WSKP (AM)

WSKP
City Hope Valley, Rhode Island
Broadcast area Southern Rhode Island
New London, Connecticut
Branding Kool Radio
Slogan Good Times, Great Oldies
Frequency 1180 kHz
Translator(s) 104.3 W282CB (Hope Valley)
Repeater(s) 106.5-3 WBMW-HD3
First air date October 5, 1985 (as WJJF)[1]
Format Oldies
Language(s) English
Power 1,800 watts daytime
1,000 watts critical hours
Class D
Facility ID 3068
Transmitter coordinates 41°31′36″N 71°44′35″W / 41.52667°N 71.74306°W / 41.52667; -71.74306
Former callsigns WJJF (1985–2004)
WCNX (2004–2011)
WCRI (2011–2013)
WSKP (12/1/2013–12/24/2013)
WWRX (2013–2014)[2]
Owner John Fuller
(Red Wolf Broadcasting Corporation)
Sister stations WNTY, WSPR, WBMW, WJJF, WWRX
Webcast Listen Live
Website www.koololdiesradio.net

WSKP (1180 AM; "Kool 1180") is a radio station licensed to serve Hope Valley, Rhode Island. The station is owned by John Fuller's Red Wolf Broadcasting Corporation. It airs an oldies format.

With Red Wolf Broadcasting acquiring Davidson Media’s New England properties, the company is combining two Oldies brands into one trimulcast. The merger of programming takes the “Kool” branding of 1180 WSKP Hope Valley, Rhode Island/106.5 WBMW-HD3 Pawcatuck, Connecticut, and the airstaff of 990 WXCT Southington/Hartford, Connecticut and 1490 WACM Springfield, Massachusetts. Northeast Radio Watch reports that the new “Kool Radio” is featuring WACM/WXCT’s Larry Kratka in mornings as previous morning host Fred King exits. [3]

History

The station signed on October 5, 1985 as WJJF, a country music station. It was started by John J. Fuller, now owner of Red Wolf Broadcasting. The "JJF" in the call reflected Fuller's initials. WJJF's studio and transmitter were located on the Fuller Farm at 26 Woody Hill Road in Hope Valley. The transmitter still exists there.

Former WCNX branding

Fuller sold WJJF to Charles River Broadcasting, owner of several classical music stations in New England (including WCRI on Block Island, WCRB in Boston, and WFCC-FM on Cape Cod), in 2002.[4] Charles River Broadcasting continued the country music format (making it the company's second non-classical station, after classic rock-formatted WKPE-FM on Cape Cod) until July 2004, when the call letters were changed to WCNX[2] and the station temporarily left the air for tower replacement.[5] Prior to being assigned in Rhode Island, the call letters were used by what is now WMRD in Middletown, Connecticut. WCNX returned that August with an all-news format provided by CNN Headline News;[6] the Headline News simulcast was eventually phased out (as with most of the network's radio affiliates) in favor of talk shows.

Logo as WCRI, reflecting its simulcast with WCRI-FM

Charles River Broadcasting announced on October 27, 2005 that it was exploring the sale of its properties,[7] with Judson Group purchasing WCNX and WCRI in 2006.[8] Judson continued the news/talk format until October 1, 2011, when it became WCRI, a simulcast of WCRI-FM's classical music programming.[9] In November 2013, Judson filed to sell WCRI to Red Wolf Broadcasting Corporation; this returned the station to the ownership of John Fuller.[10] The call letters were changed to WSKP on November 29;[2] on December 2, WSKP dropped the WCRI-FM simulcast and launched an oldies format, branded as "Kool 1180". The format is also heard on WBMW-HD3 out of Pawcatuck, Connecticut. The station swapped call letters with 107.7 FM and became WWRX on December 24, 2013; the swap was reversed on April 23, 2014.[2] The sale to Red Wolf was completed on May 13, 2014.[11] Under the direction of Brian Ram, who serves as Red Wolf's VP/Programming Kool 1180 features music from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.

References

  1. ↑ 1994 & 1995 Journal-Bulletin Rhode Island Almanacs, p. 250 (both editions).
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Call Sign History". FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database.
  3. ↑ Radio Insight "Red Wolf Creates New England Oldies Trimulcast. Retrieved May 29, 2016.
  4. ↑ Fybush, Scott (December 3, 2002). "Floodgates Open for New Quebec FMs". December 3, 2002. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
  5. ↑ Fybush, Scott (July 26, 2004). "WWTI Pulls Plug on Newscasts". NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
  6. ↑ Fybush, Scott (August 16, 2004). "Remembering Chuck Leonard". NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
  7. ↑ Reidy, Chris (October 28, 2005). "WCRB's parent company exploring a sale". The Boston Globe. Retrieved December 5, 2009.
  8. ↑ Fybush, Scott (September 18, 2006). "Ed Ansin Gets His Duopoly". NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved December 5, 2009.
  9. ↑ Providence Journal from September 20, 2011; retrieved September 20, 2011.
  10. ↑ "APPLICATION FOR CONSENT TO ASSIGNMENT OF BROADCAST STATION CONSTRUCTION PERMIT OR LICENSE". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. November 27, 2013. Retrieved November 29, 2013.
  11. ↑ "Consummation Notice". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved May 27, 2014.

External links

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