WSNI (97.7 FM, "Sunny 97.7") is an American radio station licensed to serve the community of Keene, New Hampshire. The station is owned by Saga Communications, and the broadcast license is held by Saga Communications of New England, LLC; it operates as part of Saga's Monadnock Broadcasting Group. WSNI airs an adult contemporary music format.[4]

WSNI
Broadcast areaMonadnock Region
Frequency97.7 MHz (HD Radio)
BrandingSunny 97.7
Programming
FormatAdult contemporary
SubchannelsHD2: "99.1 The River" (AAA; simulcast of WRSI)
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
  • Saga Communications
  • (Saga Communications of New England, LLC)
WINQ, WINQ-FM, WKBK, WKNE, WKVT-FM, WZBK
History
First air date
February 1983 (1983-02)
Former call signs
  • WEAD (1980)[1]
  • WXYW (1980–1982)
  • WINQ-FM (1982–1991)
  • WINQ (1991–2005)
  • WOQL (2005–2006)[2]
Call sign meaning
"Sunny"
Technical information[3]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID9795
ClassA
ERP2,150 watts
HAAT169 meters (554 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
42°54′57.3″N 72°19′51.3″W / 42.915917°N 72.330917°W / 42.915917; -72.330917
Translator(s)HD2: 99.1 W256BJ (Keene)
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen live
Website

History

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The station's original construction permit was granted on February 1, 1980,[5] with the call letters WEAD assigned on July 28, 1980;[1] this was changed to WXYW on October 28, and to WINQ-FM on December 29, 1982.[2] It took to the air in February 1983,[6] though a license to cover was not issued until May 25, 1984.[7] (The "-FM" suffix was dropped on May 13, 1991.)[2]

WINQ was originally licensed to Winchendon, Massachusetts, and primarily targeted its programming to northern Worcester County. Initially, WINQ offered an easy listening format, airing primarily vocals, as well as several instrumentals an hour. In 1987, the station segued to an adult contemporary format; this gave way to an oldies format two years later. In 1993, WINQ again changed its format, this time to hot adult contemporary.

Saga purchased the station in 2003[8] and began to reorient WINQ to the Keene area. After a brief stint simulcasting WKBK's news/talk format, the station became a country station that August.[9]

In early 2005, Saga swapped formats with its sister station on 98.7 FM, becoming WOQL, an oldies station. Around this time, WOQL relocated from its original transmitter near Winchendon to Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire, improving its signal in Keene.[10]

The station changed its call letters to WSNI on October 16, 2006,[2] prefacing its change to the current adult contemporary format at the end of 2006.[11] WSNI then continued its relocation into Keene; it changed its city of license to Swanzey and relocated its transmitter to Keene in November 2007,[12] and again changed its city of license, this time to Keene itself, in late 2008.[13]

Translators

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W255BQ, the former WKNE translator in Claremont, is now W256BJ 99.1 in Keene, which, after having relayed WKNE-HD2 for a while, has been relaying WSNI-HD2 since December 2018.

Broadcast translator for WSNI-HD2
Call sign Frequency City of license FID ERP (W) HAAT Class Transmitter coordinates FCC info Notes
W256BJ 99.1 FM Keene, New Hampshire 140905 250 −92.5 m (−303 ft) D 42°55′50.3″N 72°17′58.3″W / 42.930639°N 72.299528°W / 42.930639; -72.299528 (W256BJ) LMS Relays HD2

References

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  1. ^ a b "WXYW (WSNI) history cards" (PDF). CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d "Call Sign History". FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database.
  3. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WSNI". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  4. ^ "Station Information Profile". Arbitron. Archived from the original on March 1, 2010.
  5. ^ "Application Search Details (1)". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved January 23, 2010.
  6. ^ Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1989 (PDF). 1989. p. B-141. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 10, 2011. Retrieved April 9, 2010.
  7. ^ "Application Search Details (2)". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved January 23, 2010.
  8. ^ Fybush, Scott (January 20, 2003). "WWKB To Change Format". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved January 23, 2010.
  9. ^ Fybush, Scott (August 11, 2003). "Standard Buys Across Border". NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved January 23, 2010.
  10. ^ Fybush, Scott (January 10, 2005). "No "Love" for Albany". NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved January 23, 2010.
  11. ^ Fybush, Scott (January 8, 2007). "WNEW Gets "Fresh"". NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved January 23, 2010.
  12. ^ Fybush, Scott (November 26, 2007). "Entercom/CBS Deal Gets FCC Blessing". NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved January 23, 2010.
  13. ^ Fybush, Scott (November 24, 2008). "And The Job Cuts Keep On Coming..." NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved January 23, 2010.
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