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.
In the 2000s, there was a shift to a greater local focus with the most major change occurring when veteran broadcaster and newsman Steve Wendell purchased the station in 2012. Wendell adopted a “Live and Local” philosophy and streamlined the news/talk format to include only the best talk show hosts, including the talk show hosts rated the highest nationally, added a dedicated Morning News slot which now features America’s First News with Gordon Deal from 5-6am weekdays and the Morning News with Steve Wendell from 6am to 9am weekdays.
Two massive technical upgrades have occurred during the Wendell ownership. The station is now heard on 98.1 FM as well as AM 1340. WGAW also has a robust streaming platform powerful enough to carry the station to anywhere in the world.
The station has received critical acclaim for its Saturday program “Hotline Radio” which runs from noon to 2pm every single Saturday. Local, regional, and state newsmakers as well as local non-profits are featured in interviews and segments. Local, state, and national commentaries on pertinent issues are aired. Archived shows are made available to the public via the website WGAW1340.com.
Through the significant efforts of owner Steve Wendell, the audience of the station has grown many-fold with estimates ranging up to a cumulative 20,000 people, adding together estimated numbers from AM 1340, 98.1 FM, and the live stream. The radio station website consistently draws well over 10,000 unique visitors monthly, indicating a high level of engagement with the station and its programming.
