WABC (AM)

WABC
Broadcast areaNew York metropolitan area
Frequency770 kHz
BrandingTalkradio 77 WABC
Programming
Language(s)English
FormatConservative talk radio
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
WLIR-FM
History
First air date
October 1, 1921
(103 years ago)
 (1921-10-01)
Former call signs
WJZ (1921–1953)
Former frequencies
  • 833 kHz (1921–1923)
  • 660 kHz (1923–1928)
  • 760 kHz (1928–1941)
Call sign meaning
formerly owned by the American Broadcasting Company
Technical information[3]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID70658
ClassA (Clear channel)
Power50,000 watts
Transmitter coordinates
Repeater(s)107.1 WLIR-FM (Hampton Bays)
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen live (via iHeartRadio)
Websitewww.wabcradio.com

WABC (770 AM) is a commercial radio station licensed to New York City, carrying a conservative talk radio format known as "Talkradio 77". Owned by John Catsimatidis' Red Apple Media, the station's studios are located in Red Apple Media headquarters on Third Avenue in Midtown Manhattan and its transmitter is in Lodi, New Jersey. Its 50,000-watt non-directional clear channel signal can be heard at night throughout much of the Eastern United States and Eastern Canada. It is the primary entry point for the Emergency Alert System in the New York metropolitan area and New Jersey. WABC simulcasts on WLIR-FM in Hampton Bays, New York, on eastern Long Island.[4]

Owned and operated by the American Broadcasting Company for much of its history, it is one of the country's oldest radio stations. WABC began broadcasting in early October 1921, originally as WJZ in Newark, New Jersey. From 1943 through 2007, the station served as the flagship for the original ABC Radio Network (and its direct predecessor, the Blue Network) and ABC's radio news service. While WABC has been a talk radio station since 1982, the station broadcast a Top 40 music format from 1960 to 1982. Starting in the 1960s to 1978, WABC was not only the dominant contemporary music station in New York City, but was also among the most listened-to radio stations in North America, serving as a template for many other Top 40 stations around the country.

  1. ^ "John Catsimatidis acquires 77 WABC radio for $12.5 million". New York Post. June 27, 2019. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
  2. ^ Davenport, Emily (March 2, 2020). "New York City radio station TALKRADIO 77 WABC under new ownership". amny.com. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  3. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WABC". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  4. ^ "WABC Simulcast on WLIR-FM Begins". wabcradio.com. Archived from the original on July 2, 2020. Retrieved October 4, 2022.