WNTY (990 AM) is an oldies radio station licensed to Southington, Connecticut and serving the Hartford, Connecticut area. The station is owned by John Fuller, through licensee Red Wolf Broadcasting Corporation, and broadcasts with 2.5 kilowatts daytime and 80 watts nighttime from a studio and tower site on Old Turnpike Road in Southington.[2]

WNTY
Simulcasts WSKP, Hope Valley, Rhode Island
Broadcast areaHartford, Connecticut
Frequency990 kHz
BrandingKool Radio
Programming
FormatOldies
Ownership
Owner
  • John Fuller
  • (Red Wolf Broadcasting Corporation)
WACM, WBOM, WDRC, WDRC-FM, WMRQ-FM, WSKP, WSNG
History
First air date
September 2, 1969; 55 years ago (1969-09-02)
Former call signs
  • WFCS (CP; 1964–1968)
  • WNTY (1969–2003)
  • WXCT (2003–2016)
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID73352
ClassD
Power
  • 2,500 watts day
  • 80 watts night
Transmitter coordinates
41°34′59.35″N 72°52′59.37″W / 41.5831528°N 72.8831583°W / 41.5831528; -72.8831583
Translator(s)96.1 W241CG (Southington)
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen live
Websitewww.koololdiesradio.net

History

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After WBZY, a station in Torrington that operated on 990 kHz, was shut down, an application for a new station on the same frequency in Southington was made in 1964. The new station, WNTY went on September 2, 1969, initially as a daytime-only radio station. WNTY's original format would continue in some form until early 1999 when the death of then-owner Donato F. Sarapo, who had purchased the station from the original owners, led to WNTY being sold to ADD Radio Group for $850,000.[3]

La Brava 990

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In April 1999, WNTY was leased by Hartford-based El Principe Communications.La Brava would last until September 15, 2000, when ADD Radio terminated El Principe's lease for reasons including non-payment of rent. In retaliation, El Principe vandalized WNTY's studios and transmitter which kept the station off the air for two weeks. The station would return to the air that October with an automated variety of music plus high school football and the Sunday brokered programming, as well as a Christian music program "Play it Again God" targeted at Christian youth and young adults.[4]

Xact Radio, 990 The X

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In April 2003, the 990 frequency would see a big change on paper as the WNTY calls were cast aside after 34 years and replaced by new calls of WXCT,[5] chosen for the new slogan of Xact Radio, 990 The X.

Spanish-language religion

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On Tuesday May 8, 2007, it was announced that WXCT would be dropping its all-talk format and flipping to a foreign language format on Friday, May 11. [2] WXCT officially switched to Spanish-language religious programming at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 10, 2007.[6]

Kool Radio

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Following Red Wolf Broadcasting's 2015 acquisition from Davidson Media Group of WXCT and a sister station in Springfield, Massachusetts, WACM (1490 AM),[7] the stations' oldies format was merged with Red Wolf-owned oldies station WSKP in Hope Valley, Rhode Island.[8] The new network retained WXCT and WACM's airstaff, but inherited WSKP's "Kool Radio" branding.[8]

Translators

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Call sign Frequency City of license FID ERP (W) Class Transmitter coordinates FCC info
W241CG 96.1 FM Southington, Connecticut 140557 250 D 41°33′44″N 72°50′38″W / 41.56222°N 72.84389°W / 41.56222; -72.84389 (W241CG) LMS

References

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  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WNTY". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ "FCCInfo Results". Retrieved October 15, 2023.
  3. ^ "North East RadioWatch: February 12, 1999". Bostonradio.org. February 12, 1999. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
  4. ^ "New Britain Herald - Home". Retrieved November 2, 2006.[dead link]
  5. ^ FCC Internet Services Staff. "Call Sign History". Licensing.fcc.gov. Retrieved February 10, 2014.
  6. ^ [1] Archived September 30, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ Venta, Lance (October 30, 2015). "Red Wolf Acquires 4 In New England". RadioInsight. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  8. ^ a b Venta, Lance (November 23, 2015). "Red Wolf Creates New England Oldies Trimulcast". RadioInsight. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
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