The photo above gives a peak into the new WBVP studio under construction in April 2023 (Frank Sparks).
Story by Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio News Director. Published May 8, 2023 10:50 A.M.
(Brighton Township, PA) William V. Day, CEO of St. Barnabas Health System and President of St. Barnabas Broadcasting, joined Beaver County Radio General Manager Frank Sparks and “Teleforum” host Eddy Crow on the air Friday to make a special announcement on the future of Beaver County Radio. Mr. Day announced the WBVP & WMBA studios will move into the former Michael Baker building in Brighton Township, which St. Barnabas purchased in 2018. He says the move to the property “gives us access to do all kinds of things”, and added the relocation is “indicative of what’s happening in Beaver County. It’s a great place to live, great place to work, great place to worship, Beaver County is a great place, if we can further enhance the attractiveness of Beaver County, we want to do it.” A grand opening of the new studios will take place on June 17th, featuring special guests and a car cruise sponsored by Pennsylvania Hot Rod Company at the new studio site located at 4301 Dutch Ridge Road in Brighton Township.
Audio of the announcement can be heard below:
The move takes place as the stations celebrate the 75th Anniversary of WBVP going on the air. The current studios on 7th Avenue in Beaver Falls have been the home of WBVP since the late 1970s, and WMBA since 2000. WBVP’s first studio in 1948 was located in the upstairs of 1216 7th Avenue (the building where Vocelli Pizza currently is), before moving to the basement of a bank at 1400 7th Avenue in the late 1960s. WMBA started out with a studio in the upstairs of Action Tire on Duss Avenue in Ambridge in 1957 before making a couple other moves around Ambridge prior to moving in with WBVP. The move will make history, as this will be the first time WBVP has studios that aren’t located in Beaver Falls.
First WBVP studio location seen in background (1940s/1950s):