City Nashua, New Hampshire Branding 1590 WSMN Frequency 1590 kHz | Broadcast area Manchester area Slogan Nashua's News & Talk First air date March 9, 1958 | |
WSMN (1590 AM) is an American radio station broadcasting a news/talk format. Licensed to Nashua, New Hampshire, USA, the station serves the Manchester area. In March 2017, George Russell and Bob Bartis bought WSMN for a "six-figure amount" from previous owner Absolute Broadcasting LLC, promising "more local programming and a refocus on the community." Absolute had featured programing from Talk Radio Network and Dial Global.
Contents
History
WSMN signed on March 9, 1958. The first voice heard was that of Manchester, New Hampshire native Frank G. Teas who spent the next 44 years with the organization until he retired in December 2002. Original owner Merrimack Valley Broadcasting System sold the station only one year later, to 1590 Broadcasting Corporation. By 1971, WSMN had a middle-of-the-road format, mixed in with talk; this format remained in place through the decade.
During the mid-1990s, WSMN attempted a country music format; however, this format became less viable for the station after Boston country station WKLB-FM moved from 96.9 FM (now WBQT) to 99.5 FM (now WCRB), and it reverted to adult standards in December 1997. This was short lived; in March 1998, the station changed to news/talk, though some timeslots were temporarily filled with adult contemporary music for a time. Initially locally oriented, in June WSMN began adding nationally-produced programming, including Talk America shows and business news from Bloomberg Radio. Two years later, Tom O'Brien signed a local marketing agreement to take over the station's operations.
WSMN was forced off the air February 1, 2005 after losing the lease to its transmitter and studio site on West Hollis Street (Route 111). The license was sold to Absolute Broadcasting, owner of WSNH (900; now WGHM) that July, and the station returned to the air in October from the WSNH tower, running a low-power special temporary authority signal. Initially simulcasting WSNH's ESPN Radio programming, the station began shifting back to a news/talk format in early 2006.
WSMN holds a construction permit from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to build a new three-tower antenna array west of their old location. Instead of using the same directional pattern full-time there will be different directional patterns for day and night.
Programming
WSMN airs Nashua This Morning with George Russell during morning drive, and various local programming in middays. Syndicated programming on the station includes The Fred Thompson Show, The Jerry Doyle Show, and The Laura Ingraham Show. WSMN is an affiliate of IRN-USA Radio News.