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WUSP (AM)

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Coordinates:43°6′48″N75°15′25″W/ 43.11333°N 75.25694°W/43.11333; -75.25694(WUSP)
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(Redirected fromW238CA)
WUSP / WRCK
Broadcast areaCentral New York Region
FrequencyWUSP:1550kHz
WRCK:1480kHz
Branding95.5 The Heat
Programming
FormatUrban Contemporary-Hip hop music
Ownership
Owner
  • Utica Phoenix
  • (Phoenix Radio, Inc.)
History
First air date
WUSP:1962;62 years ago(1962)(as WBVM)
WRCK:1958;66 years ago(1958)(as WREM)
Former call signs
WUSP:
WBVM (1962–1980)
WUTQ (1980–2012)
WRCK:
WREM (1958–1966)
WADR (1966–2012)
Call signmeaning
WUSP:Formerly a Utica-based sports radio station
WRCK:Rock musicfor former pre-2008 format ofWKVU
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility IDWUSP:4680
WRCK:466
ClassWUSP:D
WRCK:D
PowerWUSP:1,000wattsday
3 watts nights
WRCK:5,000 wattsdays only
Transmitter coordinates
WUSP:
43°6′48″N75°15′25″W/ 43.11333°N 75.25694°W/43.11333; -75.25694(WUSP)
WRCK:
43°19′31″N75°10′29″W/ 43.32528°N 75.17472°W/43.32528; -75.17472(WRCK)
Translator(s)95.5MHz- W238CA (Utica, relays WUSP)
94.1 MHz - W231DZ (Remsen, relays WRCK)
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen live
Website955theheat.com

WUSP(1550kHz) is anAMradio stationinUtica, New York.Programming issimulcastonWRCK1480kHzinRemsen, New York.TwoFM translatorsalso carry the programming, 95.5MHzW238CAin Utica, relaying WUSP, and 94.1 MHzW231DZRemsen, relaying WRCK. The stations are owned by theUtica Phoenix,a local alternative newspaper, and air anurban contemporary-hip hop musicradio format.

WUSP has been silent for approximately two years yet its 95.5 FM translator continues transmitting programming.

WUSP History

[edit]

In 1962, WBVM 1550signed on,owned by Michael and Daniel Fusco.[2]WBVM was named after theBlessed Virgin Mary.It was a 1,000 wattdaytimer,required to go off the air at night to avoid interfering withCBEWindsor, Ontario,theClass I-Astation onAM 1550.

WBVM became WUTQ in 1980.[3]

From the late 1990s onward, WUTQ and sister stationWADRwere two of the four stations collectively known as the "Sports Stars Radio Network," a collection of four AM radio stations (WLFHLittle Falls andWRNYRome being the others) carrying a mix of local and national sports talk. When station ownerClear Channel Communicationsexited most of its small markets in 2007, the network was broken up: WLFH (now WIXT) and WRNY went toGalaxy Communications(who joined them withWTLBto form a new sports network) while WUTQ and WADR were sold to Ken Roser and becamefull-serviceoutlets. In 2012, Roser moved WUTQ's programming to FM 100.7, which was rechristenedWUTQ-FM.

On July 27, 2012, it was announced that Good Guys Broadcasting Corporation, a company led by two former executives atWKTV,would be purchasing WRCK and WUTQ from Roser and converting the two stations tosports radio.[4]The purchase was consummated on December 21, 2012, at a purchase price of $350,000. The stations then began airing programming fromSports Byline USAand theUSA Radio Network,with Tom Coyne (one of the two stations' owners) hostingmorning driveand longtime radio host Hank Brown returning for his third stint at the station in middays. Since April 2014, the late morning timeslot has featured the Mohawk Valley Memories musical program, featuring music from the 1940s up to the 1980s.[5]Sports included theNew York Metsand theNew England Patriots.The stations' previous format moved to FM 100.7 and kept the WUTQ call sign and branding, while the former WUTQ was renamed WUSP. Ethnic/specialty programming such as "The Saturday Polka Review" Polish/American show with Gary Sroka, "Radio 202" Bosnian Radio Show, The 95.5FM Hispanic Show, all on Saturday, and on Sunday; "The Family Rosary Radio" followed by "The Voice Of The New Italy" were retained by WUSP. (When WUSP ceased operations, "Radio 202" and "The Voice of New Italy" both returned to WUTQ; Sroka took his polka show toWHCL.)

In August 2013, WUSP/WRCK dropped its Sports Byline USA affiliation and affiliated withCBS Sports RadioandYahoo! Sports Radio.[6]

On August 5, 2015, WUSP and WRCK both wentsilentas a result of financial and some ongoing technical problems.[7]The ownership's last public statement was to quote the last line of "A Visit from Saint Nicholas"(" merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night. ") put out through its social media pages on Christmas Eve 2015.

As of July 2017, the WUSP and WRCK licenses were still active but silent. Good Guys Broadcasting was attempting to sell the stations and had sustained major financial losses during their ownership, having temporarily turned the stations back on to keep the license operational on June 28, 2017.[8]Effective March 16, 2018, WUSP was purchased by Phoenix Radio, Inc, a corporation affiliated with theUtica Phoenixindependent newspaper.[9](It is unrelated to William "Wolf" Berry's "Phoenix Radio" that operated radio stations in theSouthern Tierof New York.) The purchase, at a price of $125,000, also included WUSP's translator on 95.5 FM.[10]

WRCK History

[edit]

WRCK was known as WREM from its sign on in 1958 by owners Ed Slusarczyk and Jerry Prouty, until 1966, when it became WADR.[11]WREM was unusual in that it used a shunt fed antenna.

1480 had simulcast 1550 since the late 1990s. In 2012, WADR was renamed WRCK,parkingthecall lettersthat had previously been used on FM 107.3 (now aK-Loveowned-and-operated station asWKVU). On June 26, 2018, the station separated from WUSP and wentsilent.On May 31, 2019, WRCK went back on the air in order to keep the license active and perform equipment testing. The station had a "we play anything" type format during this period.

In early November 2019, WRCK launched translator W231DZ 94.1 and began airing "Up Music Radio," aChristian Contemporaryformat. Studios were located at the Big Apple Music Plaza inNew Hartford, New York.[12]

Undated, WRCK 1480 dropped the "Up Music Radio" Christian contemporary format and left the air. In March 2024, WRCK returned to the air at 1480 AM including W231DZ 94.1 and began simulcasting the programming of WUSP 1550 AM and W238CA 95.5 FM95.5 The Heat.[13]

References

[edit]
  1. ^WUSP:4680
    WRCK:466 "Facility Technical Data for WUSP / WRCK"    .Licensing and Management System.Federal Communications Commission.    {{cite web}}:Check|url=value (help)
  2. ^InformationArchived2020-07-03 at theWayback Machinefrom theBroadcasting Yearbook1963 page B-127
  3. ^"WUTQ (WUSP) history cards"(PDF).CDBS Public Access.Federal Communications Commission.Archivedfrom the original on November 22, 2018.RetrievedNovember 21,2018.
  4. ^"UPDATE: Three Utica Radio Stations Going Sports to be LMA'ed then Sold • CNYRadio.com / CNYTVNews.com".cnyradio.com.2012-07-24.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-10-18.Retrieved2022-08-08.
  5. ^"New Lineup Begins on WUSP, WRCK and 95.5FM • CNYRadio.com / CNYTVNews.com".cnyradio.com.2012-08-06.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-08-01.Retrieved2022-08-08.
  6. ^"Wusp-Fm".Archived from the original on 2014-03-13.Retrieved2014-03-12.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  7. ^"Mohawk Valley Memories".Archived fromthe originalon 2015-08-22.Retrieved2016-03-21.
  8. ^"Amarillo AM-Translator Combo Sold".Archivedfrom the original on 2017-07-29.Retrieved2017-07-12.
  9. ^"Contact".Archivedfrom the original on 2018-10-24.Retrieved2018-10-24.
  10. ^"Sold: Stations in Oregon, Washington, Arkansas, New York State".Archivedfrom the original on 2017-07-29.Retrieved2017-07-29.
  11. ^"WADR (WRCK) history cards"(PDF).CDBS Public Access.Federal Communications Commission.Archivedfrom the original on November 22, 2018.RetrievedNovember 21,2018.
  12. ^NorthEast Radio Watch/Scott Fybush - November 18, 2019
  13. ^Klopfanstein, Ron (2024-03-12)."We're simulcasting now!"(Press release) – via Facebook.
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