WHLD
| Broadcast area | Buffalo |
|---|---|
| Branding | Swing 1270 |
| Slogan | The Station of the Nations |
| Frequency | 1270 (kHz) |
| First air date | 1941 |
| Format | Adult standards |
| Power | 5,000 watts (day) 1,000 watts (night) |
| Class | B |
| Callsign meaning | W HiLDa Hull Hilda L. Duell |
| Owner | Cumulus Media |
| Sister stations | WEDG, WHTT, WGRF |
| Website | audio stream |
WHLD is an AM radio station licensed to Niagara Falls, New York with an adult standards format. The station resides at 1270 kHz on the dial and is owned by Cumulus Media.
[edit] History and programming
WHLD signed on in 1941 under the ownership of Earl C. Hull, who named the station after his wife Hilda L. Duell. The radio station often programmed classical music and featured local artists. Among them was a continuing program of classical piano duets played by Niagara Falls pianist Harold Bradley and his friend John Peirce Langs from Buffalo, NY.
The Butler Communications Corporation, which bought radio stations WHLD-AM and WZIR-FM on suburban Grand Island in May 1980 owned the stations until August 1999. At that time WHLD was purchased by Citadel Communications. During the Butler Communications days the station was programmed Big Band / Nostalgia and featured various locally produced programs. The station was billed as "The Station of the Nations," and owner Paul Butler's daughter Mary Ann Butler gave the station its tag line, "The Sound of the Falls."
At midnight on Monday, February 13, 2006 WHLD-AM 1270 gave up its brokered programming format. Niagara Independent Media began operating the station via an LMA and branded it "News Talk 1270: The Voice of Reason," primarily affiliating with Air America Radio.[1] That programming was dropped in December 2006[2] because of financial problems. Some of the non profit programs including Democracy Now were moved to sister station WBBF.
The station then began an Urban Inspirational (Black Gospel) format through a lease with the Totally Gospel Radio Network.[3] That programming had been carried on daytime only station WBBF since May 1997. On August 2, 2010 Totally Gospel ended its 3½ year lease of WHLD in preparation of the construction of its own station, WFWO, 89.7 kHz.[4] WHLD, back under the control of its owner (at the time Citadel Broadcasting) then switched to an automated adult standards format, becoming the first adult standards station in the market since WECK dropped the format in 2006.[5] On August 11, 2010 WHLD began branding itself "Swing 1270" featuring vocalists associated with the adult standards format.[6] Harv Moore, a well-known local radio personality, was added as the first jock in April 2011. Its only competitor for the adult standard market in the Buffalo market is CFZM located in Toronto, Ontario. That station is not automated and beams a signal that covers the area with a signal strength rivaling that of WHLD especially in the evening.
[edit] References
- ^ Article by Geoff Kelly ArtVoice 2006-02-23 retrieved 2010-08-10 Contrary to the article, gospel programming was only a part of the previous brokered programming format.
- ^ 2006 in review fybush.com
- ^ Totally Gospel website Retrieved 10-28-2011
- ^ WFWO Retrieved 10-28-2011.
- ^ Fybush.com
- ^ It's back to the future on WHLD 1270 AMBuffalo News 2010-08-12 retrieved 2010-08-14
[edit] External links
- Swing 1270 official Web site
- Query the FCC's AM station database for WHLD
- Radio-Locator Information on WHLD
- Query Arbitron's AM station database for WHLD
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