WFCS

Last updated
WFCS
Broadcast areaNew Britain–Hartford
Frequency 107.7 MHz
Branding107.7 The Edge
Programming
Format Educational
Ownership
Owner Central Connecticut State University
History
First air date
1972 (1972)
Call sign meaning
'"World's Finest College Station"
Technical information
Facility ID 9867
Class D
ERP 36 watts
HAAT 33.0 meters (108.3 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
41°41′36″N72°45′49″W / 41.69333°N 72.76361°W / 41.69333; -72.76361
Links
Webcast Listen Live
Website www.wfcsradio.com

WFCS (107.7 FM), known as 107.7 The Edge is a non-commercial college radio station licensed to New Britain, Connecticut, United States. The station is owned by Central Connecticut State University. [1] [2]

Contents

Programming is produced by students, faculty and staff of CCSU and the station has a diverse radio format including alternative rock, urban, world, oldies, etc.

History

This station began in the late 1940s, as a carrier current AM station. The college, originally the New Britain Normal School changed names to the Teacher's College of Connecticut (TCC) in 1929. The original call letters of station were WTCC, a call sign now held by the station of Springfield Technical Community College. The station's studios were located in East Hall. In 1959 TCC became Central Connecticut State College. The call letters were changed to WCCS. When the new campus Student Center opened in the early 1960s, the studios were relocated. The station was affiliated with the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS). In 1969 plans were started to move from AM to FM. Originally the WCCS call letters were requested. Local Hartford radio stations WCCC and WCCC-FM thought this would cause too much confusion, so the call letters WFCS were assigned.

The station began broadcasting as WFCS on 90.1 FM with 10 watts in 1972, but had to vacate the frequency in 1980 due to FCC rule changes for low power non-commercial stations and to make room for Connecticut Public Radio which had increased its power from Middlefield. WFCS then moved to 97.9 and operated there for a decade until it was forced to move again due to its "secondary" status to make room for a new commercial radio station in Enfield, Connecticut, that was about to begin broadcasting on the same frequency. The WFCS application to move to its current dial position at 107.7 was prepared and filed by Carmine Iannace in 1987, while he was student at CCSU. Originally a move to the WTIC-TV tower in Farmington was proposed to dramatically increase the WFCS broadcast range, but it was rejected by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Carmine was program director in addition to being chief engineer during his tenure at WFCS and was responsible, along with other station members at the time, for bringing the cutting edge, "new music" or alternative rock to WFCS and the New Britain–Hartford radio market in the 1980s. Today, WFCS broadcast 24/7 with a combination of live broadcasts and automated programming. Sundays feature a veteran group of broadcasters which combined, have logged over 110 years on the air at the station.

Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, WFCS continued to focus on being a source of alternative music for the area. With a strong injection of heavier music, WFCS was highly regarded as a prominent college station for heavy rock music while still containing the variety that carries the station today. In 2017, the station rebranded as "107.7 The Edge".

Related Research Articles

WFCR is a non-commercial FM radio station licensed to Amherst, Massachusetts. It serves as the National Public Radio (NPR) member station for Western Massachusetts, including Springfield. The station operates at 13,000 watts ERP from a transmitter on Mount Lincoln in Pelham, Massachusetts 968 feet above average terrain. The University of Massachusetts Amherst holds the license. The station airs NPR news programs during the morning and afternoon drive times and in the early evening. Middays and overnights are devoted to classical music and jazz is heard during the later evening hours.

WHUS is a non-commercial educational FM college radio station. It transmits with 4,400 watts on 91.7 MHz from the University of Connecticut (UConn) in Storrs to audiences in Connecticut, southern Massachusetts and western Rhode Island. WHUS operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year as a community radio station that features members of the student body and the local community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WUHT</span> Radio station in Birmingham, Alabama

WUHT is an urban adult contemporary radio station that serves the Birmingham, Alabama, area. The station is also the flagship station of the UAB Blazers Radio Network which had previously been heard on sister station WWMM. Owned by Cumulus Media, the station has studios in Homewood and its transmitter is atop Red Mountain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WKSS</span> Radio station in Hartford-Meriden, Connecticut

WKSS is an American radio station operated by iHeartMedia, Inc. in the Hartford-New Britain-Middletown, Connecticut, radio market. It broadcasts from its original transmitter site in Meriden, and has a rare dual city of license of Hartford-Meriden.

WCCC (106.9 FM) – branded K-Love – is a non-commercial contemporary Christian radio station licensed to serve Hartford, Connecticut. Owned by the Educational Media Foundation, WCCC does not broadcast any local programming, functioning as the K-Love network affiliate for Greater Hartford and the Pioneer Valley. The station's transmitter is located in West Hartford; in addition to a standard analog transmission, WCCC is also available online.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WTIC-FM</span> Hot adult contemporary radio station in Hartford, Connecticut

WTIC-FM is a commercial radio station in Hartford, Connecticut. It is owned by Audacy, Inc. and broadcasts a hot adult contemporary radio format. The station's studios and offices are located on Executive Drive in Farmington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WMRQ-FM</span> Radio station in Waterbury, Connecticut

WMRQ-FM is an alternative rock radio station licensed to Waterbury, Connecticut and serving the Greater Hartford media market. WMRQ-FM is owned by Red Wolf Broadcasting and has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 14,000 watts. Its transmitter is on West Peak in Meriden, Connecticut. Its tower is shared with former sister station 95.7 WKSS. WMRQ-FM's studios and offices are located on Blue Hills Avenue in Bloomfield, Connecticut with its other co-owned radio stations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WHCN</span> Radio station in Hartford, Connecticut

WHCN is a commercial classic hits radio station licensed to serve Hartford, Connecticut. Owned by iHeartMedia, the station serves the Greater Hartford area; the brand is a local reference to the Connecticut River. The WHCN studios and offices are located on Columbus Boulevard in Hartford; while the station's transmitter site is at West Peak State Park in nearby Meriden. In addition to a standard analog transmission, WHCN broadcasts over two HD Radio digital subchannels, and is available online via iHeartRadio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WDRC-FM</span> Radio station in Hartford, Connecticut

WDRC-FM is a radio station with a classic rock format licensed to Hartford, Connecticut. The station began broadcasting in 1959 and was the first commercial FM station in the Hartford radio market. The station is owned by John Fuller's Red Wolf Broadcasting Corporation, with studios located on Blue Hills Avenue in Bloomfield, Connecticut with other radio stations and a transmitter site in Meriden, Connecticut.

WNWW is a radio station licensed to West Hartford, Connecticut, and serves the Greater Hartford area. The station is owned by the University of Northwestern – St. Paul. WNWW airs a religious radio format consisting of teaching and talk programs. WNWW is a class D AM station operating with 490 watts during the day and eleven watts at night per FCC rules.

WJMJ is a non-profit, non-commercial, FM radio station licensed to Hartford, Connecticut. It is owned by St. Thomas Seminary in Bloomfield, Connecticut, which in turn is owned by the Archdiocese of Hartford. The transmitter tower is atop Johnnycake Mountain in Burlington, Connecticut. The station has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 2,300 watts. For its programming to be heard in other parts of Connecticut, WJMJ has FM translators on 107.1 in New Haven and on 93.1 in Hamden. It is also heard on a digital subchannel of 91.1 WSHU-FM-HD3 in Fairfield, Connecticut. In addition, WJMJ streams online.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WLAT</span> Radio station in New Britain, Connecticut

WLAT is a radio station licensed to New Britain, Connecticut and serves the Hartford market. WLAT currently airs a Spanish pop music format. Owned by Gois Broadcasting, WLAT broadcasts from studios located on Burnside Avenue in East Hartford, while its transmitter array is located behind the Connecticut School of Broadcasting on Birdseye Road in Farmington. The station also operates translator W269DE in New Britain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WPOP</span> News/talk radio station in Hartford, Connecticut

WPOP is a commercial radio station in Hartford, Connecticut, broadcasting a talk and sports radio format. The station is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. The studios and offices are located on Columbus Boulevard in Hartford.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WDRC (AM)</span> News/talk radio station in Hartford, Connecticut

WDRC is a commercial radio station in Hartford, Connecticut. It is owned by Red Wolf Broadcasting and airs a talk radio format. The studios and transmitter site are located on Blue Hill Avenue in Bloomfield, Connecticut with other radio stations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WTHT</span> Country music radio station in Auburn, Maine

WTHT is a radio station broadcasting a country music format. Licensed to Auburn, Maine, the station serves the Portland area. The station is owned by Binnie Media. Programming is simulcast on WBQQ in Kennebunk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WEZN-FM</span> Radio station in Bridgeport, Connecticut

WEZN-FM is a commercial FM radio station, licensed to Bridgeport, Connecticut, and serving Southern Connecticut. The station is owned by Connoisseur Media and it airs a hot adult contemporary radio format. The WEZN studios are located on Wheelers Farms Road in Milford; the station's transmitter is on Green Haven Road in Trumbull.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Connecticut Public Radio</span> Public radio network in Connecticut

Connecticut Public Radio is a network of public radio stations in the state of Connecticut, western Massachusetts, and eastern Long Island, affiliated with NPR. It is owned by Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network, which also owns Connecticut Public Television (CPTV).

WATX is a radio station licensed to Hamden, Connecticut. The station, owned by Clark Smidt, was recently silent. The station, under its previous call sign WQUN, aired the adult standards format America's Best Music from Westwood One, before going silent on May 31, 2019. The station resumed broadcasting on May 28, 2020, to satisfy FCC requirements and retain the license for another six months until returning to the air with reduced power on May 8, 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WKJK</span> Radio station in Louisville, Kentucky

WKJK is an AM radio station broadcasting a talk radio format with some sports talk in middays. Licensed to Louisville, Kentucky, the station serves North-Central Kentucky and South-Central Indiana. The station is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. and features programming from iHeart subsidiary Premiere Radio Networks as well as Westwood One. The station's studios are located in the Louisville neighborhood of Watterson Park and the transmitter site is off East Daisy Lane in New Albany, Indiana.

Northwestern Media is the Christian radio ministry of the University of Northwestern – St. Paul, an evangelical university in Roseville, Minnesota. Northwestern Media operates two radio networks serving listeners primarily in the Midwestern United States: the Life Network, a contemporary Christian music station, and the Faith Network with Christian talk and teaching programming.

References

  1. "WFCS Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  2. "WFCS Station Information Profile". Arbitron.