WPRO-FM
 | |
| City | Providence, Rhode Island |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Providence metropolitan area |
| Branding | 92 Pro FM |
| Slogan | "Today's Hit Music" |
| Frequency | 92.3 MHz |
| First air date | April 17, 1948 |
| Format | Top 40 |
| ERP | 39,000 watts |
| HAAT | 168 meters (551 ft) |
| Class | B |
| Facility ID | 64841 |
| Transmitter coordinates | 41°48′18″N 71°28′24″W / 41.80500°N 71.47333°W |
| Callsign meaning | WPROvidence (call sign originates with sister station WPRO) |
| Owner |
Cumulus Media (Radio License Holding CBC, LLC) |
| Sister stations | WEAN-FM, WPRO, WPRV, WWKX, WWLI |
| Webcast | WPRO-FM Live Feed |
| Website | http://www.92profm.com |
WPRO-FM (92.3 MHz "92 PRO-FM") is a commercial Top 40 (CHR) radio station in Providence, Rhode Island, United States owned by Cumulus Media.
The studios and offices are located in the Brine Broadcasting Center on Wampanoag Trail on the East Providence/Barrington line. The transmitter is off Ipswich Street in Cranston, Rhode Island.[1]
History
WPRO-FM began broadcasting on April 17, 1948.[2] It was owned by Cherry & Webb Broadcasting Company[3] which in turn was owned by the Cherry & Webb Department Store. (In the early days of broadcasting, it was common for department stores to own radio stations, to provide programming for customers who bought receivers.) At first, WPRO-FM simulcast its AM sister station, 630 WPRO. In 1959, Capital Cities Communications acquired both WPRO and WPRO-FM. Through the 1960s and early 1970s, WPRO-FM aired a beautiful music format, while WPRO AM enjoyed high ratings with a Top 40 sound.
On April 29, 1974, at 3:00 PM, WPRO-FM changed formats from easy listening, joining its AM counterpart as a Top 40 outlet.[4] Over time, the AM moved toward an Adult Top 40 sound, adding more information and service features, while WPRO-FM continued as a music-intensive Top 40 outlet. Capital Cities and ABC merged in 1985, and WPRO-AM-FM were then under the ownership of one of America's biggest broadcasting companies.
In December 1992, Capital Cities/ABC announced that the stations would be sold to Tele-Media, with the sale being consummated the following April.[5] This put the station under common ownership with 790 WLKW (the former WEAN) and 105.1 WWLI. Tele-Media, in turn, sold its stations to Citadel Broadcasting in 1997.[6] Citadel merged with Cumulus Media on September 16, 2011.[7]
WPRO-FM is unique in the Providence media market in keeping the same call sign since its sign-on in 1948, and the same format, Top 40, since 1974.
WPRO-FM alumni
- Gary Berkowitz - WPRO's first program director under the Top 40 format
- Rocky Allen
- Bruce Diamond
- Tom Cuddy
- Tony Bristol
- David Simpson
- Jimmy Gray
- Don Geronimo
- Tony Mascaro
- Will Gilbert
References
- ↑ http://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/patg?id=WPRO-FM
- ↑ 1994 Providence Journal-Bulletin Almanac, p. 251.
- ↑ "WPRO-FM Starts" (PDF). Broadcasting. May 3, 1948. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
- ↑ Video of WPRO-FM's 40-year celebration of being a Top 40 station. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
- ↑ http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1994/RR-1994-03-04.pdf
- ↑ Fybush, Scott (April 3, 1997). "Snow, Snow, and More Snow". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved December 11, 2010.
- ↑ "Cumulus now owns Citadel Broadcasting". Atlanta Business Journal. September 16, 2011. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
External links
- 92 Pro FM
- 92 PRO FM On-Air Playlist
- 92 Pro FM's Official Myspace
- Audio of WPRO-FM on this page from 1959 simulcasting WPRO/630 & in 1976 as Top 40 "FM92"
- Query the FCC's FM station database for WPRO
- Radio-Locator information on WPRO
- Query Nielsen Audio's FM station database for WPRO