Station timeline
Prepared by Tim Portzline
1922 WBAK becomes the first officially licensed radio station in Harrisburg, owned by Pennsylvania State Police (300, 400 and 600 meters, transmitter at 18th and Herr Sts.)
April 19, 1923 WABB makes its debut as the second officially licensed radio station in Harrisburg, owned by Dr. John B. Lawrence (266 meters / 1130 khz, 10 watts)
1925 WHBG is licensed, owned by John Skane (forerunner of WMBS and WHP)
January 16, 1927 WMBS becomes Harrisburgs newest radio station, owned by Macks Battery Company (360 meters / 833 khz, transmitter on State Theater building)
1927 WPRC is on-the-air (owned by Wilson Printing and Radio Company)
March 18, 1929 WMBS becomes WHP, now owned by the Pennsylvania Broadcasting Company (1430 khz, 500 watts, transmitter at Washington Heights)
May 1929 WPRC is operating on 1200 khz, 100 watts
July 1929 WPRC is now WCOD, WBHA is operating (owned by state police)
1929-30 WHP taken over by Stackpole family, owner of Harrisburg Telegraph newspaper
September 15, 1939 WHP dedicates a new 5000 watt transmitter (site was located in Swatara Township near what is now the Harrisburg Mall)
March 29, 1941 NARBA (North American Radio Broadcasting Agreement) requires many stations in the U.S. to move to new frequencies; WHP moves from 1430 to 1460 khz
1946 WHGB begins broadcasting on 1400 khz
February 19, 1948 WCMB begins broadcasting on 960 khz with 1000 watts (owned by Rossmoyne Corporation, studios in Lemoyne, transmitter in Wormleysburg)
June 1, 1949 WGAL-TV begins broadcasting on channel 4 (NBC and DuMont affiliate)
May 21, 1951 WHP moves from 1460 to 580 khz, transmitter now in Enola
1951 WCMB moves from 960 to 1460 khz
1952 WGAL-TV moves from channel 4 to channel 8
April 15, 1953 WHP-TV begins broadcasting on channel 55 (CBS affiliate)
July 6, 1953 WTPA-TV begins broadcasting on channel 71 (NBC affiliate)
September 8, 1954 WCMB-TV begins broadcasting on channel 27 (DuMont affiliate)
1955 - The DuMont television network goes dark, ultimately putting an end to WCMB-TV
June 1, 1957 WTPA-TV moves to channel 27, WCMB's old channel
October 7, 1962 WMSP begins broadcasting, owned by the Market Square Presbyterian Church (94.9 mhz, 1700 watts ERP)
1963 WTPA-FM begins broadcasting, owned by Newhouse Broadcasting (104.1 mhz, 2 KW ERP)
November 22, 1964 WITF-TV begins broadcasting on channel 33
1965 WCMB-FM is constructed (99.3 mhz, 3 KW ERP)
1979 WQVE begins broadcasting in Mechanicsburg on 93.5 mhz
June 17, 1987 WWII begins broadcasting on 720 khz, owned by Dean Lebo and Carl Kuehn