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WYBC (AM)

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Simulcasts WSHU, Westport, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
United States
Broadcast area Greater New Haven
Frequency 1340 kHz
Branding WSHU Public Radio
Programming
Language English
Format news/talk
public radio
Affiliations American Public Media
NPR
Public Radio Exchange
Ownership
Owner Yale Broadcasting Company, Inc.
Operator Sacred Heart University
Sister stations WSHU-FM
WSUF
WYBC-FM
History
First air date December 1944
Former call signs WNHC (1944–1998)
Call sign meaning Yale Broadcasting Company
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority FCC
Facility ID 72820
Class C
Power 1,000 watts (day)
880 watts (night)
Transmitter coordinates 41°17′33.3″N 72°57′10.4″W / 41.292583°N 72.952889°W
Translator 105.5 MHz W288DV (New Haven)
Links
Website www.wshu.org

WYBC (1340 AM) is a radio station operating on the campus of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. The station is owned by Yale Broadcasting Company, Inc; however, it is programmed by Sacred Heart University under a time brokerage agreement. WYBC is a public radio station, airing a news/talk format.

History

The 1340 AM frequency first signed-on in December 1944[2] as WNHC, under the ownership of the Elm City Broadcasting Corporation. Elm City was principally controlled by Patrick J. Goode, U.S. postmaster for New Haven and former co-owner of WELI radio; and Aldo DeDominicis, a former WELI sales person.[3] Triangle Publications acquired the station, along with WNHC-FM (99.1, now WPLR) and WNHC-TV (channel 8, now WTNH), from Elm City in 1956.[4]

Triangle had sold its stations, including WNHC-AM-FM-TV, to Capital Cities Communications in 1971.[5][6] However, the new owners were forced by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to spin off the radio stations to comply with then-current ownership limits; WNHC was sold to Westerly Broadcasting Company.[7] By this time, the station had a contemporary format;[8] this gave way in 1976 to a middle-of-the-road/talk format.[9]

WNHC again attempted a top 40 format starting in June 1979 in an attempt to compete against WAVZ; however, just weeks later, WAVZ swapped formats with its sister station, WKCI.[10] With minimal promotion, WNHC struggled to compete with WKCI's stronger FM signal, and in March 1980 it flipped to an urban format.[10][11] However, the station ran into financial problems during the 1990s, forcing owner Willis Communications to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December 1997.[12][13] The bankruptcy resulted in a battle between Yale Broadcasting Company, which wanted to eliminate a competitor to WYBC-FM, and Buckley Broadcasting over the sale of WNHC, as well as protests against Yale Broadcasting in New Haven's African American community.[13][14] The dispute ended on June 3, 1998, when Yale Broadcasting purchased the station in bankruptcy court; the next morning, WNHC was shut down at the order of a United States bankruptcy judge for the District of Connecticut.[15] It returned to the air under Yale Broadcasting's control on September 15;[16] on October 5, the call sign was changed to WYBC.[17] Starting in 1941, Yale students had operated an unofficial AM radio station using weak-signal carrier current technology tolerated by the FCC and common among student-run stations at the time, renamed WYBC and changed to 640 AM in 1945, but that station ceased operations by the early 1980s.[18]

In the station's first decade as WYBC, unlike many college campus radio stations, it featured both student and non-student programming, some professional. However, interest in the station eventually dwindled (in sharp contrast, sister station WYBC-FM, largely programmed by Cox Radio, is one of the highest-rated urban adult contemporary stations in the country), and its college radio programming was transitioned to an Internet radio station, WYBCX, by 2010.[19] WYBC then adopted its current public radio programming, provided by Sacred Heart University, on April 4, 2011 (WYBC-FM continues to operate as a commercial station).[20] The time brokerage agreement with Sacred Heart University provides funding for WYBCX's operations.[21] The AM station uses a small ValCom fiberglass antenna in place of the original metal tower which stood on the site.[22]

See also

  • Campus radio
  • List of college radio stations in the United States
  • WSHU (AM) — 1260 AM, licensed to Westport, Connecticut
  • WSHU-FM — 91.1 FM, licensed to Fairfield, Connecticut

References

  1. Back to citation "Facility Technical Data for WYBC". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. Back to citation "WNHC takes the air." Broadcasting - Broadcast Advertising, December 4, 1944, pg. 14.
  3. Back to citation "FCC grants FM, standard permits." Broadcasting - Broadcast Advertising, August 21, 1944, pg. 66.
  4. Back to citation "Triangle makes 4th purchase in year, buys WNHC-AM-FM-TV for $5.4 million." Broadcasting - Telecasting, May 28, 1956, pg. 82.
  5. Back to citation "Capcities buys 9 Triangle outlets." Broadcasting, February 16, 1970, pg. 9.
  6. Back to citation "Last minute clearance for Capcities." Broadcasting, March 1, 1971, pp. 19-20.
  7. Back to citation "WNHC-AM-FM sold." Broadcasting, April 6, 1970, pp. 9-10.
  8. Back to citation Broadcasting Yearbook 1972 (PDF). 1972. p. B-46. Retrieved April 16, 2010.
  9. Back to citation Broadcasting Yearbook 1977 (PDF). 1977. p. C-36. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 8, 2010. Retrieved April 16, 2010.
  10. Back to citation occurrence 10.0 Back to citation occurrence 10.1 "WNHC (AM)". CT Broadcast History. Archived from the original on April 8, 2011. Retrieved February 24, 2011.
  11. Back to citation Fybush, Scott (May 30, 1998). "WNEQ, R.I.P?". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved April 16, 2010.
  12. Back to citation "Application Search Details". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved April 16, 2010.
  13. Back to citation occurrence 13.0 Back to citation occurrence 13.1 Mele, Linda (February 23, 1998). "Air War". Business New Haven. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved April 16, 2010.
  14. Back to citation Fybush, Scott (January 29, 1998). "A Sinclair Sale". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved April 16, 2010.
  15. Back to citation Fybush, Scott (June 4, 1998). "Tornado Topples WIVT". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved April 17, 2010.
  16. Back to citation Fybush, Scott (September 18, 1998). "WERS Makes the Big Move". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved April 17, 2010.
  17. Back to citation "Call Sign History". FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database.
  18. Back to citation see WYBC, Yale University Archives
  19. Back to citation Lewis, Miranda (April 23, 2010). "WYBC makes waves, draws serious fans". The Yale Herald. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
  20. Back to citation Brensilver, David (April 7, 2011). "WSHU Programs Airing On WYBC". Breaking Arts. Archived from the original on April 9, 2011. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
  21. Back to citation Fybush, Scott (April 11, 2011). "WBEN Adds FM". NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
  22. Back to citation "An Interesting AM Broadcast Antenna: The Valcom".
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