You know that feeling. You’re crawling down the Schuylkill Expressway, staring at the bumper of a rusted-out sedan, and you realize your GPS is just... lying to you. It says there's a ten-minute delay. Your eyes tell you it's actually an eternity. That’s usually when a lot of us in the Philly area instinctively reach for the dial. We flip over to 1060 AM or 103.9 FM. We wait for that specific moment on the clock.
KYW news radio traffic is a weirdly permanent part of the Philadelphia experience. It’s the "traffic on the twos." Two, twelve, twenty-two, thirty-two, forty-two, fifty-two. If you grew up here, those numbers are basically seared into your brain.
But honestly, in an era of Waze and Google Maps, why do we still do it?
The Mystery Behind the Traffic Center
For a long time, the secret of KYW was that the traffic reports weren't actually coming from the KYW newsroom. It’s kinda wild to think about now. For decades, they used outside companies to feed them the data. It was basically a outsourced service.
That changed back in 2017.
Steve Butler, who was the director of news and programming at the time, made a big push to bring everything in-house. They launched their own dedicated Philly traffic center right in the middle of the newsroom. Sam Clover—a voice most of us would recognize if we heard it in a crowded supermarket—was the first one to broadcast from that new setup.
🔗 Read more: The Night the Mountain Fell: What Really Happened During the Big Thompson Flood 1976
Being in the room matters. When there is a massive fire on I-95 or a jackknifed tractor-trailer on the Blue Route, the traffic reporters are literally feet away from the news anchors. They aren't just reading data from a screen; they’re participating in a live news event.
Is It Actually Better Than Your Phone?
Look, I love my phone. I use Waze religiously. But GPS apps have a major flaw: they are reactive. They rely on "pings" from other drivers. If a bridge just closed three minutes ago, the app might still be trying to calculate the reroute.
The people at the KYW news radio traffic desk are looking at police scanners, PennDOT cameras, and listening to "mobile units" (which is a fancy way of saying listeners calling in from their cars).
They provide context that an algorithm just can't. A red line on a map tells you there's a delay. A reporter like Justin Drabick or one of the morning regulars can tell you why. Is it a pothole? A police investigation? Or just the usual Friday afternoon "everyone is heading to the Shore" mess? That context helps you decide if you should stick it out or take the back roads through Gladwyne.
How to Find the Signal
It used to be simple. You just tuned to 1060 AM. But AM radio is... well, it’s AM radio. It struggles under bridges and near power lines.
💡 You might also like: The Natascha Kampusch Case: What Really Happened in the Girl in the Cellar True Story
- 1060 AM: The OG. High power, reaches way out into the suburbs.
- 103.9 FM: The clearer, crisper option for those in the immediate Philly/Delco/Montco area.
- Audacy App: If your car has CarPlay or Android Auto, this is usually the way to go to avoid the static.
- Smart Speakers: You can literally just yell at your kitchen counter to "Play KYW Newsradio" while you're making coffee to see if the commute is worth it.
The Rhythm of the "Twos"
The schedule is the heartbeat of the station. It’s relentless. Every ten minutes, without fail.
You’ve got the "A-Block" news, then the weather, then the traffic. It’s a loop. This format was pioneered in the mid-60s when the station went all-news. Before that, it was a mix of everything. Can you imagine KYW having a house band? Because they did, back in the 30s.
Today, it’s a machine. The reporters have to talk incredibly fast—sometimes it feels like they’re trying to win a speed-reading contest—to cram in the Ben Franklin Bridge, the Walt Whitman, the Vine Street, and the Pennsylvania Turnpike all in about 60 seconds.
Why the Human Element Still Wins
There is a certain comfort in hearing a local voice tell you that the "Blue Route is a parking lot." It feels personal. It’s Philadelphia talking to Philadelphia.
We’ve seen a lot of legendary voices come and go. People still talk about Bob Kelly or Harry Donahue. These weren't just names; they were part of the morning routine, right alongside the scrapple or the Wawa coffee.
📖 Related: The Lawrence Mancuso Brighton NY Tragedy: What Really Happened
The nuance is what keeps the station relevant. An app might tell you to take a detour through a neighborhood that is actually impossible to navigate during school hours. A KYW reporter who has lived here for thirty years knows that. They’ll tell you to avoid that specific "shortcut" because they know the local reality.
The Cost of the Report
If you listen closely, you’ll notice the reports are almost always sponsored. "The [Brand Name] Traffic Center."
Some people find it annoying. Honestly, it’s just the reality of local journalism in 2026. Producing 24/7 live news isn't cheap. If a window company or a law firm has to pay for the "Traffic on the Twos" to keep the reporters in the building, most of us are fine with it. It’s a fair trade for knowing that I-76 is currently a disaster area.
Making the Most of the Information
Don't just listen passively. If you’re a regular commuter, you sort of have to learn the "KYW Code."
- "Stop and Go" means you’re moving, but you’re going to hate it.
- "Delays back to [Street Name]" is your cue to look for an alternative immediately.
- "Watch for debris" usually means a ladder fell off a truck, and you should probably stay out of the left lane.
Next time you're heading out, try a "hybrid" approach. Keep your GPS on for the turn-by-turn, but keep the radio tuned to the twos. The GPS gives you the route, but the radio gives you the "vibe" of the road. It’s the best way to make sure you aren't the person stuck behind a bridge opening for forty minutes.
Before you put the car in gear, check the Audacy stream or hit the 103.9 FM preset. Knowing the "why" behind the delay makes sitting in traffic just a little bit more bearable. Sorta.