WISL (AM)
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name = WISL
| logo =
| city = Shamokin, Pennsylvania
| area = Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
| branding =
| airdate = January 25, 1948
| last_airdate = 2003
| frequency = 1480 kHz
| format = Defunct
| power = 1,000 watts (day)
250 watts (night)
| class =
| facility_id = 36706
| coordinates =
| callsign_meaning = W Isobel S Lark
| former_callsigns =
| owner = Basic Broadcasting
| licensee = Basic Licensing, Inc.
| sister_stations =
| webcast =
| website =
| affiliations =
}}
WISL (1480 AM) was an American radio station licensed to serve the community of Shamokin, Pennsylvania. At the time of the license expiration in 2006, the station was owned by Basic Broadcasting and the broadcast license was held by Basic Licensing, Inc., of Quakertown, Pennsylvania.
Early days
The station was assigned the license by the Federal Communications Commission on July 7, 1947.{{cite web |title=Call Sign Query |url=http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/callsign/prod/query.hts |work=Federal Communications Commission |accessdate=September 1, 2009}}{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} WISL began regular broadcast operations in January 1948 with studios at Rock and Sunbury Streets in downtown Shamokin.{{cite book |title=Broadcasting Yearbook 1979 |date=1979 |page=C-192 |chapter=Directory of Radio Stations in the United States and Canada |publisher=Broadcasting Publications, Inc |location=Washington, DC}}{{cite book |publisher=Northumberland County Area History |title=125 Years: City of Shamokin, Pennsylvania (1864–1989) |chapter=1948 — A Local Radio Station |url=http://files.usgwarchives.net/pa/northumberland/areahistory/sham0004.txt |year=1991 |accessdate=September 1, 2009}}
WISL was originally owned by Radio Anthracite, Inc., with Henry W. Lark serving as company president.{{cite book |title=Broadcasting-Telecasting 1948 Yearbook |chapter=Directory of Standard Broadcasting Stations of the United States |publisher=Broadcasting Publications, Inc |location=Washington, DC |date=1948 |page=210}} The company name reflected the coal mining heritage of the Shamokin area. The call letters were for the owner's wife, Isobel S. Lark. This ownership would persist into the 1980s.
In September 1997, Laurel Broadcasting Company, Inc., reached an agreement to sell this station and its FM sister station to MJR Media, Inc., (Charles Michael Hagerty, president). The combo sold for a combined sale price of $400,000.{{cite news |date=September 2, 2001 |url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/91575-Changing_Hands.php |work=Broadcasting & Cable |title=Changing Hands - 2001-09-03}} The deal was approved by the FCC on November 19, 1997.{{cite web |publisher=FCC Media Bureau |title=Application Search Details (BAL-970915EF) |url=http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Mass_Media/Public_Notices/Brdcst_Actions/ac971124.txt |date=November 19, 1997}}
2000s
In August 2001, MJR Media, Inc., reached an agreement to sell the AM/FM station combo to Clear Channel Communications through its Clear Channel Broadcasting Licenses, Inc., subsidiary. The combined price for both stations was reported as $800,000. The deal was approved by the FCC on October 2, 2001.{{cite web |publisher=FCC Media Bureau |title=Application Search Details (BAL-20010808AAX) |url=http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Mass_Media/Public_Notices/Brdcst_Actions/ac011010.txt |date=October 2, 2001}} This ownership would prove short-lived as Clear Channel Communications, desiring to keep only WISL-FM (now WBLJ-FM), reached an agreement in August 2002 to sell WISL to Basic Broadcasting subsidiary Basic Licenses, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on September 16, 2002.{{cite web |publisher=FCC Media Bureau |title=Application Search Details (BAL-20020806AAQ) |url=http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/MB/Public_Notices/Brdcst_Actions/ac020920.txt |date=September 16, 2002}} At the time of the sale, WISL was playing an adult standards music format but when it resumed broadcasting in November 2002 it switched to a satellite-fed oldies music format.{{cite news |first=Scott |last=Fybush |work=North East RadioWatch |title=Pennsylvania |url=http://www.bostonradio.org/nerw/nerw-021021.html |date=October 21, 2002 |accessdate=September 1, 2009}} However, the station suffered from a series of financial and technical difficulties and ultimately fell silent for good in late 2003.
Shutdown
After more than 50 years of broadcasting, WISL's final broadcast license expired on August 1, 2006.{{cite web |publisher=FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database |title=Station Search Details |url=http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/sta_det.pl?Facility_id=36706 |accessdate=September 1, 2009}} The call sign was deleted from the FCC database on May 19, 2008.{{cite web |title=Call Sign History |url=http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=36706 |publisher=FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database |accessdate=September 1, 2009}}
To honor WISL's history, an Internet radio station has been created at www.WISL1480.com
including photographs of the early days in Shamokin.
References
{{reflist|35em}}
External links
- [https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/public/tv/publicFacilityDetails.html?facilityId=36706 Facility details for Facility ID 36706 (WISL)] in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- [https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=61093 FCC History Cards for WISL] (covering 1946-1981 as WLRP / WISL)
- [http://wisl1480.com/ WISL 1480 Website]
{{Sunbury-Selinsgrove-Lewisburg Radio}}
Category:Defunct radio stations in the United States
Category:Radio stations established in 1948
Category:Radio stations disestablished in 2006
Category:Shamokin, Pennsylvania
Category:1948 establishments in Pennsylvania