Here Comes The Format, And There It Goes!

Late last month, OMW brought you word that Beacon Broadcasting daytimer WRTK/1540 Niles had picked up a new format.

The Youngstown/Warren market station had been running a local urban format under previous ownership D&E Communications, which Beacon's Harold Glunt continued to run after taking over, mostly out of inertia. WRTK finally signed up with the ABC Radio Networks' "Rejoice" black gospel 24/7 format nearly a month ago.

They'll have to look for another one.

AllAccess reports that ABC is shuttering "Rejoice", also known on the air as "Musical Soul Food", on July 28th. The company is also shutting down another feed Glunt's Beacon Broadcasting has used before, the standards/soft AC "Memories" format. That format made occasional appearances in evenings and weekends on Beacon's WANR/1570, before it launched a locally run oldies format simulcast with co-owned WLOA/1470 Farrell PA and WGRP/940 Greenville PA.

We don't enough about the world of 24/7 black gospel formats to know what Beacon will be able to choose from. Maybe they'll set up a computer and locally automate the format, like they do at 1570/1470/940 after 6 PM weeknights...