WSTA

On September 7, 1949, the Federal Communications Commission authorized William N. Greer to build and operate a new 250-watt radio station on 1340 kHz in Charlotte Amalie.{{Cite web|url= https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=67153 |title= History Cards for WSTA|publisher=Federal Communications Commission}} (Guide to reading History Cards) Greer had not intended to build a 250-watt station; he had filed for just 50 watts, and the FCC at first blush appeared to allow such a service in the U.S. Virgin Islands, but two other applications for higher-power stations were received, along with objections from the National Association of Broadcasters and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, and the FCC vacated its original order.{{cite news|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1949/1949-06-27-BC.pdf|work=Broadcasting|date=June 27, 1949|title=Virgin Islands: Low Power Plan Out|page=61}} In advance, the Virgin Islands Daily News praised the arrival of radio to the island of St. Thomas as "a significant advancement in the life of community" that would "influence the future to an extent not now dreamt of even by its founder".{{cite news|date=June 20, 1950|title=Faith in the Future|page=3|work=Virgin Islands Daily News|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=hefNtdE4IMkC&dat=19500620&printsec=frontpage&hl=en}} WSTA began broadcasting on the afternoon of July 26, 1950.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=hefNtdE4IMkC&dat=19500726&printsec=frontpage&hl=en|page=1|work=Virgin Islands Daily News|title=WSTA Authorized To Begin Broadcasting|date=July 26, 1950}}

Greer lost money in his first two years of running WSTA,{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/94850296/one-man-virgin-islands-delegation-enthus/|date=July 18, 1952|page=1-B|first=Douglas|last=McQuarrie|title=One-Man Virgin Islands Delegation Enthused Over Nomination Of Gen. Eisenhower By GOP|newspaper=Fort Lauderdale Daily News|location=Fort Lauderdale, Florida|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=February 13, 2022}} but it was warmly welcomed and provided a valuable and eclectic broadcasting service. The studios were open-air, and wild animals including goats and chickens sometimes wandered in during broadcasts.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/94850770/catalogues-and-pumpkin-soup-enthusiasti/|date=May 29, 1953|page=7-A|first=Kalo|last=Wilcox|title=Catalogues and Pumpkin Soup: Enthusiastic Couple To Settle Here, Lived Three Years In Virgin Islands|newspaper=Fort Lauderdale Daily News|location=Fort Lauderdale, Florida|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=February 13, 2022}} A 1951 article in The New York Times described it as the "pride of St. Thomas", a station with "probably the greatest public acceptance" of any in the United States.{{Cite news |last=Knode |first=Tom |date=June 24, 1951 |title=Pride of St. Thomas; WSTA Provided a Unique Radio Service |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1951/06/24/archives/pride-of-st-thomas-wsta-provided-a-unique-radio-service.html |access-date=February 13, 2022 |issn=0362-4331}} It described one of the station's foremost personalities in its early years: "Mango Jones", whose real name was Ron de Lugo, who would later enter politics and serve as the U.S. Virgin Islands delegate to Congress. WSTA was a "secret affiliate" of NBC and the Mutual Broadcasting System, receiving network newscasts two days late by air from Miami.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/94850999/disc-jockey-via-one-horse-towns/|date=June 4, 1967|page=Calendar 46|first=Don|last=Page|title=Disc Jockey Via One-Horse Towns|newspaper=The Los Angeles Times|location=Los Angeles, California|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=February 13, 2022}}

File:United States Virgin Islands — Saint Thomas — Radio station WSTA ("The People's Station").JPG

In 1958, Greer sold WSTA to Island Broadcasting Company, Inc.;{{r|hc}} Island also owned KUAM in Guam.{{cite news|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1958/1958-09-22-BC.pdf|date=September 22, 1958|work=Broadcasting|page=98|title=Ownership Changes}} Len Stein, one of KUAM's employees, moved to St. Thomas to run the newly purchased Virgin Islands station.{{cite web|url=https://visourcearchives.com/content/2012/08/06/wsta-counts-more-62-years-good-ting/|title=WSTA Counts More Than 62 Years of a 'Good Ting'|work=VI Source|date=August 6, 2012}} In the aftermath of the Island sale, WSTA was sold to William M. O'Neil in 1960. O'Neil applied for an increase in power to 1,000 watts in 1961; the station was permitted to relocate its transmitter in 1975, when the studios were moved from the Frenchtown area to their present site,{{cite web|url=https://focusvi.com/?page_id=790|title=WSTA History|work=Focus VI|access-date=February 2, 2022}} but a power increase was denied on account of potential interference to a co-channel station in the Dominican Republic.{{cite news|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1975/1975-03-24-BC.pdf|work=Broadcasting|page=55|title=Facilities changes}}

After 24 years, O'Neil sold WSTA for $450,000 to Ottley Communications Corporation in 1984; the lead owner was Athniel C. "Addie" Ottley.{{cite news|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1984/BC-1984-09-10.pdf|date=September 10, 1984|work=Broadcasting|title=Changing Hands|page=96}} Ottley had already been associated with the station; he was its manager in 1970.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/94853312/virgin-islands-capital-rocked-by-gas-bl/|date=November 24, 1970|page=1A, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/94853349/ 2A]|title=Virgin Islands' Capital Rocked By Gas Blasts|newspaper=The Miami Herald|location=Miami, Florida|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=February 13, 2022}} Also in 1984, the station went to 1,000 watts, and Addie Ottley took over the morning shift.{{r|goodting}} He remained heavily active with the station until his last show on January 28, 2022, less than two weeks before his death; his last shows were done from his daughter's house in Indiana, where he was recovering from a fall.{{cite news|url=http://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/news/addie-ottley-leaves-legacy-of-love-and-service/article_cc22fbcc-0187-5480-a372-2e0ea8c0d1b8.html|work=Virgin Islands Daily News|first=Suzanne|last=Carlson|title=Addie Ottley leaves legacy of love and service|date=February 11, 2022|access-date=February 12, 2022}}{{cite news|url=https://stcroixsource.com/2022/02/11/virgin-islands-broadcast-icon-athniel-addie-ottley-dead-at-80/|work=St. Croix Source|date=February 12, 2022|first=Judi|last=Shimel|title=Virgin Islands Broadcast Icon Athniel "Addie" Ottley, Dead at 80}} Under Ottley's stewardship, the station remained on the air while hurricanes Hugo and Irma{{Cite news |last=Ferré-Sadurní |first=Luis |date=September 15, 2017 |title=Paradise Lost: Devastation on the U.S. Virgin Islands |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/15/us/virgin-islands-photos-irma.html |access-date=February 13, 2022 |issn=0362-4331}} lashed the Virgin Islands;{{r|legacy}} it was out of service for less than 24 hours at the height of Hurricane Marilyn in 1995.{{cite news|url=https://stthomassource.com/content/2015/09/14/hurricane-marilyn-left-behind-devastation/|date=September 14, 2015|title=Hurricane Marilyn left behind devastation|work=St. Thomas Source}} After Hugo, the station's transmissions provided a vital source of information, as telephone lines were inoperable{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/94853233/a-week-later-caribbean-isles-wait-for-w/|date=September 26, 1989|page=8|title=A week later, Caribbean isles wait for water, food, power|newspaper=Fort Worth Star-Telegram|location=Fort Worth, Texas|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=February 13, 2022}} and WBNB-TV, the television station on St. Thomas, was permanently put out of commission by the storm.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/94853260/hugo-in-virgin-islands-i-thought-i-was/|date=September 20, 1989|page=8A|agency=Gannett News Service|title=Hugo in Virgin Islands: 'I thought I was going to die'|newspaper=Public Opinion|location=Chambersburg, Pennsylvania|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=February 13, 2022}} After Marilyn, the station began airing regular "good news" segments.{{r|goodting}}

WSTA also previously operated on FM as WSTA-FM 102.7 in the 1980s and 1990s. Due to more than a year of silence, the FM station's license was automatically canceled by the FCC in 1998.{{cite news|url=https://stthomassource.com/content/1998/12/16/fcc-revokes-wsta-fms-license/|work=St. Thomas Source|date=December 16, 1998|title=FCC revokes WSTA-FM's license}} Dianne Quander worked at WSTA-FM as well as at radio stations in Washington, D.C.{{cite news|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1987/CB-1987-02-14.pdf|work=Cash Box|date=February 14, 1987|first=Judie|last=Hayne|page=36|title=B/C Profiles|via=World Radio History}}

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{{AM station data|50765|WSTA}}

{{US Virgin Islands Radio}}

STA

Category:Variety radio stations in insular areas of the United States

Category:Radio stations established in 1950

Category:1950 establishments in the United States Virgin Islands

Category:Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands

Category:Full service radio stations in the United States