WINE (AM)
| Simulcast of WRKI | |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Greater Danbury |
| Frequency | 940 kHz |
| Branding | I-95 |
| Programming | |
| Format | Classic rock |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| WDBY, WRKI | |
| History | |
First air date | December 2, 1964 |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 15389 |
| Class | D |
| Power |
|
Transmitter coordinates | 41°29′35″N 73°25′45″W / 41.49306°N 73.42917°W |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live |
| Website | www |
WINE (940 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station broadcasting a classic rock format, simulcast from WRKI (95.1 FM). Licensed to Brookfield, Connecticut, it serves the Danbury area. The station is owned by Townsquare Media.
By day, WINE transmits with 680 watts, but because 940 AM is a Canadian and Mexican clear channel frequency, WINE reduces power at night to only four watts to avoid interference. The transmitter is off North Mountain Road in Brookfield.[2]
History
On December 2, 1964, WINE signed on the air. Originally it was a daytimer, required to go off the air at sunset. It was simulcast with co-owned FM station 95.1 WGHF, which had gone on the air in 1957. Later, the FM station began using the same call sign as the AM station, WINE-FM. In the 1970s and early 1980s WINE-AM-FM were Top 40 stations. When the AM had to go off the air, WINE-FM continued playing the Top 40 hits at night. By the 1980s, WINE 940 became a full-service, adult contemporary station, while the FM station became album rock outlet WRKI.
In the 1990s, WINE became part of an all-news network that included WNLK 1350 AM in Norwalk, Connecticut. Both became news/talk a few years later. After being sold to Cumulus Media, WINE spent a few years as an adult standards station, along with now-defunct sister station WPUT 1510 AM in Brewster, New York.
Both WINE and WPUT switched to an all sports format. At first it was part of the ESPN Radio Network. They switched to CBS Sports Radio on January 2, 2013. WINE's nighttime signal is very weak at 4 watts. WPUT operated daytime only.
WINE's longtime competitor is 800 AM WLAD in Danbury. WLAD is now talk radio station. In addition to WRKI, WINE has a second FM sister station, Patterson, New York's WDBY, which has a booster station in Danbury.
On August 30, 2013, a deal was announced in which Townsquare Media would acquire 53 Cumulus stations, including WINE, for $238 million. The deal was part of Cumulus' acquisition of Dial Global; Townsquare and Dial Global were both controlled by Oaktree Capital Management.[3][4] The sale to Townsquare was completed on November 14, 2013.[5]
As of June 2021, WINE is no longer broadcasting. The 940 AM frequency is off the air and the web site has been taken down. As of August 2021, WRKI is being simulcast on 940 AM.
References
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for WINE". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ Radio-Locator.com/WINE
- ^ "Official: Cumulus Buys Dial Global, Spins Some Stations To Townsquare; Peak Stations Sold To Townsquare, Fresno Spun To Cumulus". All Access. August 30, 2013. Retrieved August 30, 2013.
- ^ "Cumulus Makes Dial Global And Townsquare Deals Official". RadioInsight. August 30, 2013. Retrieved August 30, 2013.
- ^ "Cumulus-Townsquare-Peak Deal Closes". All Access. November 15, 2013. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
External links
- WINE in the FCC AM station database
- WINE in Nielsen Audio's AM station database
- FCC History Cards for WINE