WSTA (1340 AM, "The People's Station") is a radio station licensed to serve Charlotte Amalie, United States Virgin Islands. The station is owned by Ottley Communications Corporation, and the station's broadcast license is held by OCC Acquisitions, Inc. WSTA was the first station to broadcast in the Virgin Islands. Airing a full-service variety format, the station has long been recognized for its community orientation and public service, remaining on the air through major hurricanes. WSTA is the Virgin Islands' Primary Entry Point station in the Emergency Alert System. History On September 7, 1949, the Federal Communications Commission authorized William N. Greer to build and operate a new 250-watt radio station on 1340 kHz in Charlotte Amalie. Greer had not intended to build a 250-watt station; he had filed for just 50 watts, and the FCC at first blush appeared to allow such a service in the U.S. Virgin Islands, but two other applications for higher-power stations were received, along with objections from the National Association of Broadcasters and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, and the FCC vacated its original order. In advance, the Virgin Islands Daily News praised the arrival of radio to the island of St. Thomas as "a significant advancement in the life of community" that would "influence the future to an extent not now dreamt of even by its founder". WSTA began broadcasting on the afternoon of July 26, 1950. Greer lost money in his first two years of running WSTA, but it was warmly welcomed and provided a valuable and eclectic broadcasting service. The studios were open-air, and wild animals including goats and chickens sometimes wandered in during broadcasts. A 1951 article in The New York Times described it as the "pride of St. Thomas", a station with "probably the greatest public acceptance" of any in the United States. It described one of the station's foremost personalities in its early years: "Mango Jones", whose real name was Ron de Lugo, who would later enter politics and serve as the U.S. Virgin Islands delegate to Congress. WSTA was a "secret affiliate" of NBC and the Mutual Broadcasting System, receiving network newscasts two days late by air from Miami. In 1958, Greer sold WSTA to Island Broadcasting Company, Inc.; Island also owned KUAM in Guam. Len Stein, one of KUAM's employees, moved to St. Thomas to run the newly purchased Virgin Islands station. In the aftermath of