WNNW

WNNW (800 kHz; "Power 800 AM/102.9 FM") is a commercial radio station licensed to Lawrence, Massachusetts. Established in 1947 as WCCM, the station is owned by Costa-Eagle Radio Ventures, LP,[2] a partnership between Pat Costa and the Lawrence Eagle-Tribune newspaper.[3] WNNW airs a Spanish-language Tropical music format.[4]

WNNW
CityLawrence, Massachusetts
Broadcast areaMerrimack Valley
BrandingPower 800 AM/102.9 FM
Slogan"¿Donde esta tu Música?" (Where is your Music?)
Frequency800 kHz (HD Radio)
Translator(s)W275BH (102.9 Lawrence)
First air dateAugust 1947
FormatSpanish Tropical
Power3,000 watts (day)
244 watts (night)
ClassB
Facility ID14752
Transmitter coordinates42°40′26″N 71°11′26″W
Former call signsWCCM (1947–2002)[1]
OwnerCosta-Eagle Radio Ventures, LP
Sister stationsWUBG, WCCM, WMVX
WebcastListen Live
Websitepower800am.com

WNNW's transmitter is off Chandler Road in Andover, Massachusetts. WNNW broadcasts at 3,000 watts by day. But because AM 800 is a clear channel frequency reserved for Mexico, WNNW must reduce power at night to 244 watts. It uses a non-directional antenna at all times. WNNW is also heard on FM translator W275BH at 102.9 MHz, which also uses the same Andover tower as the AM station.[5]

History

The 800 kHz frequency in Lawrence first signed on the air in August 1947.[6] Its call sign was WCCM and it was owned by Lawrence Broadcasting Company.[7] An FM sister station, WGHJ at 93.7 MHz (today WEEI-FM) was launched in April 1960 as a full-time simulcast of WCCM.[8]

In 1963, WCCM and WGHJ were sold to noted sportscaster Curt Gowdy, who changed WGHJ's call letters to WCCM-FM that year.[9] Both stations carried a full service middle of the road music format. In 1974, the simulcast ended. The FM station became WCGY, first airing a Top 40 format and later switching to album rock.[10] WCCM continued on AM 800, with some talk and Spanish programming.[10] As younger people switched to FM for their music, WCCM flipped to adult standards.

After Curt Gowdy sold WCGY to American Radio Systems in 1994, WCCM was put up for sale.[11] However, a buyer was not found until 1997, when newspaper publisher Costa-Eagle agreed to purchase the station.[12] Soon after taking over a year later, Costa-Eagle shifted the station from adult standards to full service adult contemporary.[13]

The following year, WCCM began marketing itself to the Lowell area, after WLLH (1400 AM) was sold and converted to Spanish-language programming. WCCM opened a Lowell studio and hired several former WLLH personalities including news anchor Bob Ellis. It began carrying Lowell Spinners baseball, which had previously aired on WLLH.[14][15] WCCM also began shifting back to standards, replacing satellite talk programming from Talk America with the "Music of Your Life Network" a few months later.[16]

The Lowell studio was closed in 2002 after the station gradually phased out its use.[17] WCCM also ended out much of its music programming, with local talk shows during the day and sports radio programming from ESPN Radio during evenings, nights, and weekends.[18]

The station was assigned the WNNW call letters on August 29, 2002.[1] It was part of a larger shuffle that resulted in WNNW moving its Spanish tropical format from 1110 AM and WCCM moving to 1490 AM, taking WHAV off-the-air in favor of WCEC, which took over 1110 AM with WHAV's former programming. The changes formally took effect on-air that September.[19]

In 2008, owner Pat Costa received Radio Ink Magazine's Medallas de Cortez Award for General Manager of the Year.[20] Later that year, Costa-Eagle purchased W275BH, a construction permit for an FM translator at 102.9 MHz in Newton, New Hampshire.[21] Costa-Eagle moved it to 92.1 FM in Lawrence in 2009 (thereby changing its call letters to W221CH).[22] It signed on that March as a simulcast of WNNW.[23] In June 2011, the translator was moved to 102.9 FM (reclaiming the W275BH call letters) due to interference complaints from WFEX in Derry, New Hampshire and WPHX-FM in Sanford, Maine.

Translators
Broadcast translators of WNNW
Call signFrequency
(MHz)		City of licenseFacility
ID		ERP
(W)		Height
(m (ft))		ClassTransmitter coordinatesFCC info
W275BH102.9 FMLawrence, Massachusetts15544497141.7 m (465 ft)D42°40′26″N 71°11′26″WFCC

References
  1. "Call Sign History". FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database.
  2. MacDonald, Christine (1998-04-05). "Radio stations put accent on Spanish; Costa-Eagle network adds 3d outlet to multicultural mix". Boston Globe.
  3. MacDonald, Christine (1998-04-12). "Hispanic Radio Expands Its Reach". Boston Globe.
  4. "Station Information Profile". Arbitron. Archived from the original on March 1, 2010.
  5. Radio-Locator.com/W275BH
  6. Broadcasting Yearbook 1981 (PDF). 1981. p. C-110. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-10-08. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
  7. Broadcasting Yearbook 1948 (PDF). 1948. p. 136. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
  8. Broadcasting Yearbook 1961-62 (PDF). 1961. p. B-81. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
  9. Broadcasting Yearbook 1964 (PDF). 1964. p. B-87. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
  10. Broadcasting Yearbook 1975 (PDF). 1975. p. C-89. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-10-08. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
  11. Fybush, Scott (November 2, 1994). "New England Radio Watcher: WCAP owner dies". rec.radio.broadcasting. Google Groups. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
  12. Fybush, Scott (July 31, 1997). "NBC Buys Channel 30 Back". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
  13. Fybush, Scott (April 2, 1998). "The Big Get...Smaller". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
  14. Fybush, Scott (April 2, 1999). "The Eagle Has Crash-Landed". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
  15. Fybush, Scott (April 16, 1999). "Raleigh Retires, Bruds Cuts Back Hours at WBZ". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
  16. Fybush, Scott (November 5, 1999). "Big Bird Gets to Live". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
  17. Fybush, Scott (July 1, 2002). "New 1610 Signs On in Montreal". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
  18. "Welcome to WCCM-AM Radio 800 - Radio Worth Remembering..." WCCM-AM Radio 800. Archived from the original on March 31, 2002. Retrieved May 15, 2010.
  19. Fybush, Scott (September 10, 2002). "North East RadioWatch". Retrieved February 17, 2010.
  20. Elliott, Deanna (2008-06-13). "No such thing as local radio?". Massachusetts Broadcasters Association.
  21. Fybush, Scott (November 10, 2008). "No Snow - But Lots of Holiday Music". NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
  22. Fybush, Scott (February 23, 2009). "Analog Sunset? Not in Scranton!". NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
  23. Fybush, Scott (March 16, 2009). ""Now," NY's K-Rock is History". NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
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