4 7 . ▁The ▁call ▁letters ▁stood ▁for ▁Two ▁Radio ▁Fre qu encies , ▁a ▁nod ▁to ▁FM ▁ 1 0 0 . 5 ▁being ▁used ▁to ▁continue ▁programming ▁when ▁AM ▁ 1 2 9 0 ▁signed ▁off ▁at ▁sun set . ▁The ▁radio ▁stations ▁were ▁sold ▁off ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁to ▁help ▁fin ance ▁the ▁television ▁station . ▁▁ ▁W TR F ▁was ▁originally ▁an ▁N BC ▁affili ate ▁but ▁also ▁carried ▁some ▁programming ▁from ▁ABC , ▁splitting ▁that ▁network ' s ▁programming ▁with ▁then - C BS ▁affili ate ▁W ST V - TV ▁( channel ▁ 9 , ▁now ▁W TO V - TV ). ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 9 , ▁W TR F ▁became ▁the ▁area ' s ▁first ▁station ▁to ▁use ▁vide ot ape ▁rather ▁than ▁film . ▁▁ ▁For ▁its ▁first ▁quarter - century ▁on ▁the ▁air , ▁W TR F - TV ▁was ▁the ▁und is put ed ▁leader ▁in ▁the ▁W heel ing – Ste uben ville ▁market ▁despite ▁being ▁well ▁within ▁reach ▁of ▁the ▁much ▁larger ▁Pitts burgh ▁market . ▁As ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁the ▁W heel ing – Ste uben ville ▁market ▁remains ▁separate ▁from ▁Pitts burgh ▁despite ▁the ▁very ▁close ▁proxim ity ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁mark ets ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁significantly ▁over la pping ▁signals ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁mark ets . ▁ ▁On ▁January ▁ 7 , ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁W TR F ▁sw apped ▁network ▁affili ations ▁with