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Broadcast area | Manchester, New Hampshire |
Frequency | 106.3 MHz (HD Radio) |
Branding | 106.3 Frank FM |
Programming | |
Format | Classic hits |
Subchannels | HD2: VSiN (Sports gambling) |
Affiliations | New England Patriots Radio Network |
Ownership | |
Owner |
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WEMJ, WJYY, WLNH-FM, WNNH, WNHW, WTPL | |
History | |
First air date | October 19, 1987 |
Former call signs | WHOB (1987–2005) |
Call sign meaning | "Frank" |
Technical information [1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
Facility ID | 23329 |
Class | A |
ERP | 6,000 watts |
HAAT | 81 meters (266 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 42°49′36.3″N71°30′8.2″W / 42.826750°N 71.502278°W |
Links | |
Public license information | |
Webcast |
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Website | frankfmradio |
WFNQ (106.3 FM; "Frank FM") is a radio station in Nashua, New Hampshire, serving the Manchester area with a classic hits radio format. It is owned by Binnie Media. The station's studios are on Church Street in Concord, and its transmitter is located in Merrimack, just west of the Merrimack Premium Outlets.
WFNQ can also be received in the northern portion of the Boston media market. The station has FM co-channel interference with Providence-market WWKX past this area.
WFNQ is the flagship station of a three-station network under the Frank FM branding. WLNH-FM (98.3) in Laconia (serving the Lakes Region) and WBYY (98.7) in Somersworth (serving the Seacoast Region) share WFNQ's playlist and branding, but have separate commercials. Additionally, WNNH (99.1) in Henniker previously served as a full simulcast of WFNQ for areas north and west of Manchester; it is now an active rock station.
The 106.3 allocation in Nashua was originally assigned to WOTW-FM, which went on the air in March 1948, [2] lost its license in 1977, [3] and continued operating under an interim operator from 1978 to June 30, 1985. [4] [5] After the revocation of the licenses for WOTW-FM and WOTW (900 AM) and a nine-year licensing process, [6] Gateway Broadcasting Associates was granted authority to build a new FM station in 1986; [3] the AM frequency was separately awarded to Merrimack Valley Broadcasting, [3] [6] who would put WMVU on the air in 1992. [7] Gateway, controlled by Mario DiCarlo, selected the call sign WHOB in reference to the station's honey bee logo, which was intended to symbolize that it would be "an industrious station". [8] Following several delays, WHOB signed on at 6 a.m. on October 19, 1987. [9] [10] In its early years, WHOB primarily focused on the Nashua area, [10] though its signal, originating from a tower in Hudson, [8] reached from Concord to Route 128 in Burlington, Massachusetts. [10]
At one time a CHR station, the station began mixing in modern rock in 1996, [11] and had shifted to hot adult contemporary by 1999, when DiCarlo retired and sold WHOB to Tele-Media. [12] Tele-Media sold WHOB, along with WNNH in Henniker and WLKZ in Wolfeboro, to Nassau Broadcasting Partners in 2004. [13] Nassau dropped the hot AC format in favor of the "Frank FM" classic hits format (the second Nassau station, after WFNK in Lewiston, Maine, to do so) and the WFNQ callsign on March 17, 2005. [14]
The station, along with 16 other Nassau stations in northern New England, was purchased at bankruptcy auction by WBIN Media Company, a company controlled by Bill Binnie, on May 22, 2012. Binnie already owned WBIN-TV in Derry and WYCN-LP in Nashua. [15] [16] The deal was completed on November 30, 2012. [17]
On June 1, 2015, WFNQ shifted its format to classic rock. It switched back to classic hits in 2018.
On April 1, 2019, WNNH in Henniker began simulcasting WFNQ, bringing the station's programming to areas north and west of Manchester, including Concord. [18] On May 24, 2019, WLNH-FM in Laconia and WBYY in Somersworth began carrying WFNQ's programming, but with separate advertising, forming a regional network. [19] The "Frank FM" network transitioned to a hot adult contemporary format during 2021; [20] during this transition, on September 3, 2021, WNNH left the network and launched its own active rock format. [21]
After morning host Marc Nazzaro (who used the air name "DJ Nazzy") was laid off from "Frank FM" in January 2023 as part of a refocus of Binnie Media's resources on its news and talk programming, vice president of programming Heath Cole told the Concord Monitor that "the music format that we do will change". [22] On February 1, 2023, WFNQ, along with the rest of the "Frank FM" network, again returned to a classic hits format; the stations also dropped their remaining on-air staff, who were reassigned to other positions within the company. [23]
On May 24, 2023, the format of WFNQ's second HD Radio channel was changed from a simulcast of active rock-formatted WNNH to VSiN's sports gambling network. [24]
WWJE-DT is a television station licensed to Derry, New Hampshire, United States, serving the Boston area as an affiliate of True Crime Network. It is owned by TelevisaUnivision alongside Marlborough, Massachusetts–licensed Univision-owned station WUNI. The two stations share main studios and transmitter facilities on Parmenter Road in Hudson, Massachusetts. WWJE is operated separately from WUNI's joint sales agreement (JSA) with Entravision Communications–owned UniMás affiliate WUTF-TV in Worcester.
WJYY is a radio station broadcasting a rhythmic hot adult contemporary format. Licensed to Concord, New Hampshire, United States, the station serves the Concord and Manchester areas. The station is owned by Binnie Media and licensed to WBIN Media Co., Inc.
Frank FM is the branding used by Binnie Media for its radio stations airing a classic hits radio format. The Frank FM format is similar to the Jack FM format in that these stations play around 1000 songs in regular rotation at any time as opposed to the average number of 300 to 600 songs heard regularly on most commercial radio stations. However, Frank FM playlists otherwise resemble other classic hits stations rather than that of variety hits stations.
WHXR is an active rock radio station licensed to serve Scarborough, Maine, with studios in Portland. Established in 1974, the station is owned by Binnie Media.
Nassau Broadcasting Partners LP was a company based in Princeton, New Jersey that owned radio stations in New England and the Mid-Atlantic United States. Nassau's stations, which included both AM and FM frequencies, were located in Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The company was owned and headed by Louis F. Mercatanti. Nassau was predominantly an operator of radio stations in medium and small markets. Nassau formerly owned radio station WCRB in Waltham, a Boston suburb, and located in the Boston market, the 11th largest radio market in the US, according to BIA Financial Network. However that station was sold to WGBH in 2009. Nassau operated radio stations in substantially all of the major formats. The company's most common format was classic rock/classic hits. On October 13, 2011 Nassau Broadcasting entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after their senior lenders petitioned for an involuntary Chapter 7 liquidation in September. The stations were auctioned to various bidders in May 2012 subject to bankruptcy judge and FCC approval. Nassau's last station, WPLY in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, lost its license in 2014 after having shut down in 2011.
WLNH-FM — branded as Frank FM — is a radio station located in Laconia, New Hampshire, United States. The station broadcasts to the Lakes Region and Concord, New Hampshire. The format is classic hits music, and on air it is identified as "The Soundtrack of the Lakes Region". WLNH-FM is owned by Binnie Media.
WTHT is a radio station broadcasting a country music format. Licensed to Auburn, Maine, the station serves Greater Portland. It is owned by Binnie Media, with studios on Thomas Drive in Westbrook. Programming was simulcast on WBQQ in Kennebunk from 2012 until 2024, when WBQQ launched a York County–oriented soft oldies format.
WNNH is a commercial radio station owned by Binnie Media. WNNH is licensed to Henniker, New Hampshire, and serves the Concord-Manchester area. Its transmitter is on Watchtower Road in Contoocook and its studios and offices are on Church Street in Concord.
WWLK-FM is a commercial radio station licensed to Meredith, New Hampshire, and serving the Lakes Region. The station broadcasts a soft adult contemporary radio format and is owned by Dirk Nadon, through licensee Lakes Media, LLC. The studios and offices are on Church Street in Concord, New Hampshire.
WLKZ is an American licensed radio station in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, serving the Lakes Region. The station is owned by Dirk Nadon, through licensee Lakes Media, LLC, and carries a classic rock format, under the "104.9 The Hawk" branding.
WLVP is a radio station broadcasting an adult standards and oldies format. Licensed to Gorham, Maine, United States, it serves southern Maine, including Portland. Established in 1980 as WDCI, the station is owned by Robert Bittner through licensee Blue Jey Broadcasting Co..
WNHW is a commercial FM radio station broadcasting a country music format. Licensed to Belmont, New Hampshire, it serves the Concord and Lakes Region areas of New Hampshire. The station is owned by Binnie Media and licensed to WBIN Media Co. Inc.
WLAM is a radio station broadcasting an adult standards and oldies format. Licensed to Lewiston, Maine, United States, the station serves the Lewiston-Auburn area. Established in 1947, the station is owned by Robert Bittner through licensee Blue Jey Broadcasting Co. Its 5,000-watt signal can be heard at day throughout most of Southern Maine and portions of New Hampshire and Massachusetts, and at night throughout most of New England and portions of New York and Canada.
WFNK – branded 107.5 Frank FM – is a commercial classic hits radio station licensed to serve Lewiston, Maine. Owned by Binnie Media, the station services the Portland metropolitan area. WFNK has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 100,000 watts, broadcasting from a transmitter in Poland, Maine, making it among the highest-powered FM stations in New England. Some WFNK programming is also heard on sister station WBQX in Thomaston, Maine, which also calls itself Frank FM.
WBYA is a radio station licensed to Islesboro, Maine, United States. The station serves the Mid Coast area with a country music format. The station is owned by Binnie Media, and broadcasts from a transmitter on U.S. 1 south of Northport. The station's competitor is WMCM in Rockland.
WBYY is a radio station broadcasting a classic hits format. Licensed to Somersworth, New Hampshire, United States, with studios in Dover, the station serves the Seacoast Region of New Hampshire and Southern Maine. The station is owned by Binnie Media.
WEMJ is a radio station broadcasting a news/talk format. Licensed to Laconia, New Hampshire, United States, the station is owned by Binnie Media and licensed to WBIN Media Co., Inc. WEMJ features programming from ABC News Radio. WEMJ is known on-air as 107.3 WEMJ. It is part of the "Pulse of NH" trimulcast with 107.7 WTPL in the Manchester area and 98.1 WTSN in the Seacoast Region.
WZLF is a radio station licensed to serve Bellows Falls, Vermont, transmitting from Alstead, New Hampshire. The station is owned by Binnie Media. It airs a country music format, simulcast with WXLF in Hartford.
WWFY is a radio station licensed to serve Berlin, Vermont. The station is owned by Great Eastern Radio. It airs a country music format.
WRFK is an FM radio station licensed to Barre and serving central Vermont. Established in 1974, the station is owned by Jeffrey Shapiro's Great Eastern Radio. WRFK airs a classic rock format, and is simulcast in the Champlain Valley on WWFK in Plattsburgh West, New York. The transmitter is located off Websterville Road and the studios and offices are on Jacques Street.