First air date 1953 (as WCRX) HAAT 238 meters Frequency 102.1 MHz Format Classic rock Area Springfield, Hartford | ERP 17,000 watts, Stereo Facility ID 58551 City of license Springfield Owner Saga Communications Branding Rock 102 | |
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Broadcast area Springfield, Massachusetts Callsign meaning WACKY for former branding "Wacky102" Slogan Springfield's Classic Rock | ||
Waqy springfield ma wacky 102 from 1980
WAQY (102.1 FM) is a Springfield, Massachusetts area classic rock radio station. Since the late 1980s, the station has been known as "Rock102".
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Waqy rock 102 springfield ma radiorewinder
History
102.1 FM in Springfield, Massachusetts signed on as WCRX in 1953. The call letters stood for "Charles River Broadcasting extension," the station being a sister and extension of 102.5 FM WCRB in Boston, Massachusetts. Both the Springfield, Massachusetts and Boston, Massachusetts stations programmed a classical music radio format overseen by Charles River Broadcasting owner Theodore Jones. In the mid 1970s, WAQY broadcast modern rock (Styx, Jethro Tull, Kansas, etc.) with song titles every third song and no on the air dj. August 1981, WAQY switched to a Rock music format known as AOR. Now known simply by the stations call letters WAQY, they played a mix of new rock music from the 1980s mixed with older rock artists of the '60s (The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix etc.) and 1970s (Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, etc.) Artists played included then current and popular Arena rock favorites Blue Öyster Cult, Journey, Foreigner and Fleetwood Mac as well as singer and songwriter artist from Tom Petty to Billy Joel. Hard rock and heavy metal acts like AC/DC, Van Halen and Rush were also core artists. In the mid 1980s WAQY adopted its current moniker "Rock102" playing up to five current rock songs an hour. By 1992, WAQY stopped playing current music and completed its evolution from an AOR to a classic rock format.
The station serves as the Pioneer Valley's affiliate for the New England Patriots radio network, and carries the syndicated Pink Floyd program "Floydian Slip."
Technical
WAQY transmits 17,000 watts from the top of Provin Mountain in Feeding Hills on the WWLP tower. WAQY transmits using a 4 bay Continental (ERI) center fed antenna and a Nautel NV20 HD transmitter. WAQY's signal covers all of the Springfield, Massachusetts market, and can be heard as far south as New Haven, Connecticut and as far east as Boston, Massachusetts. WAQY is running a high level IBOC (HD Digital signal) at -14db versus the normal -20db.