WHAT (AM)
| City | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Branding | El Zol 97.1 & 1340 |
| Slogan | El Ritmo de Philly |
| Frequency | 1340 kHz |
| Translator(s) | 97.1 W246AQ, Collingswood, New Jersey |
| 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′35″W / 40.00167°N 75.20972°WCoordinates: 40°00′6″N 75°12′35″W / 40.00167°N 75.20972°W |
| Owner | Aztec Capital Partners, Inc |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | ElZolPhilly.com |
El Zol 1340 WHAT is a commercial radio station located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, broadcasting on 1340 AM. The station is owned by Aztec Capital Partners, Inc.
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.
Ownership of the station changed twice within a two-year span. In 1939, the Bonwit Teller department store replaced The Evening Ledger newspaper as owner; in July 1940, J. David Stern, who published The Philadelphia Record newspaper bought the station from Bonwit Teller. At that time, WHAT operated with 100 wats of power.
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. 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.
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Wikipedia