WCHA (AM)
| |
| Broadcast area | South Central Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 800 kHz |
| Branding | Oldies 96-3 |
| Programming | |
| Language | English |
| Format | Oldies |
| Network | The True Oldies Channel |
| Affiliations | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| History | |
First air date | August 9, 1946 |
Call sign meaning | Chambersburg |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 10110 |
| Class | D (AM & FM) |
| Power |
|
Transmitter coordinates | 39°55′41.3″N 77°41′43″W / 39.928139°N 77.69528°W |
| Translator | 96.3 W242BY (Chambersburg) |
| Repeater | 1410 WHAG (Halfway, Maryland) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Website | www |
WCHA (800 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, and serving Franklin County, Pennsylvania. It simulcasts an oldies format with WHAG in Hagerstown, Maryland. WCHA and WHAG are owned and operated by Connoisseur Media.[2] Most programming comes from The True Oldies Channel, programmed and hosted by New York City DJ Scott Shannon. WCHA also carries Pittsburgh Steelers football.
By day, WCHA is powered at 1,000 watts non-directional. Because 800 AM is a Mexican clear channel frequency reserved for Class A station XEROK in Ciudad Juarez, WCHA reduces power to 196 watts at night to avoid interference. WCHA is also heard on 250-watt FM translator W242BY at 96.3 MHz.
History
The station signed on the air on August 9, 1946 at 6 a.m.[3]
On September 1, 1989, WCHA began broadcasting in C-QUAM AM stereo.[4]
Translator
| Call sign | Frequency | City of license | FID | ERP (W) | Class | FCC info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W242BY | 96.3 FM | Chambersburg, Pennsylvania | 145587 | 250 | D | LMS |
References
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for WCHA". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ "WCHA Facility Record". Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
- ^ "Article clipped from Echo Pilot". Echo Pilot. Greencastle, Pennsylvania. August 15, 1946. p. 1. Retrieved December 29, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "1990-BC-YB" (PDF). Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook. 1990. p. B-260. Retrieved February 2, 2026 – via World Radio History.
External links
- Official website
- Facility details for Facility ID 10110 (WCHA) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- WCHA in Nielsen Audio's AM station database
- Facility details for Facility ID 145587 (W242BY) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- W242BY at FCCdata.org
- "History Cards for WCHA". Federal Communications Commission. (Guide to reading History Cards)