WPRO-FM

WPRO-FM (92.3 MHz "92 PRO-FM") is a commercial Top 40 radio station in Providence, Rhode Island, United States owned by Cumulus Media.

WPRO-FM
CityProvidence, Rhode Island
Broadcast areaProvidence metropolitan area
Frequency92.3 MHz
Branding92 Pro FM
SloganToday's Hit Music
Programming
FormatContemporary hit radio
AffiliationsWestwood One
Ownership
OwnerCumulus Media
(Radio License Holding CBC, LLC)
WEAN-FM, WPRO, WPRV, WWKX, WWLI
History
First air date
April 17, 1948
Call sign meaning
W PROvidence (call sign originates with sister station WPRO)
Technical information
Facility ID64841
ClassB
ERP39,000 watts
HAAT168 meters (551 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
41°48′18″N 71°28′24″W
Links
WebcastListen live
Website92profm.com

The studios and offices are located in the Brine Broadcasting Center on Wampanoag Trail on the East Providence/Barrington line. The transmitter is located on Neuticonacanut Hill in Johnston, Rhode Island.[1]

History

Cherry & Webb Broadcasting Company, owners of WPRO, applied for a construction permit for a new high frequency broadcasting station on 47.5 MHz on October 29, 1940. An amended construction was filed January 15, 1941, but was finally granted by the FCC on June 12, 1947 with its new frequency of 92.3 MHz in the new FM band.[2] WPRO-FM began broadcasting on April 17, 1948.[3] It was owned by Cherry & Webb Broadcasting Company[4] 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, WPRO (630 AM). 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 format.

On April 29, 1974, at 3:00 p.m., WPRO-FM changed formats from easy listening, joining its AM counterpart as a Top 40 outlet.[5] Over time, the AM moved toward an Adult Top 40 direction, 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.[6] This put the station under common ownership with WLKW (the former WEAN) and WWLI. Tele-Media, in turn, sold its stations to Citadel Broadcasting in 1997.[7] Citadel merged with Cumulus Media on September 16, 2011.[8]

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

References
  1. https://www.fybush.com/sites/2009/site-090522.html
  2. WPRO-FM's history card; retrieved January 9, 2019.
  3. 1994 Providence Journal-Bulletin Almanac, p. 251.
  4. "WPRO-FM Starts" (PDF). Broadcasting. May 3, 1948. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
  5. Video of WPRO-FM's 40-year celebration of being a Top 40 station. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
  6. http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1994/RR-1994-03-04.pdf
  7. Fybush, Scott (April 3, 1997). "Snow, Snow, and More Snow". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved December 11, 2010.
  8. "Cumulus now owns Citadel Broadcasting". Atlanta Business Journal. September 16, 2011. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
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