WHLL

WHLL
City Springfield, Massachusetts
Broadcast area Springfield Metropolitan Area
Branding Sports Radio 1450 The Hall
Frequency 1450 kHz
First air date September 1, 1932
Format Sports
Power 1,000 watts
Class C
Facility ID 36545
Transmitter coordinates 42°06′32.00″N 72°36′44.00″W / 42.1088889°N 72.6122222°W / 42.1088889; -72.6122222Coordinates: 42°06′32.00″N 72°36′44.00″W / 42.1088889°N 72.6122222°W / 42.1088889; -72.6122222
Callsign meaning W The HaLL (reference to the James Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame)
Former callsigns WMAS (1932–2009)
Affiliations CBS Sports Radio
Owner Cumulus Media
(Radio License Holding CBC, LLC)
Sister stations WMAS-FM
Webcast Listen Live
Website 1450TheHall.com

WHLL (1450 kHz, "1450 The Hall") is a commercial AM radio station. Licensed to Springfield, Massachusetts, it serves the Springfield Metropolitan Area. For 77 years, it broadcast under the call sign WMAS. The station is owned by Cumulus Media, and is the sister station to WMAS-FM 94.7. WMAS 1450 is formatted as a sports radio station, with programming from CBS Sports Radio.

WHLL broadcasts from The James Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, a major attraction in Springfield, a city credited as the birthplace of the game of basketball. Visitors to the Hall of Fame can watch the hosts of both the AM and FM stations, from studios in the northern entrance hall. The transmitter is also located in Springfield, along U.S. Route 20, near the Connecticut River.[1]

Programming

In addition to shows from CBS Sports Radio, WHLL carries New York Yankees baseball games and Boston Bruins hockey games. Original programming includes the weekday afternoon series The Average Joe Show with Tony, Buster, and The Dude, starring Anthony Lapponese, Michael "Buster" McMahon, and John "The Dude" Walters. On weekends The Saturday Sports Spectacular is heard, starring Russ Held, Scott Coen, and Walters, along with Buster and the Whip with McMahon and Steve "The Whip" Smith, and The Food Dude starring Walters. Saturday programming also features some locally oriented talk shows.

History

Sign On in 1932

In May 1932, Albert S. Moffatt, a former newsreel photographer, was granted a construction permit by the Federal Radio Commission to begin work on a new radio station, with the sequential call sign WHEU. When the station officially signed on, its call letters were changed to WMAS.[2] The letters stood for MASsachusetts, and they also include the owner's initials, although not in the correct order.

The station's studios were in the Hotel Stonehaven, and when it signed on for the first time, on September 1, 1932, it broadcast on 1420 kHz with 100 watts.

Early Network Programming

WMAS logo used until April 2009

During the 1940s and 1950s, WMAS was a member of the Yankee Network, a programming service originating in Boston for New England radio stations. WMAS was also a CBS Radio Network affiliate. It carried the CBS line-up of dramas, comedies, news, sports, soap operas, game shows, children's shows and big band broadcasts, during the "Golden Age of Radio."

In 1947, WMAS-FM signed on. At first, both stations mostly simulcast their programming.[3]

Country and Standards

When network programming shifted from radio to television, WMAS-AM-FM switched to a full service, middle of the road music format. WMAS 1450 later had a country music format as "The Country Leader." On-air personalities included Dave Thatcher (also the station's news director), Fred Stevens, and Mike Williamson.

WMAS was one of the original "Music Of Your Life" adult standards radio stations, as its previous owner for many years, Bob Lappin (Lappin Communications, Inc.) was friends with the format's originator and syndicator, Al Ham.

Sale to Citadel

In June 2004, WMAS-AM-FM were sold to Citadel Broadcasting for $22 million.[4] Citadel switched AM 1450 to an unsuccessful talk radio format, then tried oldies, playing Scott Shannon's The True Oldies Channel from ABC Radio.[5]

Former logo under the ESPN branding

On April 7, 2009 the format was changed to Sports radio with programming from ESPN Radio and the call sign was changed to WHLL. Citadel merged with Cumulus Media on September 16, 2011.[6] After the merger, WHLL switched networks to CBS Sports. Cumulus Media has a financial interest in the CBS Sports Radio Network. ESPN Radio programming is now heard in the Springfield area on WUCS 97.9 MHz.


References

  1. ↑ Radio-Locator.com/WMAS-AM
  2. ↑ "WHEU to WMAS" (PDF). Broadcasting. July 15, 1932. p. 14. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
  3. ↑ Broadcasting Yearbook 1951 page 169
  4. ↑ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbrook 2006 page D-254
  5. ↑ "Radio Stations". Scott Shannon's True Oldies Channel. Archived from the original on July 28, 2008. Retrieved December 19, 2008.
  6. ↑ "Cumulus now owns Citadel Broadcasting". Atlanta Business Journal. September 16, 2011. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
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