WGAW

Last updated

WGAW
Broadcast area Montachusett-North County
Frequency 1340 kHz
BrandingWGAW1340.com
Programming
Format Talk
Affiliations
Ownership
OwnerSteven Wendell
History
First air date
December 23, 1946 [1]
Former call signs
WHOB (1946–1953)
Call sign meaning
Gardner, Athol, Winchendon
Technical information [2]
Licensing authority
 FCC
Facility ID 72088
Class C
Power 1,000 watts unlimited
Transmitter coordinates
 42°35′33.32″N71°59′18.28″W / 42.5925889°N 71.9884111°W / 42.5925889; -71.9884111
Translator(s) 98.1 W251CQ (Gardner)
Links
Public license information
Webcast Listen live
Website www.wgaw1340.com

WGAW (1340 AM) is a radio station licensed to Gardner, Massachusetts. Established in 1946 as WHOB, the station is owned by Steven Wendell and carries a talk radio format.

Contents

History

The station signed on December 23, 1946, as WHOB. [1] It debuted at 1490 kHz on the AM dial, and the call letters referred to one of the station's founders, District Attorney Owen A. Hoban. [3] WHOB was originally owned by David M. Richman, a Connecticut businessman; studios were in the Colonial Hotel in Gardner. [4] The station's format was a variety of local news, music, and sports. One of the early stars on WHOB was a local country (then called "hillbilly") music performer named Doc Snow (real name: Edgar Arsenault). He performed live with his band, the Bar X Cowboys, and later became one of the station's announcers. [5]

The station was sold to Emilien R. Robillard, a pharmacist, in 1954; [6] the call letters were changed to WGAW (Gardner, Athol, Winchendon) on October 14, 1953. [7] Subsequently, in 1957, the station was sold again, to Charles and James Asher, who also owned WJDA in Quincy. [8] In 1959, new owners again took over, with Judge C. Edward Rowe purchasing the station. [9]

By the early 1990s, WGAW was experiencing financial problems due to increased competition from FM stations. The station was being run by Judge Rowe's son Douglas, who also owned WSRO, a station in Marlboro, Massachusetts. To save money, WGAW was no longer doing local broadcasting. Rather, it was simulcasting the programming of WSRO. [10] Subsequent owners of WGAW have included Anastos Media Group of Malta, New York (an ownership group headed by New York City television news anchor Ernie Anastos), and Northeast Broadcasting of Bedford, New Hampshire.

Translator

Call sign Frequency City of license FID ERP (W) Class Transmitter coordinatesFCC info
W251CQ98.1 FM Gardner, Massachusetts 201705
  • 250 vertical
  • 0 horizontial
D 42°35′28.3″N71°59′18.2″W / 42.591194°N 71.988389°W / 42.591194; -71.988389 (W251CQ) LMS

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WEEI (AM)</span> Radio station in Boston

WEEI is a commercial sports gambling AM radio station licensed to Boston, Massachusetts, serving Greater Boston and much of New England. Owned by Audacy, Inc., WEEI is the Boston affiliate for the Audacy-owned BetQL Network and Infinity Sports Network, serving as a gambling-focused brand extension of its main sports radio station in the market, WEEI-FM. The WEEI studios are located in Boston's Brighton neighborhood, while the station transmitter resides in the Boston suburb of Needham. In addition to a standard analog transmission, WEEI is available online via Audacy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WUBG (AM)</span> Radio station in Massachusetts, United States

WUBG is a regional Mexican station licensed to serve Methuen, Massachusetts. It has an FM translator, W287CW, at 105.3 MHz. The station is called "La Pantera". The WUBG transmitter is located in Andover, while W287CW's transmitter is in Medford. The station is owned by Costa-Eagle Radio Ventures Limited Partnership—a partnership between Pat Costa and The Eagle-Tribune. Under a local marketing agreement, WUBG is programmed by Costa Media Boston LLC, a similarly-named but separate company controlled by Jose Villafañe.

WERS is one of Emerson College's two radio stations, located in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Programming features over 20 different styles of music and news, including live performances and interviews. WERS stands as the oldest non-commercial radio station in New England, and has been in operation since November 1949. Among the founders of the station was WEEI program director Arthur F. Edes, who first taught broadcasting courses at Emerson in 1932 and helped to plan a campus radio station. The chief architect of WERS in its early years was Professor Charles William Dudley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WMJX</span> Adult contemporary radio station in Boston

WMJX – branded Magic 106.7 – is a commercial adult contemporary radio station licensed to Boston, Massachusetts. Owned by Audacy, Inc., the station serves Greater Boston and much of surrounding New England. The WMJX studios are located in Boston's Allston–Brighton neighborhood, while the station transmitter resides on the Prudential Tower in Downtown Boston. Besides a standard analog transmission, WMJX broadcasts using HD Radio technology, and is available online via Audacy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WBIX</span> Portuguese-language radio station in Boston

WBIX branded Nossa Rádio USA is a commercial Brazilian Portuguese radio station licensed to Boston, Massachusetts, serving Greater Boston. Owned by the International Church of the Grace of God, the WBIX studios are located in the Boston suburb of Somerville, while the station transmitter resides in Quincy, on the southern banks of the Neponset River near the Southeast Expressway. Besides its main analog transmission, WBIX is available online.

WLYN is a brokered time radio station in the Greater Boston area broadcasting ethnic programming. The station is licensed to Lynn, Massachusetts, and is owned by Multicultural Broadcasting. Its programming is broadcast on 1360 kHz on the AM band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WXTK</span> News/talk radio station in West Yarmouth, Massachusetts, United States

WXTK is a commercial radio station licensed to West Yarmouth, Massachusetts, and serving Cape Cod. It has a news/talk format and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. The studios and offices are on Barnstable Road in Hyannis, while the transmitter is on Radio Lane in Yarmouth. WXTK is the direct descendant of Cape Cod's first commercial radio station, WOCB.

WILD is an AM radio station licensed to Boston, Massachusetts. The station airs a Christian format, and is owned by Blount Communications, through licensee Blount Masscom, Inc. The station operates during daytime hours only. Its transmitter is located in Medford. WILD also operates translator W235CS in Dedham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WEZE</span> Religious radio station in Boston

WEZE – branded 590 AM The Word – is a commercial Christian radio station licensed to Boston, Massachusetts, serving Greater Boston and much of surrounding New England. Owned by Salem Communications, WEZE is the Boston affiliate for the Salem Radio Network. The WEZE studios are located in the Boston suburb of North Quincy, and the station transmitter resides in neighboring Medford. Besides a standard analog transmission, WEZE is available online.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WLLH</span> Radio station in Lawrence, Massachusetts

WLLH is a commercial radio station in Lawrence, Massachusetts, serving the Merrimack Valley region. The station is owned by Gois Broadcasting, LLC, and airs a tropical music radio format. The transmitter site is on Common Street, near the Lawrence Police Department Headquarters.

WNTN is a radio station licensed to Cambridge, Massachusetts, serving the Greater Boston area, it is owned by Delta Communications. WNTN is powered at 6,700 watts by day; because 1550 AM is a Canadian clear channel frequency, WNTN must reduce power at night to three watts. It uses a non-directional antenna at all times, from its transmitter facilities on Birch Street at Bay State Road in Cambridge, while its studios and offices are on Fremont Street in Needham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WRCA</span> Radio station in Watertown, Massachusetts

WRCA is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Watertown, Massachusetts, and serving the Greater Boston media market. The license is held by the Beasley Media Group, LLC, part of the Beasley Broadcast Group, Inc. WRCA airs the "Rock 92.9" classic rock format formerly carried on sister station WBOS.

WUNR is a radio station serving the city of Boston, Massachusetts, licensed to nearby Brookline. It broadcasts on 1600 kHz on the AM radio dial with an ethnic format.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WROL</span> Religious radio station in Boston

WROL is a radio station in Boston, Massachusetts. The station is owned by Salem Media Group. Most of WROL's programming is religious including local ministers as well as national radio hosts such as Dr. Charles Stanley, Jay Sekulow and Eric Metaxas. Former WBZ-TV news anchor-turned-minister Liz Walker also has a program on the station. WROL also airs several Irish music blocks on weekends, including the Irish Hit Parade on Saturdays and A Feast of Irish Music on Sundays.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WJDA</span> Radio station in Quincy, Massachusetts

WJDA is a radio station with a broadcast tower in Quincy, Massachusetts, serving the Greater Boston area with a reggaeton format. The station's studios are in Chelsea. Its programming is also heard on FM translator W260DS (99.9) in Boston, from which its "Latina 99.9" branding is derived.

WAZN is an ethnic radio station in the Greater Boston market, licensed to Watertown. It is owned by Multicultural Broadcasting, and as of February 1, 2016 broadcasts Spanish Christian language radio format programming, simulcast from M.R.B.I.'s New York City station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WSRO</span> Radio station in Massachusetts, United States

WSRO is a radio station broadcasting a jazz music format with a digital-only transmission on a standard AM band frequency. Licensed to Ashland, Massachusetts, it serves the MetroWest area. The station is owned by Alex Langer. WSRO also operates translator station W271CU in Framingham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WESX</span> Radio station in Massachusetts, United States

WESX is a radio station broadcasting a religious and multi-cultural format, licensed to broadcast in the Nahant, Massachusetts, precinct. The station is owned by Real Media Group, LLC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WZBR</span> Radio station in Massachusetts, United States

WZBR was a radio station licensed to Dedham, Massachusetts, United States. The station served the Greater Boston area. The station was owned by Langer Broadcasting Group, LLC, which also owns WSRO in the area. WZBR also operated translator station W251CR in Medford.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WGTX (AM)</span> Radio station in Massachusetts, United States

WGTX is an AM radio station licensed to West Yarmouth, Massachusetts, and serving Cape Cod. It is owned by GCJH, Inc. and broadcasts a classic hits format as a simulcast of WGTX-FM (102.3) in Truro.

References

  1. 1 2 Halper, Donna; Wollman, Garrett. "The Eastern Massachusetts Radio Timeline: the 1940s". The Archives @ BostonRadio.org. Retrieved October 28, 2012.
  2. ↑ "Facility Technical Data for WGAW". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  3. ↑ "Gardner's First Radio Station, WHOB, In Operation." Gardner (MA) News, December 24, 1946, p. 1.
  4. ↑ "Gardner Hotel Sold." Springfield Union, September 13, 1950, p. 7.
  5. ↑ Mike Richard. "The Golden Age of Gardner Radio." Gardner News, October 23, 2003, n.p.
  6. ↑ "Ownership Changes," Broadcasting Magazine, April 26, 1954, p. 104.
  7. ↑ Halper, Donna; Wollman, Garrett. "The Eastern Massachusetts Radio Timeline: the 1950s". The Archives @ BostonRadio.org. Retrieved October 28, 2012.
  8. ↑ "Gardner Radio Station Sold." Boston Herald, January 11, 1957, n.p.
  9. ↑ "Rowe Succeeds Asher." Springfield (MA) Union, November 2, 1959, p. 9.
  10. ↑ Mike Effland. "Gardner's WGAW Hopes for New Juice With Boost From WEIM." Worcester Telegram and Gazette, April 6, 1997, p. B1.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.