WGAW (1340 AM) is a radio station licensed to Gardner, Massachusetts. Established in 1946 as WHOB, the station is owned by Steven Wendell and carries a talk radio format.
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| Broadcast area | Montachusett-North County |
| Frequency | 1340 kHz |
| Branding | WGAW1340.com |
| Programming | |
| Format | Talk |
| Affiliations | |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Steven Wendell |
| History | |
First air date | December 23, 1946[1] |
Former call signs | WHOB (1946–1953) |
Call sign meaning | Gardner, Athol, Winchendon |
| Technical information[2] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 72088 |
| Class | C |
| Power | 1,000 watts unlimited |
Transmitter coordinates | 42°35′33.32″N 71°59′18.28″W / 42.5925889°N 71.9884111°W |
| Translator(s) | 98.1 W251CQ (Gardner) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live |
| Website | www |
History
editThe 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.
Translator
edit| Call sign | Frequency | City of license | FID | ERP (W) | Class | Transmitter coordinates | FCC info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W251CQ | 98.1 FM | Gardner, Massachusetts | 201705 |
|
D | 42°35′28.3″N 71°59′18.2″W / 42.591194°N 71.988389°W | LMS |
References
edit- ^ a b Halper, Donna; Wollman, Garrett. "The Eastern Massachusetts Radio Timeline: the 1940s". The Archives @ BostonRadio.org. Retrieved October 28, 2012.
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for WGAW". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ "Gardner's First Radio Station, WHOB, In Operation." Gardner (MA) News, December 24, 1946, p. 1.
- ^ "Gardner Hotel Sold." Springfield Union, September 13, 1950, p. 7.
- ^ Mike Richard. "The Golden Age of Gardner Radio." Gardner News, October 23, 2003, n.p.
- ^ "Ownership Changes," Broadcasting Magazine, April 26, 1954, p. 104.
- ^ Halper, Donna; Wollman, Garrett. "The Eastern Massachusetts Radio Timeline: the 1950s". The Archives @ BostonRadio.org. Retrieved October 28, 2012.
- ^ "Gardner Radio Station Sold." Boston Herald, January 11, 1957, n.p.
- ^ "Rowe Succeeds Asher." Springfield (MA) Union, November 2, 1959, p. 9.
- ^ Mike Effland. "Gardner's WGAW Hopes for New Juice With Boost From WEIM." Worcester Telegram and Gazette, April 6, 1997, p. B1.
External links
edit- Official website
- Facility details for Facility ID 72088 (WGAW) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- WGAW in Nielsen Audio's AM station database
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