WNEB

Last updated
WNEB
Broadcast area Worcester, Massachusetts
Frequency 1230 kHz
BrandingThe Station of the Cross
Programming
Format Catholic radio
Network The Station of the Cross
Affiliations EWTN Radio
Ownership
OwnerHoly Family Communications
WESO
History
First air date
December 16, 1946
Call sign meaning
New England Broadcasting (original owner) [1]
Technical information [2]
Licensing authority
 FCC
Facility ID 249
Class C
Power 1,000 watts unlimited
Transmitter coordinates
 42°16′23.00″N71°49′23.00″W / 42.2730556°N 71.8230556°W / 42.2730556; -71.8230556
Links
Public license information
Webcast Listen live
Website thestationofthecross.com/stations/worcester-ma/

WNEB (1230 AM) is a Catholic radio station broadcasting religious programming. Licensed to Worcester, Massachusetts, United States, the station serves the Worcester area. The station is owned by Holy Family Communications, and operates as part of The Station of the Cross.

Contents

History

WNEB signed on December 16, 1946 [3] under the ownership of the New England Broadcasting Company. [4] It was Worcester's fourth radio station (after WTAG, WORC, and WAAB), and its first independent station. [3] New England Broadcasting, owned by John Hurley, sold the station to George Steffy and Harold Glidden in 1960; [5] around this time, WNEB had a middle of the road (MOR) format. [6] Its independent status ended in 1963, when the station joined the CBS Radio Network. [7]

Glidden took full control of WNEB in 1975, shortly after Steffy's death; [8] soon afterward, the station shifted to a country music format. [9] The CBS affiliation had also ceased by this time, and moved to WAAB. [9] Two years later, WNEB was sold to Segal Broadcasting. [10] Segal reverted the station to MOR and affiliated it with the ABC Entertainment network. [11] WNEB shifted to a big band format in 1981; [12] the next year, it rejoined CBS. [13] AAMAR Communications bought the station in 1986. [14] Financial problems soon forced AAMAR to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on December 4, 1990; on August 23, 1991, WNEB went dark. [15]

Bob Bittner, owner of WJIB in Cambridge, purchased WNEB in 1994, [16] and brought the station back on the air October 24, 1996 with a simulcast of WJIB's beautiful music format. [17] A year later, Bittner sold the station to Heirwaves, Inc., [18] which relaunched the station with a contemporary Christian music format on November 29, 1997. [19] Heirwaves sold WNEB to Great Commission Broadcasting in 1999, [20] which implemented a simulcast of similarly-formatted WJLT from Natick (which Great Commission programmed at that time) soon afterward. [21] Great Commission later changed its name to Grace Broadcasting. [22]

A financial dispute with Windsor Financial Corporation led to Windsor assuming control of WNEB's license in 2003. [23] The station's format and staff then migrated to WYCM (90.1 FM) (its station manager, Stephen Binley, had founded Heirwaves and remained with WNEB after the sale to Great Commission), [24] and Windsor operated WNEB with an automated contemporary Christian music format for several months before switching it to a simulcast of Leicester's WVNE (760 AM), a religious station owned by Blount Communications, that fall; as WVNE is a daytimer, WNEB continued the format on its own during that station's off-air hours. [25] Blount bought WNEB outright soon afterward. [26]

WNEB began moving away from religious programming in June 2007 with the addition of The Sean Hannity Show ; [27] in March 2008, it switched to a full-time conservative talk format. [28] This format ended in April 2009, and the station went silent [29] for one week before the launch of a Spanish language talk format, also incorporating some inspirational music, on May 4. [30]

Blount sold WNEB to Emmanuel Communications, with plans to relaunch the station with Catholic radio programming, in October 2010. [31] Upon taking over on January 14, 2011, WNEB temporarily left the air once more while relocating to new studios; [32] it returned to the air with the new format on May 1. [33] As with most Catholic radio stations, WNEB was an EWTN Radio affiliate, [34] though it intended to produce some local programming as well. [33] Emmanuel Communications acquired a second station, WESO in Southbridge, in 2014. [35]

Holy Family Communications, owner of WQOM in Natick and stations in New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, began operating WNEB and WESO under a local marketing agreement on January 1, 2022. The stations became part of Holy Family's The Station of the Cross network. [36] In early 2024, Holy Family bought the stations outright for $1,000. [37]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WSNI</span> Radio station in New Hampshire, United States

WSNI is an American radio station licensed to serve the community of Keene, New Hampshire. The station is owned by Saga Communications, and the broadcast license is held by Saga Communications of New England, LLC; it operates as part of Saga's Monadnock Broadcasting Group. WSNI airs an adult contemporary music format.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WHTP (AM)</span> Radio station in Gardiner, Maine

WHTP is a commercial radio station licensed to Gardiner, Maine, United States. It serves the Lewiston-Auburn and Augusta metropolitan areas. The station is owned by MaineInvests LLC. It airs a rhythmic contemporary format, branded as Hot Radio Maine, simulcast with WHTP-FM (104.7) in Kennebunkport and WHZP in Veazie.

The Big JAB is the name of two sports radio stations in western and southern Maine, owned by Atlantic Coast Radio. It is heard on WRED and WJJB-FM. The stations air local sports talk hosts Monday through Friday. Fox Sports Radio provides programming nights and weekends. In July 2017 Atlantic Coast Radio purchased a 250-watt translator at 92.5 MHz from Augusta, Maine-based Light of Life Ministries to further augment its Portland-area FM signal.

<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.

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

WBNW is a business talk radio station in the Boston market. The station is owned by Money Matters Radio, Inc. and is licensed to Concord, Massachusetts. It is simulcast on translator station W275CM in Concord. WBNW's flagship program, The Financial Exchange, is syndicated to several other stations in New England through the Money Matters Radio Network. Among the talk hosts have been Michael Graham, Don Imus, and John Batchelor were added to the lineup.

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 Chinese language programming, simulcast from M.R.B.I.'s New York City station.

WBQA is a non-commercial FM classical music radio station located at 96.7, owned by Maine Public Broadcasting Corporation and licensed to Boothbay Harbor, Maine. The station serves Mid Coast Maine with studios in Portland, Lewiston and Bangor. WBQA operates as part of the Maine Public Classical network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WBFB</span> Radio station in Bangor, Maine

WBFB is a commercial FM radio station in Bangor, Maine. The station is owned by Blueberry Broadcasting and airs a country music radio format, simulcast on sister stations WBFE in Bar Harbor and WMCM in Rockland.

WESO is a radio station broadcasting a Catholic radio format, simulcasting sister station WNEB in Worcester. Established in 1955, the station is licensed to serve Southbridge, Massachusetts, United States. WESO is owned by Holy Family Communications, and operates as part of The Station of the Cross.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WEAV</span> Radio station in New York, United States

WEAV is an English-language American radio station in Plattsburgh, New York, with studios in Colchester, Vermont. The station broadcasts a sports format.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WPKX</span> Radio station in New Hampshire, United States

WPKX is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Rochester, New Hampshire, that broadcasts a sports radio format, largely supplied from Fox Sports Radio. The station is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. and serves the Portsmouth-Dover-Rochester media market, also heard in Southern Maine. WPKX broadcasts at 5000 watts around the clock from a transmitter off Route 108 in Rochester. To protect other stations on 930 kHz, WPKX uses a directional antenna at night.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WBAK</span> Radio station in Belfast, Maine

WBAK is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Belfast, Maine. It is owned by Blueberry Broadcasting, and broadcasts a classic hits radio format. Its programming is also simulcast on WBKA in Bar Harbor, as well as WABK-FM in Gardiner.

WYBC is a radio station operating on the campus of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. The station is owned by Yale Broadcasting Company, Inc.; however, it is programmed by Sacred Heart University under a time brokerage agreement. WYBC is a public radio station, airing a news/talk format.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WEEY</span> Radio station in Swanzey, New Hampshire

WEEY is a radio station licensed to serve Swanzey, New Hampshire. The station is owned by Great Eastern Radio, LLC and serves as the Keene affiliate for WEEI-FM.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WCME</span> Radio station in Brunswick, Maine

WCME is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Brunswick, Maine, and serving Maine's Mid Coast; on-air, the station is currently known as "Radio Midcoast WCME 99-5 FM & 900 AM". Established in 1955, the station is owned by veteran radio news anchor and talk host Jim Bleikamp, and programs a locally-oriented, full-service oldies/soft rock radio format emphasizing news and local events. WCME's studios are in the Fort Andross complex in Brunswick. WCME's transmitter is located along U.S. Route 1 near Durham Road in Brunswick.

WQVD is a radio station licensed to serve Orange–Athol, Massachusetts, United States. The station is owned by Kurt Jackson's Hampden Communications Co. It simulcasts the classic hits format of commonly-owned WQVR in Webster.

WAKC is an American licensed radio station in Concord, New Hampshire. The station is owned by the Educational Media Foundation (EMF) and is part of its K-Love network of contemporary Christian music outlets. EMF also owns WLKC in Campton, serving the White Mountains and Lakes Region.

WUTI was a radio station broadcasting a talk format. Licensed to Utica, New York, United States, the station, established in 1948 as WRUN, was last owned by Leatherstocking Media Group, Inc., and simulcast with WFBL in Syracuse until going off the air in 2013.

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

WWEI is a radio station in Easthampton, Massachusetts, serving Springfield with a sports radio format. The station is owned by Audacy, Inc. Most programming is provided by Boston sister station WEEI-FM.

WKMY is a radio station broadcasting a contemporary Christian music format. Licensed to Athol, Massachusetts, United States, it serves the North County and Pioneer Valley areas. The signal for WKMY can be heard in north central Massachusetts, southern New Hampshire, and southern Vermont. It first began broadcasting in 1989 under the call sign WCAT-FM. The station is owned by the Educational Media Foundation.

References

  1. ↑ "Call Letter Origins". Radio History on the Web. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  2. ↑ "Facility Technical Data for WNEB". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  3. 1 2 "WNEB Takes the Air". Billboard . December 28, 1946. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
  4. ↑ Broadcasting Yearbook 1948 (PDF). 1948. p. 146. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  5. ↑ "Changing hands" (PDF). Broadcasting . May 9, 1960. p. 80. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Many Top Radio Outlets Moving Toward Moderate Music, News". Billboard. November 13, 1961. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
  7. ↑ Broadcasting Yearbook 1964 (PDF). 1964. p. B-75. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  8. ↑ "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting. January 27, 1975. p. 75. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  9. 1 2 Broadcasting Yearbook 1976 (PDF). 1976. p. C-95. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  10. ↑ "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting. May 30, 1977. p. 31. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  11. ↑ Broadcasting Yearbook 1980 (PDF). 1980. p. C-110. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  12. ↑ Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1982 (PDF). 1980. p. C-115. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  13. ↑ Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1983 (PDF). 1983. p. B-117. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  14. ↑ "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting. September 22, 1986. p. 87. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Financial problems force WNEB off the air". Telegram & Gazette . August 24, 1991. Retrieved February 21, 2011. (pay content preview)
  16. ↑ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1995 (PDF). 1995. p. B-197. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  17. ↑ Fybush, Scott (October 29, 1996). "New England RadioWatch" . Retrieved February 21, 2011.
  18. ↑ Fybush, Scott (August 7, 1997). "A Change of Sale". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
  19. ↑ Fybush, Scott (December 4, 1997). "North East RadioWatch" . Retrieved February 21, 2011.
  20. ↑ Fybush, Scott (March 5, 1999). "We Will Never Make Fun of Boston Weather Again..." North East RadioWatch. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
  21. ↑ Fybush, Scott (June 4, 1999). "The End of CBL Is Near". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
  22. ↑ "Application Search Details". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission . Retrieved February 21, 2011.
  23. ↑ Fybush, Scott (August 18, 2003). "Back from the Blackout". NorthEast Radio Watch. Archived from the original on June 28, 2011. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  24. ↑ Richards, Stephanie (April 2009). "Mortgage paid, local Christian radio station marks milestone" (PDF). The Sturbridge Times Magazine. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
  25. ↑ Fybush, Scott (November 3, 2003). "WABC-DT Returns to Air". NorthEast Radio Watch. Archived from the original on June 28, 2011. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  26. ↑ Fybush, Scott (November 24, 2003). "Willcox Applies for 50kW at WNSH". NorthEast Radio Watch. Archived from the original on June 28, 2011. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  27. ↑ Fybush, Scott (June 18, 2007). "Barnicle Out at Boston's WTKK". NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
  28. ↑ Fybush, Scott (March 24, 2008). "NBC Wants to Sell WVIT - Again". NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
  29. ↑ Fybush, Scott (April 27, 2009). "On The Death of WARM*". NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
  30. ↑ Fybush, Scott (May 4, 2009). "Severin Off Air, CC Keeps Cutting". NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
  31. ↑ Fybush, Scott (November 1, 2010). "KDKA Turns 90". NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
  32. ↑ "Notification of Suspension of Operations". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. January 21, 2011. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
  33. 1 2 Kush, Bronislaus B. (May 2, 2011). "WNEB converts to Catholicism". Telegram & Gazette. Retrieved May 2, 2011.
  34. ↑ O'Connell, Patricia (January 21, 2011). "Two groups to bring EWTN Radio into Worcester Diocese". Catholic Free Press. Retrieved February 21, 2011.[ dead link ]
  35. ↑ Boynton, Donna (June 28, 2014). "Worcester Catholic radio to buys WESO station". Worcester Telegram & Gazette . Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  36. ↑ Venta, Lance (December 9, 2021). "Holy Family Communications Expands In Massachusetts". RadioInsight. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  37. ↑ Venta, Lance (January 5, 2024). "Station Sales Week of 1/5". RadioInsight. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
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.