WPIX-AM

WPIX-AM (1030 AM) is an urban gospel formatted commercial radio station serving New York City. Owned by Urban One, WPIX-AM's offices are located at the Carnegie Hall Tower in Midtown Manhattan and its transmitter is located at Mt. Moses in Staten Island.

As a simulcast of WBFM/WPIX-FM
For many years, WBFM was one of the few FM stations in New York to not have an AM sister station. However, they changed on January 5, 1961, when WBFM's owner Muzak launched WBAM, as a simulcast of WBFM. WBAM was technically one of the few AM stations to simulcast from an FM source at the time. When it launched, the station carried WBFM's beautiful music format.

The New York Daily News (which was partly owned by Tribune) would purchase WBAM and WBFM in late 1963, putting both stations under common ownership with WPIX. In 1964, both stations would change their call letters to WPIX-AM and WPIX-FM to reflect their TV sister station.

Split from WPIX-FM; switch to Top 40
In 1971, WPIX-AM would split from its simulcast of WPIX-FM and would switch to a Top 40 format branding itself as "WPIX 103". Coincidentally, WPIX-FM also switched to a Top 40 format although it leaned more into newer songs that WABC didn't play.

While WPIX-FM had several format changes until it settled on a smooth jazz format in 1988, WPIX-AM would keep its Top 40 format well into the mid to late 70s, and a bit of the early 80s.

NewsRadio 1030
On July 17, 1984, as more and more radio listeners were moving to FM radio, WPIX-AM would drop its Top 40 format and would launch a news-intensive format. Branded "NewsRadio 1030", it challenged WNBC and WCBS which were popular news radio stations at the time. WPIX-AM's news format made it a top tier rival to both stations. WNBC's flip to a sports format, also helped WPIX-AM to receive newer viewers who came to listen after the switch.

In 1991, WPIX-AM, WQCD, and WPIX were bought by Tribune outright, marking Tribune's official entrance to the New York market. In 1997, Tribune would put WQCD and WPIX-AM up for sale due to Tribune's growing uninterst with the radio market. WQCD was sold to Indianapolis based Emmis Communications, which already owned WQHT and WRKS. As for WPIX-AM, it was sold to Jacor Communications, owner of WQHT's rival WUBX.

In 1999, Jacor Communications was bought by Clear Channel Communications. Later that same year, Clear Channel bought out AMFM. However, because Clear Channel was over the limits at the time, the company would WPIX-AM and WUBX to Urban One, which also bought several other stations from CC during its merger with AMFM.

Hallelujah
On December 5, 2002, to reflect the company's aim towards African-American listeners, WPIX-AM would drop its news format in favor of a gospel music format branded as "Hallelujah 1030". The Hallelujah brand was mostly used by Clear Channel for its own gospel stations, and as such this is the only gospel station owned by Urban One to not use the "Praise" or "The Light" brands.