WGHQ

WGHQ
City Kingston, New York
Broadcast area Hudson Valley
Branding Real Country
Frequency 920 kHz
First air date 1955
Format Classic Country
Community Radio
Power 5,000 watts (day)
78 watts (night)
Class D
Facility ID 27396
Transmitter coordinates 41°53′10″N 73°58′16.5684″W / 41.88611°N 73.971269000°W / 41.88611; -73.971269000
Callsign meaning W General HeadQuarters
Former callsigns WSKN (1955-1960)
Owner Pamal Broadcasting
Sister stations WBNR, WLNA
Webcast Listen Live (via TuneIn)
Website Hudson Valley Radio Network
Kingston Community Radio

WGHQ (920 AM) is a United States radio station licensed to Kingston, New York and serving the Hudson Valley as well as a part of the Capital District market. The station is owned by Pamal Broadcasting and broadcasts on 920 kHz at 5 kilowatts daytime and 78 watts nighttime, both directional, from a three-tower array located south of Port Ewen, New York.[1]

History

WGHQ 920 kHz first signed on the air in mid-1955, originally as WSKN[2] licensed to Saugerties, New York with 1000 watts of power daytime only. Its transmitters and studio were located on the Glasco Turnpike, in the Town of Saugerties. In March 1960 the call letters were changed to WGHQ, the City of License was changed to Kingston, the transmitter site was moved to Route 9W, just south of Port Ewen, NY. The stations operating power was increased to 5,000 watts, still a daytimer.[3]

WGHQ was the second radio station licensed to Kingston (after WKNY).[4] In 1965, WGHQ-FM was licensed on (later the original WBPM, now WKXP) 94.3 MHz. It was a full-time simulcast the AM's programming for much of the next decade.[5] From its inception, WGHQ aired a somewhat Kingston-centric full service middle of the road format which had a vast daytime advantage to WKNY, but WKNY was a full-time station.

The station kept its focus but rising costs and the decline of full service formats on AM forced the station to drop the news and change to an all music format. In 1988, WGHQ was licensed for 78 watts nighttime power, however, the station dropped local programming, going instead to mainly satellite syndicated music programming.

WGHQ would remain Adult Standards for most of the 1990s. In 1999 the family sold WGHQ and WBPM to WRWD/WBWZ local radio owner Roberts Radio Group. This began a period of multiple format changes which eroded whatever audience was left for AM radio. Roberts Radio sold to Clear Channel in mid-2000. The format changes continued through the Clear Channel ownership until WGHQ along with WBPM 92.9 MHz was sold to Pamal Broadcasting in April 2007.

Pamal Broadcasting changed the format from Talk Radio to Adult Standards in July 2007, keeping locally originated "Kingston Community Radio," produced by Walter Maxwell, in its 7-9 am time slot. That still continues today. See www.mykcr.org

On December 20, 2013, Pamal announced that WGHQ will cease operations on December 31, 2013.[6] Soon afterwards, Tri-State Public Communications, who operates WHDD in Sharon, Connecticut and WLHV in Annandale-on-Hudson as public radio station Robin Hood Radio, announced that it was in negotiations to acquire the station through a donation, a move that will require repairs to the station's transmitter in Port Ewen; should this occur, the "Kingston Community Radio" program would remain on WGHQ. Pamal and Tri-State announced a deal December 30, 2013.[7] As of January 1, 2014 WGHQ was re-transmitting Robin Hood Radio programming except during the 7-9 AM time slot Monday thru Friday. A LMA is in effect until paperwork is filed and approved by the FCC for the donation of WGHQ to Robin Hood Radio.[8]

On March 1, 2016, WGHQ began simulcasting "Real Country" from WBNR/WLNA after Tri-State Public Communications, operators of "Robin Hood Radio," ended their lease of the station.[9]

Programming

WGHQ airs "Kingston Community Radio" from 7am-9am. The rest of the broadcast schedule is a simulcast of "Real Country" from WBNR/WLNA.

References

  1. "WGHQ Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  2. Construction permit, FCC file number BR-3284, WSKN 920 kc Saugerties, NY dated May 1955
  3. License renewal application, FCC file number BR-3284, WGHQ, Kingston, NY dated May 12, 1960
  4. "1965 Broadcasting Yearbook". Broadcasting Publications, Inc. p. B-102.
  5. "1970 Broadcasting Yearbook". Broadcasting Publications, Inc. p. C-147.
  6. Nanl, James (December 23, 2013). "Kingston's WGHQ radio might shut down". Times Herald-Record. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
  7. "Small-town radio station given to smallest NPR station". December 31, 2013. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
  8. Jones Ross, Carrie (December 26, 2013). "Kingston Community Radio looks for new home post-WGHQ shutdown". Kingston Times. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
  9. Robin Hood Radio Walks Away From WGHQ Lease - RadioInsight, February 25, 2016.

External links

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