WPAT-FM

WPAT-FM

City of license	Paterson, New Jersey
Broadcast area	New York, New York
Branding	93.1 Amor
Slogan	Música Variada
Frequency	93.1 MHz FM (also on HD Radio)
First air date	1957
Format	Spanish Top 40
ERP	5,400 watts
HAAT	433 meters
Class	B
Facility ID	51663
Callsign meaning	W PATerson (WPAT's city of license)
Owner	Spanish Broadcasting System (WPAT Licensing, Inc.)
Webcast	Listen Live
Website	931amor.com

WPAT-FM, known on-air as "93.1 Amor", is a radio station with a Spanish-language Rhythmic AC format. Located on 93.1 FM, the station, which is licensed to Paterson, New Jersey, serves the New York City Metropolitan area.

History

WPAT-FM signed on in 1957 from its studios in Newark, New Jersey. It eventually moved to new studios on Church Street in Paterson, and later moved to its last studio at the four-tower transmitter site,1396 Broad Street in Clifton, New Jersey before the station adopted its current format.

The station, along with its AM counterpart, was owned for many years by Capital Cities Communications. This changed in 1985, when the company bought ABC. As a result of Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations of the time, the company decided to sell WPAT-AM and -FM because ABC already owned WABC and WPLJ. The stations were sold to Park Communications.

For years WPAT operated both stations with a beautiful music format under the slogan "Easy 93". In the early 1990s, WPAT-FM gradually switched to an adult contemporary format, and from October 1994 to its sign off in January 1996, the station was known as "Today's 93.1". In November 1995, the Spanish Broadcasting System (SBS) agreed to purchase the 93.1 FM license and transmitter. The building and intellectual property were excluded from the sale. The building, the AM transmitter, and 930 AM license were sold to Heftel Broadcasting (now Univisión radio), which was another company specializing in Spanish-language programming.

On January 19, 1996 at 11:59 pm, WPAT-FM ceased being an English-language broadcaster when control of the station was switched over to the new owners. WPAT-FM DJ Karen Carson did the last airshift for the station's adult contemporary format that day, and Operations Director Ken McKenzie gave a farewell speech right before the format change. Immediately after the station signed off from Clifton, the new Spanish-language adult contemporary format signed on from Manhattan, and the station began calling itself "Suave 93.1" ("Smooth 93.1"). Eventually, on February 4, 1998, the station's name was changed to "Amor 93.1" ("Love 93.1") and in January 2002, reversed to "93.1 Amor" ("93.1 Love") currently.

For many years WPAT-FM's Manhattan transmitter was located at the top of the North Tower of the World Trade Center, but it was destroyed as a result of the September 11 attacks in 2001. The station's transmitter was eventually moved to the Empire State Building.

In January 2002, WPAT dropped classics and shifted to a "'90s to today" direction. WPAT's music direction changed again on June 13, 2011, by dropping the 1990's tracks and sticks to a "2000's-now" direction and on July 6, 2011 is shifting to a Spanish rhythmic AC direction like based on 103.5 KTU and on February 7, 2012 is shifting to a Spanish top 40.

Current programming

• Señor Bolero con Francis Mendez (Douglas Peña) (1996-2010, 2011-present)
• Viva Mexico con Alejandro Cobos, Alberto Otero (8/6/2011) (Gabriel Pino) (1997-2010, 2011-present)

Former programming

• Noche de Concierto con Maria Mercedes (Luisa Martinez) (1996-2000)
• Los Clasicos de Amor (Suave) (1996-2001)
• Mileño: Rock en Español con Maria Mercedes (1999-2001)

External links

• WPAT Website
• Internet Jukebox 2 - features sounds and artifacts from WPAT's beautiful music era
• Query the FCC's FM station database for WPAT
• Radio-Locator information on WPAT
• Query Arbitron's FM station database for WPAT