WOPG (AM)
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| City | Albany, New York |
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| Broadcast area | Capital District |
| Frequency | 1460 (kHz) |
| Repeater(s) | WOPG-FM |
| First air date | June 14, 1924 as WOKO at 1290 kHz (in New York City) |
| Power | 5,000 watts |
| Class | B |
| Callsign meaning | Words Of Peace and Goodness |
| Former callsigns | WOKO (1924–1983) WWCN (1983–1987) WOKO (1987–1988) WGNA (1988–2002) WDDY (2002–2014) |
| Affiliations | EWTN Radio |
| Owner | Pax et Bonum, Inc. |
| Sister stations | WOPG-FM |
| Website | pax-et-bonum-radio.org |
WOPG is an AM radio station licensed to Albany, New York. It broadcasts from facilities located in Delmar, New York, operating with 5000 watts of power on 1460 kHz. The station is owned by Pax et Bonum, Inc.
What today is WOPG began its life in 1924 [1] as WOKO, at 1290 kHz [2] in New York City, moving in 1928 to Mount Beacon, New York in southern Dutchess County and serving Newburgh and Poughkeepsie at 1430 kHz. Billed "The Voice of the Clouds" [3] for its transmitter site on its namesake mountain, WOKO's signal into the areas it wanted to target was poorer than anticipated and in 1930 the station was sold and moved to Albany, New York becoming the first radio station licensed to that city.
With the move to Albany came an affiliation with CBS whose programming had been previously cleared partially on WGY. The early 1940s saw some key changes as the CBS affiliation went from WOKO to upstart WTRY and the station's frequency changed from 1430 to 1460 in the NARBA frequency shift of 1941. In light of these differences, WOKO evolved into a locally based format consisting largely of music independent of any network, a rarity in a medium market in that era. Notably, WOKO was a radio affiliate of the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1950s before their move to Los Angeles.
The decline of variety formats on radio in the 1950s led WOKO to find a set format for its programming, settling on MOR during most of the 1960s, before flipping to Country. Charles Murn was the Station Manager. Charlie Heisler was the Chief Engineer. In the early 1960s, WOKO's lineup was led by Geoff Davis (formerly of WROW and WINS in NYC), who did an early morning and afternoon show of Big Band and 1950-1960s music, Including leading vocalists and orchestras. From 1949 to 1957 Geoff Davis was the "Voice of the NY Yankees on the Crosley Broadcasting and Atlantic Richfield Radio Networks. After WOKO, Davis moved on to WEEE (Now WQBK), when the format turned to Country in the late 1960s. Davis was eventually to become a restaurateur and government official in the Town of Colonie. Bob Cathcart, from Hoosick Falls, was the News Anchor. The station's country format lasted until 1978 after competition from FM rival WGNA led WOKO to change formats to disco music. Coming into the format right after the peak of the disco fad and having to battle two decades of country heritage, the new format failed and in early 1980 WOKO returned to country. Though initially regaining some audience, the flip of the more powerful WPTR to country later that year wiped away any gains the station had made.
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