WCAT (AM)

WCAT
City of license Burlington, Vermont
Broadcast area Burlington-Plattsburgh area
Frequency 1390 kHz (AM)
First air date April 1954 (as WDOT)
Format Comedy
Power 5,000 watts (day)
5,000 watts (night)
Class B
Facility ID 73613
Transmitter coordinates 44°29′47.00″N 73°12′49.00″W / 44.4963889°N 73.2136111°W
Callsign meaning University of Vermont CATamounts
Former callsigns WDOT (1954-1993)
WKDR (1993-2002)
WVAA (2002-2006)
Owner Radio Broadcasting Services, Inc.
Sister stations WFAD, WIFY, WIXM, WRSA, WTWK, WWMP

WCAT (1390 AM) is an American radio station broadcasting a comedy format. Licensed to Burlington, Vermont, USA, the station serves the Burlington-Plattsburgh area. The station is currently owned by Radio Broadcasting Services, Inc.[1] According to FCC records, WCAT's tower #1 is the tallest man-made structure in the state of Vermont.[2] On Labor Day weekend of 2014, the station switched to comedy. [3]

History

The station went on the air as WDOT in April 1954 on the 1400 frequency, and was Burlington's top-40 radio station for years. The station later moved to its current position on 1390, and was allowed to broadcast with 5,000 watts of power both daytme and nighttime. The station uses a three tower directional antenna at night to protect 1390 co-channels in Syracuse, New York (WFBL), Presque Isle, Maine (WEGP), and Plymouth, Massachusetts (WPLM).

WCAT's previous logo as an ESPN Radio affiliate

The station changed its call letters to WKDR on June 1, 1993. The WKDR calls originated on the AM 1070 frequency, licensed to Plattsburgh, New York (which now operates as WTWK), and the move benefited WKDR, since its previous position operates only in the daytime, protecting the former 50,000 watt clear channel (1-B) station, CBA from Moncton, New Brunswick.

The station changed its callsign to WVAA on September 24, 2002, and to the current WCAT on August 21, 2006.[4]

WCAT switched affiliations from ESPN Radio to Fox Sports Radio on January 1, 2011; the ESPN affiliation has moved to WCPV.[5] Through much of 2011, WCAT broadcast a sports radio format in simulcast with sister stations WRSA (1420 AM) and WFAD (1490 AM) as "Fox Sports Vermont". By the end of the year, it had switched to an oldies music format in simulcast with WIFY as "Cruisin' 93.7".

On September 1, 2014 WCAT (with sister station WRSA) changed their format from a simulcast with WIFY to comedy.

References

  1. ↑ "WCAT Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  2. ↑ http://www.fccinfo.com/CMDProASRLookup.php?tabSearchType=ASR+Search&sASR=1042292
  3. ↑ http://www.fybush.com/nerw-20140901/ NERW Labo Day Weekend
  4. ↑ "WCAT Call Sign History". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  5. ↑ Donoghue, Mike (December 21, 2010). "Fox Sports joins Champlain Valley radio market". Burlington Free Press. Retrieved December 22, 2010.

External links