WAEB-FM

WAEB-FM (104.1 MHz, "B104") is a commercial radio station licensed to Allentown, Pennsylvania, and serving the Lehigh Valley. The station airs a contemporary hit radio format and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. The station's studios and offices are on Alta Drive in Whitehall.

WAEB-FM

Allentown, Pennsylvania United States
Broadcast area	Lehigh Valley
Frequency	104.1 MHz (HD Radio)
Branding	B104
Programming
Format	Contemporary hit radio
Subchannels	HD3: Spanish CHR "Latina FM"
Affiliations	Premiere Networks
Ownership
Owner	iHeartMedia (iHM Licenses, LLC)
Sister stations	WAEB WSAN WZZO
History
First air date	June 30, 1961; 64 years ago (1961-06-30)
Former call signs	WAEB-FM (1961–1970) WXKW (1970–1985)
Call sign meaning	Allentown-Easton-Bethlehem
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	14372
Class	B
ERP	50,000 watts
HAAT	152 meters (499 ft)
Transmitter coordinates	40°43′13.3″N 75°35′42.6″W
Translator(s)	See § Translators
Links
Public license information	Public file LMS
Webcast	Listen live (via iHeartRadio) Listen live (HD3)
Website	b104.iheart.com www.latinafm.net (HD3)

WAEB-FM has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 50,000 watts, the maximum for most Pennsylvania stations. Its transmitter is on Tower Road in Walnutport, about 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Allentown. WAEB-FM broadcasts using HD Radio technology. Its HD3 subchannel, "Latina FM," plays Spanish CHR and feeds FM translators in Allentown, Reading and Hazleton.

History

Early years

WAEB-FM signed on the air on June 30, 1961.^[2] It debuted as the sister station of WAEB (790 AM), simulcasting its Top 40 format in its first few years. In the late 1960s, WAEB-FM separated its programming from WAEB and aired an automated beautiful music format, playing quarter-hour sweeps of soft instrumental music. It went through several more formats before eventually becoming a country music station in 1970 with the call sign WXKW.

In April 1985, it returned to the WAEB-FM call letters and switched to a soft adult contemporary format, initially playing a few middle of the road (MOR) artists as well as some new songs. The station was known as "Light 104 WAEB-FM".

By the early part of 1986, WAEB FM had evolved to more of a mainstream AC format, but by the late part of 1986, the station was phasing out the "Light" name. It became "104 WAEB-FM" with the music mix changing to a dayparted AC/CHR mix without the hype, more adult by day, more youthful at night.

Laser 104.1

January 26, 1987, was the day when "the records went away." WAEB-FM switched to a CHR-Top 40 format, becoming "The world's first ever laser hit-music radio station, The New Laser 104.1 WAEB-FM". This marked when WAEB-FM began playing 90% percent of its music from compact discs or CDs.

In 1991, the station gradually replaced the "Laser 104.1" branding by simply calling the station "104.1 WAEB-FM".

The station began calling itself "The New B104 FM" in 1992. By late 1992, WAEB-FM started to play down the fact that the station was "new" and began positioning itself as playing "10 songs in a row".

Going softer

By Spring 1996, B104 began moving softer. By 1997, B104 began playing softer songs during the day. In late 1998, B104 began using a new jingle package and streaming on the web.

In the 1990s, B104 served as Allentown's de facto adult contemporary station as it eliminated rap and hard rock during the day. Through the 2000s, B104 had "whatever weekends", moving the station closer to adult hits and away from playing the week's top hits frequently.

In 2000, WAEB-FM and WAEB became part of AMFM Broadcasting.^[3]

Return to Mainstream Top 40

In 2006, B104 was re-imaged again, as WAEB-FM began to resemble other CHR-Top 40 stations owned by Clear Channel. Today, B104 is a Mainstream CHR that no longer dayparts its music. B104 relies on syndicated shows from co-owned Premiere Networks and voicetracked DJs from other iHeart stations most of the day.

Short-spaced signal

WAEB-FM is short-spaced to WNNK-FM Wink 104 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, owned by Cumulus Media. Both stations operate on the same 104.1 MHz channel even though the distance between the stations' transmitters is only 76 miles (122 km).^[4]

The minimum distance between two Class B stations operating on the same channel according to current Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules should be 150 miles (240 km).^[5] Both stations are grandfathered because they went on the air before the FCC rules were established.

HD subchannels and translators

WAEB-FM broadcasts using HD Radio technology.

WAEB-FM-HD3, "Latina FM," plays Spanish CHR and feeds FM translators in Allentown, Reading and Hazleton.

Broadcast translators for WAEB-FM-HD3

Call sign	Frequency	City of license	FID	ERP (W)	HAAT	Class	Transmitter coordinates	FCC info
W293BW	106.5 FM	Allentown, Pennsylvania	157515	250	0 m (0 ft)	D	40°39′30.3″N 75°25′10.7″W	LMS
W296CL	107.1 FM	Reading, Pennsylvania	151079	10	240 m (787 ft)	D	40°21′15.3″N 75°53′53.7″W	LMS
W300BT	107.9 FM	Hazleton, Pennsylvania	156246	18.6	174 m (571 ft)	D	40°58′9.3″N 75°57′26.7″W	LMS

W221CU 106.5 in Allentown and W296CL 107.5 in Reading has been airing a Spanish CHR format since May 2017.^[6]

See also

• Media in the Lehigh Valley