Wikipedia

WINQ (AM)

WINQ (1490 kHz; "WINK Country") was an AM radio station in Brattleboro, Vermont, United States. The station was owned by Saga Communications and licensed to Saga Communications of New England, LLC; it operated as part of its Monadnock Broadcasting Group. WINQ last operated as a simulcast of the country music programming of WINQ-FM, a sister station in Keene, New Hampshire.

WINQ
Frequency1490 kHz
BrandingWINK Country
Programming
FormatCountry
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
History
First air date
November 29, 1959 (1959-11-29) (as WKVT)[1]
Last air date
April 25, 2025 (2025-04-25)
Former call signs
WKVT (1959–2018)
Call sign meaning
"wink"
Technical information[2]
Licensing authority
FCC
57781
ClassC
Power1,000 watts unlimited
Transmitter coordinates
42°50′51.3″N 72°34′54.3″W / 42.847583°N 72.581750°W / 42.847583; -72.581750
Translator106.9 W295CO (Brattleboro)
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen live
Website987wink.com

History

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The station had previously been assigned the WKVT call letters by the Federal Communications Commission.[3]

Last logo as WKVT

WKVT was part of a network of progressive talk stations throughout the northeastern United States that were owned by Saga Communications (others including WNYY in Ithaca, New York, WHMP in Northampton, Massachusetts, WHNP in East Longmeadow, Massachusetts, and WHMQ in Greenfield, Massachusetts); these, in turn, were among the last progressive talk stations still on the air in early 2017. Because of the migration of most progressive talk shows to off-air platforms, Saga announced plans to begin dropping the format in February 2017; WNYY was the first to change,[4] followed by WHNP,[5] with most of the other stations in the network likely to follow.[6]

On May 30, 2018, WKVT dropped its syndicated programming, including Stephanie Miller and Thom Hartmann, and began to carry the country music programming of Keene-based WINQ; WKVT's local morning drive time program, Green Mountain Mornings, was retained following the format change.[7] The station changed its call sign to WINQ on June 19, 2018. Green Mountain Mornings, which was hosted by Olga Peters, was cancelled in December 2018.[8]

WINQ was taken off the air on April 25, 2025,[9] after its translator lost its link.[10] The Federal Communications Commission cancelled WINQ (AM)'s license on April 3, 2026.[11]

Translators

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In addition to the main station, WINQ was relayed by an FM translator.

Broadcast translator for WINQ
Call signFrequencyCity of licenseFIDERP (W)HAATClassTransmitter coordinatesFCC info
W295CO 106.9 FMBrattleboro, Vermont200013850 m (0 ft)D42°50′47″N 72°41′17″W / 42.84639°N 72.68806°W / 42.84639; -72.68806 (W295CO)LMS

Until December 2018, WINQ was heard on FM translator W262CL (100.3 FM). This translator was converted to a soft adult contemporary station, fed via the HD2 channel of WKVT-FM (which is, in turn, a simulcast of the HD2 channel of WKNE), after WINQ signed on a new translator, W295CO (106.9 FM); this translator was obtained in an FCC filing window that requires W295CO to permanently be associated with WINQ.[12]

References

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  1. ↑ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1999 (PDF). 1999. p. D-456. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Facility Technical Data for WINQ". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  3. ↑ "Call Sign History". FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database.
  4. ↑ Reynolds, Nick (January 11, 2017). "A Progressive Talk Station Goes Off Air. No, It's Not A Conspiracy". Ithaca Times. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
  5. ↑ Lazer 99.3 adds second signal
  6. ↑ Fybush, Scott (January 16, 2017). Prog Talk Fades Away. NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved January 19, 2017.
  7. ↑ Walters, John (June 6, 2018). "Gubernatorial Moneyball: Will Outside Money Flood Vermont Again?". Seven Days. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
  8. ↑ "Local media outlets collaborate over growing concern". Brattleboro Reformer. January 4, 2019. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  9. ↑ Bush, Samuel D (May 2, 2025). "Request for Silent Authority of an AM Station Application". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved April 7, 2026.
  10. ↑ Venta, Lance (May 4, 2025). "FCC Report 5/4: FCC Seeks Codification Of Foreign Ownership Rules". RadioInsight. Retrieved April 7, 2026.
  11. ↑ "License Cancelled". Federal Communications Commission Licensing and Management System. April 3, 2026. Retrieved April 3, 2026.
  12. ↑ Venta, Lance (December 30, 2018). "Saga Brings EZ Favorites To Brattleboro & Keene". RadioInsight. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
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