This year commemorates the 70th anniversary of when Beaver County’s first radio station, WBVP, was heard over the airwaves for the the first time on May 25, 1948.  To mark the historical event, each week, another “70th Anniversary Moment” will be showcased on the airwaves and published on the station’s online feeds.

In 1970, things were changing at WMBA in Ambridge.  A bright, handsome, young television ad salesman from KDKA TV in Pittsburgh, named John Bride, had just bought the radio station from Miners Broadcasting Service, Inc.  One of Bride’s  first moves was to hire a Sewickley resident who was home for the summer from his studies at Ithaca College in New York.  John Poister was part of a new nucleus of talent that Bride put together at WMBA that made huge strides forward and helped shape and develop the sound of the station into what it sounds like today. Poister joined a staff that also included evening show host and engineer Ted Ruscitti, mid day host and newsman Dave Denniston, program director  Ray Fallon, show host Ken Maguire, Jr., show host Roy “Mickey” Angst and engineer Walter “Red” McCoy, among others.

In the recently published book, Behind Microphone, The History Of Radio in Beaver County, PA, The beginnings of the John Bride ownership era at WMBA are discussed in detail: “Right out of the gate, John Bride created not just a new format for WMBA, but he instilled a new, more aggressive attitude as far competing with other radio stations.  Bride was not content to just sit back and accept leftovers as far as advertisers and audience that were available like crumbs being cast aside from the dinner table for the family dog.  No, Bride sensed there was much more that could be done at WMBA and came to Beaver County with a boat load of almost reckless bravado. One of the first employees that bride hired was Sewickley native and Ithaca College student at the time, John Poister.  Poister remembered the summer of 1970 well.  “When John (Bride) took over the station he made it very clear that his target was WBVP. One of the things he did, which absolutely just  stunned everybody, was buy a full page ad in the Beaver County Times. This was maybe just after he officially took over operation of the station. and he said (in the ad copy)  ‘Look out WBVP and KDKA, WMBA will be number one in Beaver County!’ (it was) Huge. When it was published he bought extra copies. he had them framed and put up in the lobby. He made it part of the seller’s tools and handouts. He made it very clear that WMBA was no longer a background music station. It was very much in the foreground.  That was what he wanted to impart to the employees. In fact, he would come into the salesroom and say ‘What is the cow station up to?’, meaning WBVP. That was what he called it, the ‘cow’ station”. John Bride completely shook things up.  Instead of airing sleepy background music that was common on WMBA before he purchased the station, Bride wanted his station to have a more contemporary sound and to play hits.  He changed all the music and started a new local call in talk show called ”Air Your Opinion”. The new talk show segment would air in the same morning time slot and compete directly with the counterpart talk show of the same ilk being offered at WBVP at the time called “Teleforum”.  Bride also hired a new program director named Dudley Woodrow “Woody” Lester, who was originally from Ohio.”

John Poister continued to work at WMBA until 1974 and later on became a well known force in the Pittsburgh radio market as a news editor at KQV and WTAE radio.  Poister also worked in the same capacity for a while at WTAE T.V., and was part of the on air team that launched the ten o’clock news on WPGH T.V. channel 53 in Pittsburgh.  His accomplishments also include serving as a managing partner at Pittsburgh radio station, WMNY.  Poister then  finished up his career as a media relations person for the Pennsylvania Department Of Environmental Protection in Harrisburg. He continues to reside in Sewickley and is involved with the Sewickley Historical Society in his retirement years.

John Bride continued to own and operate WMBA up until 1986, when he sold the station to Ambridge native, Donn Wuycik and his family. In addition to WMBA, Bride owned a pair of radio stations in Westbrook, Maine.  In 1974, he acquired WJAB, now known as WRED at 1440 A.M.  and shortly thereafter, Bride put WBJQ on the air as a simulcast of WJAB at 106.3 F.M. Later on, Bride swapped frequencies with another Portand radio station, moving WJBQ to 97.9 F.M., where it continues to air to this day.  John Bride also sold the Maine radio stations in 1986 to Turner Porter.  John Bride these days is enjoying retirement in California.

“70th Anniversary Moments” is presented by  Abbey Carpet and Floor,  Albert’s Heating, Cooling and Plumbing,  Aliquippa Giant Eagle, The Beaver Falls Municipal Authority, Beaver Valley Auto Mall, Beaver Valley Sheet Metal, Castlebrook Development, The Community College Of Beaver County,  Farmers Building and Savings Bank, Freedom United Federal Credit Union, Hank’s Frozen Custard and Mexican food, The Health Huts, Kitchen City, Laughlin Insurance Agency,  Rochester Manor and Villa and Young’s Jewelry and Coins.