WEATHER FORECAST FOR THURSDAY, AUGUST 30TH, 2018
TODAY – MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES. A SHOWER OR
THUNDERSTORM IS POSSIBLE. HIGH NEAR 80.
TONIGHT – PARTLY CLOUDY THIS EVENING WITH MORE
CLOUDS FOR OVERNIGHT. LOW – 62.
FRIDAY – MORE CLOUDS THAN SUN. HIGH – 83.
SATURDAY – PARTLY CLOUDY. A SHOWER OR
THUNDERSTORM IS POSSIBLE. HIGH – 86.
SUNDAY – SUNSHINE AND CLOUDS MIXED. A SHOWER OR
THUNDERSTORM IS POSSIBLE. HIGH – 87.
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.
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Around 1971, a recent graduate from the former Carnegie High School, in Carnegie, got a suggestion from a friend that WIXZ in McKeesport was hiring sales people and that maybe he should apply. Up until that point in time, Frank Iorio Jr. had been selling steel products to industrial customers for one of the local mills. Luckily, Iorio was intrigued by the idea of selling radio advertising and refocused his tremendous sales skills toward selling airtime and entered the radio industry. Eventually, Frank Iorio, jr. Would go on to become the longest tenured owner of WBVP. Iorio’s career is recapped in the recently published book , Behind The Microphone, The History Of Radio In Beaver County, PA. :
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“Frank Iorio, Jr. was no stranger in radio in the Pittsburgh area. he grew up in Carnegie and landed his job in the sales department of WIXZ in Mckeesport in 1971. The ever confident Iorio carried a swager and motivation to succeed that served him well in business and began to rapidly move on up the giant radio tower. In 1974, Iorio moved in to the big city, taking a job as an account executive at WEEP in Pittsburgh. By 1976, Iorio was on to bigger cities and bigger challenges working at first in Boston, Philadelphia and then to Washington, D.C. to begin work at NBC. It was while in Washington that Iorio met Mike Schwartz, who was looking to put together a group of investors, and eventually started having discussions about buying radio stations together. Those talks ultimately came to fruition in 1991, when they became partners along with Don Wilks and purchased WVEZ and WWKY in Louisville, KY. As was customary for the way Swartz and Wilks did business, they bought into a situation in Louisville at a good position, made some improvements, and sold for a profit not too long after taking over, and so it was. After only about three years of station ownership in Louisville, The trio sold WVEZ and WWKY. This would pan out well for Beaver County because later that year in 1994, WBVP and WWKS became available and The group, now consisting of Iorio, Schwartz, and the newly added Aaron Daniels, liked what they saw in WBVP and WWKS. ‘We just saw a big upside to the deal, with that huge F.M. station. I thought that if we could get it out of Beaver County, and start marketing it to Pittsburgh, that there was alot of potential.’ Observed Iorio about their pending purchase of WBVP and WWKS, Kiss 106.7 F.M. in 1994. Iorio, Swartz and Daniels purchased WBVP and WMBA through their newly formed entity for 2 million dollars in a deal that became official on December 1, 1994. “
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Not long afterwards, Iorio, Swartz and Daniels sold WWKS to Secret Communications and then Iorio bought out his partners, making him the sole owner of WBVP in 1995. In June of 2000, Iorio ended the fierce competition that had existed between WBVP and WMBA when he purchased WMBA from Donn Wuycik and began to operate the two Beaver County Stations together, as they continue to do so up to this day.
“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
It was a dialogue-driven Commissioners’ work session on Wednesday, as many issues were brought to light by the County Commissioners themselves. The talk was driven by Commissioner Sandie Egley, including the issue of the current staff’s information handling protocol:
Meanwhile, Commissioner chairman Dan Camp addressed the continuing fallout from the recently revealed PFM report from Susquehanna, and spoke about the possibility of job opportunity and/or consolidation:
The hour-long meeting also discussed the current condition of the Ice Arena, which is looking for sponsors to help funding…as well as the continuing search for information as related to the replacing of recently fired CYS solicitor Robert Masters.
BACK TO SCHOOL…TODAY STUDENTS IN THE AMBRIDGE AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT AND MIDLAND STUDENTS RETURNED TO CLASS…AND TO THOSE STUDENTS WE SAY WELCOME BACK!
WE HAVE AN UPDATE NOW ON THAT 9-MILIMETER HANDGUN FOUND NEAR A SCHOOL BUS STOP IN HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP: POLICE BELIEVE THEY HAVE A LEAD IN THE CASE. BEAVER COUNTY RADIO NEWS CORRESPONDENT SANDY GIORDANO HAS DETALS. Click on ‘play’ to hear Sandy’s report…
WEATHER FORECAST FOR WEDNESDAY, AUG. 29TH, 2018
TODAY – SCATTERED CLOUDS WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF
AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPING THIS
AFTERNOON. GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL ARE
POSSIBLE. HIGH NEAR 90.
TONIGHT – SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.
LOW – 67.
THURSDAY – MOSTLY CLOUDY. A SHOWER OR
THUNDERSTORM IS POSSIBLE. COOLER.
HIGH NEAR 80.
Has 76 ever looked this good?
Once again, guests and vendors from the Beaver Valley and surrounding areas took to the Big Knob Grange in New Sewickley Township for the 76th Annual Big Knob Grange Fair. Beaver County Radio was also there, as Matt Drzik & Ed Hermick brought the prize van, the Personality Prize Wheel, and of course…the prizes.
If you missed the action from this year’s opening night ceremonies, take a look at these photos! And remember, the Big Knob Fair runs all the way through September 1!
Police are investigating after a gun was found near a bus stop on the first day of school in the Hopewell School District. Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano has the story…
This breaking news report is brought to you by…
A child abuse lawsuit, believed to be the first post-grand jury suit against the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh, has been filed. The lawsuit filed on behalf of a man who was allegedly sexually abused by a priest as a child, also names Bishop David Zubik and Cardinal Donald Wuerl. According to a news release, the victim was sexually assaulted numerous times between 1979 and 1984 by John Hoehl, who was named in the grand jury report on abuse by priests in six Pennsylvania dioceses. The release said the grand jury report showed more than 20 complaints of sexual abuse were brought against Hoel — who was employed as a priest, pastor, and later as a high school Headmaster by the Diocese. The lawsuit said the abuse started when the victim was 12 years old and occurred at Hoehl’s residence at the Quigley School in Baden and at his cabin in Somerset. The case will seek expansion of the statute of limitations for past victims of abuse under existing Pennsylvania legal principles and accepted public policy.
The fallout of the grand jury report on the Catholic child sex abuse continues with calls on Pope Francis to resign. Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro appeared on the “Today” show today to talk about the report. Shapiro said that not only was there widespread abuse but there was also a coverup and the Vatican was aware. In the two weeks since Shapiro released the bombshell report, he said the special clergy abuse hotline has received 733 phone calls. Shapiro said each case will be investigated, and if possible anyone who abused or covered up the abuse will be prosecuted. Shapiro said even though he couldn’t speak specifically about Pope Francis, there is evidence that the Vatican had knowledge of a Catholic child sex abuse coverup. Shapiro said church leaders would lie to parishioners and the public even though they were fully aware there was abuse going on within the church. Shapiro said church leaders would shield predator priests from law enforcement, but then would document the abuse and set it aside. Shapiro added that child rape is never acceptable no matter when it happened and it’s never acceptable to cover it up.