banks purchased WHAT for $22,500 from the Philadelphia Record and became the station's new President. His sister, Dolly Banks, became program director and expanded on the ethnic format while ending time-brokered programming.

According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, WHAT was known for innovation. "In 1945, WHAT became the first U.S. radio station to hire a full-time black announcer, the first to program a regular show featuring a black woman as hostess and the first station in the city to hire black newscasters. It also was the first in the nation to feature a black as host of a daily talk show."

In 1954, the station moved its studios and transmitters to a new structure at 3930-3940 Conshohocken Ave in Wynnefield Heights and was dubbed "The WHAT Radio Center."

Ownership Changes In October 1986, Reginald N. Lavong and Miller Parker, owners of Main Line Communications purchased WHAT from Independence Broadcasting for $625,000. The sale included the station's office building and 4.5 acres of land on Conshohocken Ave. Former sister station WWDB-FM was sold to lawyer Ragan A. Henry around the same time. In 1989, the station, now running an African American-oriented talk and Nostalgia format, was sold to Philadelphia radio veteran Cody Anderson. Anderson had been general manager of WDAS-AM/FM and his company "KBT Communications" paid $1.65 million to obtain WHAT-AM. Anderson moved the WHAT offices and studios on North 54th Street near City Line Avenue in nearby Wynnefield.

In 2007, WHAT was sold to Marconi Broadcasting, who ended the station's longtime African American-focus. Known for years as the "Voice of the African American Community," all station employees, including hosts Albert Butler, Elmer Smith, and Mary Mason were let go.

New Formats Initially, Marconi Broadcasting programmed an alternative format called "Skin Radio" which was the first such format in Philadelphia radio since Y100. The format was short-lived and by August, 2007 switched to an adult standards format reminiscent of the old WPEN, albeit with a more diverse playlist and more 70s music. Originally called "Martini Lounge Radio" but now billing itself as "The Greatest Music of All Time," the station features legendary Philadelphia radio talents including Bill "Wee Willie" Webber, Bob Craig, and Mike Bowe.

WHAT programmed an "urban talk" format until 2007. From 2004 to 2006, they were an affiliate of Air America Radio and carried several shows from the network. The station was sold in 2006. From January 19, 2007 to August 31, 2007, the new owners programmed an alternative rock music format called "Skin Radio" . Skin Radio also featured many local musicians and poets. It was seen as a replacement to Y-100, a former modern rock station in Philadelphia. Though no longer on-air, Skin Radio continues, but as an internet-only radio station. skinradio.com

WHAT flipped formats to an adult standards "Martini Lounge" format on August 31, 2007, beginning with a month of Frank Sinatra's music. According to their website The All-Sinatra format aired throughout the month of September. After September 30, the station started an Adult Standards format featuring artists including Michael Bublé, Harry Connick, Jr., Diana Krall and their format predecessors like Tony Bennett and Peggy Lee. Many have considered it the successor to WPEN's format from 1979 to 2004, even hiring former station DJs like Bob Craig and Mike Bowe. On November 17, 2008, WHAT dropped the "Martini Lounge Radio" branding but continued with a similar format.

On August 1, 2011, WHAT ceased broadcasting without any announcement, leading to speculation that the station had been sold. One month later, on September 12, 2011 at 12 P.M., WHAT changed their format to Spanish-language music, branded as "El Zol 1340 AM" El Zol 1340 features the famous morning show the luis jimenez show 6-10am out of New York medio dia con Milca Madera 10-3pm El Ajetreo 3-7pm Saturday 3-7pm Zona Urbana Sundays La Rumba de los Domingos 12-4pm

Previous Logo

References

External links

Query the FCC's AM station database for WHAT

Radio-Locator Information on WHAT

Radio stations in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania market

By AM frequency	560 610 640 690² 740 800 860² 900 950 990 1060¹ 1110 1180 1210¹ 1310² 1340² 1360 1370 1420 1440 1460 1480 1490 1520 1540 1590 1640 1680² ¹ Clear-channel stations with extended nighttime coverage ²Broadcast in Spanish

By FM frequency	88.1 88.1 88.5 88.7 88.9 88.9 89.1 89.1 89.3 (Warminster) 89.3 (Coatesville) 89.5 89.5 89.7 90.1 90.5 90.9 91.5 91.5 91.7 91.7 91.7 92.5 93.3 93.7 94.1 94.5 94.9 95.7 96.5 97.3 97.5 98.1 98.5 98.9 99.5 99.9 100.3 101.1 102.1 102.9 103.9 104.5 105.3 106.1 106.5 106.9 107.9

NOAA Weather Radio frequency	162.425 162.475

Digital broadcast radio stations	610 950 1060 1210 1480 88.5-1 88.5-2 90.9-1 90.9-2 92.5-1 92.5-2 92.5-3 93.3-1 93.3-2 94.1-1 94.1-2 94.1-3 94.1-4 95.7-1 95.7-2 96.5-1 96.5-2 97.5-1 97.5-2 97.5-3 98.1-1 98.1-2 98.1-3 98.1-4 98.9-1 98.9-2 100.3-1 101.1-1 101.1-2 102.1-1 102.1-2 102.9-1 102.9-2 104.5-1 104.5-2 105.3-1 105.3-2 106.1-1 106.1-2 107.9-1

By callsign	KIH28 KYW¹ WBCB WBBO WBEB WBEN-FM WBMR WBYO WCHE WCHR WCOJ WCUR WDAS WDAS-FM WDNR WEMG² WEXP WFIL WFYL WHAT WHHS WHYY WIFI WIOQ WIP-FM WISX WJBR WKDN WKDU WKVP WMGK WMMR WNAP WNG704 WNJC WNJS-FM WNPV WNTP WNWR WOGL WPAZ WPEB WPEN WPHE² WPHI-FM WPHT¹ WPNX700 WPPZ-FM WPST WPWA WQHS WRDV WRFF WRNB WRSD WRTI WRTJ WSRN-FM WSTW WTEL WTHJ WTMR WTTM² WURD WUSL WVCH WWDB² WWJZ WWLU WWTX WXPN WXTU WXVU WYBF WYPA WZMP WZZE

Defunct stations	WCAU (AM) WCAU-FM WDRE WDVR WEGK WLCE WQHS WSNI WTHK WYXR

Pennsylvania radio markets Allentown–Bethlehem Altoona Bradford–Coudersport Chambersburg–Waynesboro Erie Harrisburg–Lebanon–Carlisle Lancaster Montrose New Castle Philadelphia Pittsburgh Reading Sayre–Towanda–Mansfield–Wellsboro Wilkes-Barre–Scranton Williamsport York Other Pennsylvania radio regions Bedford Indiana Johnstown Lewistown–Mifflintown Meadville–Franklin Punxsutawney–DuBois St. Marys–Emporium–Kane State College Stroudsburg Sunbury–Selinsgrove–Lewisburg Warren Philadelphia Metro Markets Allentown Monmouth-Ocean Reading Trenton Wilmington See also List of radio stations in Pennsylvania Mass media in the Philadelphia Area Radio stations TV stations Newspapers

Spanish-language radio stations in the state of Pennsylvania

Stations	WEST – Easton WHAT – Philadelphia WHOL – Allentown WLAN – Lancaster WLCH – Lancaster WPHE – Phoenixville WSAN - Allentown WVZN – Columbia

See also adult contemporary classic hits college country news/talk NPR oldies religious rock sports top 40 urban other radio stations in Pennsylvania See also Classical Jazz Religious Spanish Smooth Jazz Other

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