WBLQ (AM)

WBLQ
City of license Westerly, Rhode Island
Broadcast area Southern Rhode Island, Southeastern Connecticut
Branding "AM1230 WBLQ"
Slogan "Local News, Local People"
Frequency 1230 kHz in C-QUAM A.M. Stereo.
First air date July 1, 1949
Format Full Service
Power 1,000 watts (unlimited)
Class C
Facility ID 71722
Transmitter coordinates 41°21′57″N 71°50′11″W / 41.36583°N 71.83639°W
Former callsigns WERI[1] (1949-1999)
WXNI (1999-2009)
Owner Christopher DiPaola
(DiPonti Communications)
Sister stations WSUB-LP
Website WBLQ Online

WBLQ (1230 AM) is a radio station licensed to serve Westerly, Rhode Island. The station is owned by Diponti Communications.

History

1940s

1949

WERI begins broadcasting on 1230kc. on July 1, 1949 using Day/Night power of 250 watts, non-directional. The station still uses its original 185-foot, Blaw-Knox,[2] self-supporting tower, on Margin Street, beside the Pawcatuck River.[3]

1960s

The FCC increases the Daytime power of all Class IV[4] AM stations to 1,000 watts. WERI still has to reduce power to 250 watts at night, as did all other stations on the same frequency.

1966

WERI adds F.M. service with WERI-FM/103.7 (Channel 279) (today's WVEI-FM). The FM antenna is initially mounted to the side of the AM tower on Margin Street in downtown Westerly. The FM station broadcasts for only a few days from this location before it is shut-down due to harmonic interference to TV channel 12.

1968

WERI-FM moves its transmitter to a new location on Route 3 in Ashaway, and begins regular broadcasting.

1970s

The FCC increases the Nighttime power of all Class IV stations from 250 to 1,000 watts, including WERI.

1980s

WERI-FM moves its transmitter closer to Providence, changes callsign to "WWRX", and effectively becomes a Providence station.

1990s

WERI-FM (WWRX) is sold to an independent owner from the AM station (WERI).

1999

In a separate transaction, WERI was sold, and the callsign was changed to WXNI on January 4.[1] As WXNI It aired a format of news and talk from National Public Radio.[5]

2000s

2007

In December an agreement was reached to sell WXNI to Diponti Communications for a reported $350,000.[6]

2009

Diponti Communications moved the local news and variety programming of WBLQ-LP (96.7 FM, Ashaway, Rhode Island) to WXNI's more powerful AM signal.[6] WXNI begins broadcasting in C-QUAM A.M. Stereo. WXNI changes call letters to WBLQ November 29.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Call Sign History". FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database.
  2. ↑ Blaw-Knox tower
  3. ↑ Pawcatuck River
  4. ↑ http://www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/am-broadcast-station-classes-clear-regional-and-local-channels
  5. ↑ "Winter 2008 Station Information Profile". Arbitron.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Fybush, Scott (2007-12-24). "WAMC Backs Down in Noncomm Fight". NorthEast Radio Watch.

External links