Broadcast area | Utica/Rome/Syracuse, New York |
---|---|
Frequency | 1450 kHz |
Branding | Talkradio 1450 AM 103.3 FM WKAL |
Programming | |
Format | Talk radio |
Affiliations | Genesis Communications Network Salem Radio Network Townhall News USA Radio Network Westwood One |
Ownership | |
Owner | Tune In Broadcasting, LLC |
History | |
First air date | November 25, 1946 [1] |
Former call signs |
|
Call sign meaning | Kallet family (original owners) [1] |
Technical information | |
Facility ID | 72067 |
Class | C |
Power | 1,000 watts |
Transmitter coordinates | 43°12′18″N75°28′48″W / 43.20500°N 75.48000°W |
Translator(s) | 103.3 W277DR (Rome) |
Links | |
Webcast | Listen live |
Website | www |
WKAL (1450 AM; "Talkradio 1450") is a radio station licensed to Rome, New York, United States, and serving the Utica-Rome-Syracuse radio market. The station is owned by Tune In Broadcasting, LLC, a company based in Santa Clarita, California. It broadcasts a talk radio format, with an emphasis toward Rome-area sports. [2]
WKAL signed on November 25, 1946, [1] as a Mutual affiliate owned by the Copper City Broadcasting Corporation. [3] Copper City Broadcasting was itself owned by Myron Kallet, who also controlled a chain of theaters that included the Capitol Theatre in Rome, [4] where WKAL placed its studios. [3] The station was the second station in Utica-Rome, after WIBX (which had already been on the air for two decades). [4] Kallet would also expand into television on December 1, 1949, when WKTV (then at channel 13; later on channel 2) went on the air from Utica. [4]
In 1958, Kallet sold WKAL and WKTV to a group led by Paul Harron and Gordon Gray, who had previously owned WIBG AM-FM in Philadelphia and WPFH in Wilmington, Delaware. [5] The group, Mid-New York Broadcasting, changed the station's affiliation to ABC Radio by 1959; [6] it then sold WKAL to Jackson Maurer, former owner of WHKK in Akron, Ohio, in 1961. [7] The sale separated the station from WKTV, which remained under Harron ownership until 1992. In 1962, WKAL reaffiliated with Mutual; [8] by 1964, the ABC affiliation had ceased, [9] and by 1967, the station's studios had left the Capitol Theatre for its transmitter location on South Jay Street. [10] An FM sister station, WKAL-FM, was started in August 1968 [11] on 95.9 FM as a simulcast of the AM station. [12] During this time, WKAL's music programming included blocks devoted to middle of the road music, country music, and top 40. In 1977, WKAL-FM dropped the AM simulcast in favor of beautiful music. [13]
Maurer Broadcasting Corporation sold WKAL AM-FM to Wooster Republican Publishing Company of Wooster, Ohio in 1980. [14] By 1983, WKAL had an adult contemporary format; [15] two years later, the station, along with what had become WTCO, were acquired by Howard Green and Donald Simmons, owner of WENY AM-TV and WLEZ in Elmira and WOND and WMGM FM-TV in Atlantic City, New Jersey. [16] By then, WKAL had an oldies format. [17]
Target Communications bought WKAL and its FM sister station (which had reverted to WKAL-FM) from Green and Simmons in 1987; [18] soon after taking over, on February 1, 1988, the station's call sign was changed to WFRG, [19] and it began simulcasting the "96 Frog" country music format of the FM station, which had become WFRG-FM at 96.1. [20] The AM call letters were changed to WZLB on November 29, 1991, [21] as the station began simulcasting an adult standards format with WTLB in Utica; [22] in February 1992, WZLB and WTLB switched to the Satellite Music Network's Kool Gold oldies programming. [23] [24] WZLB's local marketing agreement with WTLB ended on April 1, 1993, and the station returned to simulcasting WFRG-FM; [25] on May 15, 1993, WZLB reverted to the WFRG call sign. [21] Target Communications eventually became Arrow Communications, which went into receivership in 1992; [26] in November 1993, WFRG AM-FM was purchased by Forever Broadcasting, [11] which renamed the stations WODZ and launched an oldies format, with the country format and WFRG-FM call letters moving to 104.3 FM. [27] The AM call letters changed again on November 25, 1996, this time to WFRY; [21] this was to warehouse the call letters for a sister station in Watertown, [28] and the call letters were reverted to WODZ on February 14, 1997. [21]
Forever sold the station to the Bible Broadcasting Network (BBN) in 1999; [29] after the sale was completed that May, the station became WYFY, and replaced the simulcast of WODZ-FM with a 24-hour broadcast of BBN's satellite-fed religious programming. [21] [30] BBN sold the station to Tune In Broadcasting in 2011; Tune In chose to return the station to commercial operation, [31] forcing WYFY to leave the air following the completion of the sale on May 6, 2011, as only noncommercial stations can maintain main studios outside of their broadcast area (the former studios at the transmitter site in Rome were demolished). [32] [33] In addition, BBN retained the WYFY call letters; [31] as a result, the station was renamed WRUY, swapping with the construction permit for a BBN station in Cambridge, Ohio. [21] [34] WRUY tested its signal with public service announcements and station identification (which claimed service to the nearby Syracuse market) in late February 2012, [35] but on April 1 the call letters were changed back to WKAL. [21] The station returned to the air again on May 4, 2012, [36] but went silent three days later due to technical difficulties. [37] WKAL again resumed broadcasting on April 24, 2013, [38] with nostalgia programming from the 1920s Radio Network, as well as a station identification announcing that the station was conducting an "engineering test broadcast" and that "a brand new WKAL" would launch soon. [39] However, on May 8, 2013, satellite problems, an interference complaint, and the theft of copper strapping from the station's tower led WKAL to again leave the air. [40]
Following further test broadcasts, WKAL finally resumed regular broadcasts March 11, 2014. [41] The station's current format provides a mix of lifestyle and regular talk radio (primarily syndicated, along with some drive time local programming), and also provides coverage of Rome Free Academy athletics. [42] As of 2018 [update] , WKAL is affiliated with the Salem Radio Network; it has previously been affiliated with ABC News Radio, CBS News Radio, and Cable Radio Networks.
WKTV is a television station in Utica, New York, United States, affiliated with NBC, CBS, and The CW Plus. Owned by Heartland Media, the station has studios on Smith Hill Road in Deerfield, and its transmitter is located in the Eatonville section of Fairfield.
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.
WUSP is an AM radio station in Utica, New York. Programming is simulcast on WRCK 1480 kHz in Remsen, New York. Two FM translators also carry the programming, 95.5 MHz W238CA in Utica, relaying WUSP, and 94.1 MHz W231DZ Remsen, relaying WRCK. The stations are owned by the Utica Phoenix, a local alternative newspaper, and air an urban contemporary - hip hop music radio format.
WSML is located in Graham, North Carolina, and broadcasts at 1200 AM. The station airs a country music format branded as Maverick 95.1-94.3.
WFXV is a television station in Utica, New York, United States, serving as the Fox affiliate for the Mohawk Valley. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside low-power MyNetworkTV affiliate WPNY-LD ; Nexstar also provides certain services to ABC affiliate WUTR under joint sales and shared services agreements (JSA/SSA) with Mission Broadcasting. The stations share studios on Smith Hill Road in Deerfield, where WFXV's transmitter is also located.
WFRG-FM, branded as Big Frog 104, is a country music radio station licensed to Utica, New York. Owned by Townsquare Media as part of a cluster with news-talk station WIBX, hot AC-formatted WLZW, classic hits-formatted WODZ and classic rock-formatted WOUR, it bills itself as "Central New York’s #1 For New Country".
WJZN is a radio station licensed to serve Augusta, Maine, United States. The station, established in 1932 as WRDO, is owned by Townsquare Media and broadcasts an alternative rock format simulcast from WCYY in Portland. WJZN's programming is also heard on W240DH in Augusta.
WIBX is a commercial radio station in Utica, New York. It is one of Central New York's oldest radio stations, dating back to 1925. The station airs a talk radio format and is owned by Townsquare Media as part of a cluster with adult contemporary 98.7 WLZW, country music 104.3 WFRG-FM, classic hits 96.1 WODZ, and classic rock 96.9 WOUR. The studios and offices are on River Road in Marcy, New York.
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.
WTVL is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Waterville, Maine, and serving Kennebec County. The station is owned by Townsquare Media and until January 2023, it broadcast an adult standards radio format, playing softer hits from the 1950s, 60s, 70s and 80s. The station featured the music of Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Nat King Cole and Dionne Warwick in its playlist.
WKLL, WKRL-FM, and WKRH are a series of radio stations owned by Galaxy Communications. The FM stations, broadcasting at 94.9 MHz, 100.9 MHz, and 106.5 MHz respectively, are all branded as "K-Rock" and run an active rock format. The stations are licensed to Frankfort, Syracuse, and Fair Haven, New York respectively.
WTOS is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Bangor, Maine, United States. The station is owned by Blueberry Broadcasting. WTOS broadcasts a mainstream rock format, simulcast with WTOS-FM in Skowhegan and WTUX in Gouldsboro.
KIIS was a commercial radio station licensed to Thousand Oaks, California, United States. It operated from 1971 to 2004. At the time of its sign-off, KIIS was owned by Salem Media Group and broadcast a top 40 music format as a simulcast of KIIS-FM in Los Angeles.
WIXT is an AM radio station broadcasting on a frequency of 1230 kHz and licensed to the city of Little Falls, New York. Owned by Galaxy Communications, the station airs a variety hits format under the branding Tony FM 99.1.
WAWR is a radio station broadcasting a Christian worship format airing programming from the nationally syndicated Air 1 feed. Licensed to Remsen, New York, United States, the station serves the Utica–Rome area. The station is owned by Educational Media Foundation.
WODZ-FM, branded as "The Eagle", is a radio station broadcasting a classic hits format. Licensed to Rome, New York, United States, the station serves the Utica-Rome market. The station is owned by Townsquare Media as part of a cluster with news-talk station WIBX, classic rock-formatted WOUR, hot AC-formatted WLZW, and country-formatted WFRG.
WUTQ-FM is a commercial radio station licensed to Utica, New York. The station serves the Utica-Rome region of New York State. The station is owned by Roser Communications Network and it airs a talk radio format.
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.
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.
KJEL is a radio station licensed to Lebanon, Missouri, United States that broadcasts a country music format. Established in 1973, the station is owned by Alpha Media, through licensee Alpha Media Licensee LLC.