WURP/Pittsburgh sold

1550 The Edge's days may be numbered.

WURP, the Pittsburgh-area 'hot talk' station and longtime affiliate of Air America's The Young Turks has been sold to Business Talkradio.net Inc., a company that programs a 24/7 business/general talk format.

The deal is pending until approved by the Federal Communications Commission, but Business TalkRadio.net plans to install their own programming, which consists of business news, talk shows such as Doug Stephan's Good Day and Ray Lucia, and various lifestyle programming. The station will also carry some local programming, including news and sports. The purchaser will take over management via an LMA as of April 15.

WURP is not a liberal talk station. They do air The Young Turks and some Air America weekend programming (another Pittsburgh station, WPTT, carries Thom Hartmann's Air America show), but they also carry a hodgepodge of shows from conservative G. Gordon Liddy, 'hot talkers' Tom Leykis and Don and Mike, and a feed from Sporting News Radio.

The Turks have been carried on the station for several years, predating their signing with Air America last fall. Recently, the station added additional programming from the network to fill gaps in the schedule. The station has never been a factor in the Pittsburgh ratings due to a very weak signal that covers only a small fraction of the terrain-challenged market. A construction permit has been granted to move the transmitter closer to the city's center.