WSPR (AM)

WSPR (1490 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station licensed to West Springfield, Massachusetts, and serving the Springfield metropolitan area. The station is owned by John Fuller, through licensee Red Wolf Broadcasting Corporation. It airs a Spanish tropical and contemporary hit radio format known as Bomba 104.5.[2]

This article is about the radio station. For Weak Signal Propagation Reporter, see WSPR (Amateur radio software).
WSPR
CityWest Springfield, Massachusetts
Broadcast areaSpringfield metropolitan area
Frequency1490 kHz
BrandingBomba 104.5
Programming
FormatSpanish Tropical and Contemporary Hits
Ownership
OwnerJohn Fuller
(Red Wolf Broadcasting Corporation)
WACM, WNTY, WSKP, WBMW
History
First air date
August 28, 1949 (as WTXL)
Former call signs
WTXL (1949-1975)
WNUS (1975-1980)
WQXQ (1980-1983)
WACM (1983-2016)[1]
Technical information
Facility ID60390
ClassC
Power470 watts
1,000 watts day
auxiliary (backup)
830 watts night
auxiliary (backup)
Transmitter coordinates
42°5′55″N 72°37′45″W
42°6′6″N 72°37′23″W auxiliary (backup)
Translator(s)104.5 W283CK (West Springfield)

WSPR programming is also heard on 250 watt FM translator station 104.5 W283CK, West Springfield.[3] Much of the programming originates at WMRQ-HD2 in Hartford, Connecticut, which also feeds a network of FM translator stations around Connecticut.

History

The station first signed on the air on August 28, 1949. Its call sign was originally WTXL.

During the late 1960s and early 1970s, WTXL aired a Top 40 format. Although it was programmed well, it never achieved rating success due to the heavy competition from crosstown WHYN/560. With a 5,000 watt signal and much lower on the AM dial, WHYN could easily be heard around Western Massachusetts and northern Connecticut. WTXL's signal, at the time 1,000 watts by day, 250 watts at night, was harder to pick up.

In 1974, WTXL transitioned to a progressive rock format. A year later, the station was sold to a group headed by Boston radio host Jerry Williams. WTXL then went off the air for two months before returning under the new ownership as WNUS, running NBC Radio's News and Information Service (NIS), a 24 hour all news radio service.

The station was assigned the call letters WACM by the Federal Communications Commission on September 15, 1983.[1]

On July 3, 2015, WACM changed its format from Spanish Tropical music to oldies, along with 990 WXCT. On November 22, 2015, WACM rebranded as "Kool Radio Good Times... Great Oldies".

On April 1, 2016, WACM changed back to Spanish tropical, simulcasting WSPR 1270 AM Springfield. On April 13, 2016, WACM changed its call sign to WSPR, swapping call letters with 1270 AM.

On May 1, 2016 WSPR split from its simulcast with WACM 1270 AM (which flipped to oldies) and rebranded as "Bomba 1490".

References
  1. "Call Sign History". FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database.
  2. "Station Information Profile". Arbitron. Archived from the original on March 1, 2010.
  3. Radio-Locator.com/W283CK


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.