WSKP (AM)

WSKP (1180 AM) is a radio station licensed to Hope Valley, Rhode Island. The station is owned by John Fuller's Red Wolf Broadcasting Corporation and airs an oldies radio format. WSKP operates as part of the "Kool Radio" trimulcast, along with 990 WNTY in Southington, Connecticut (near Hartford), and 1270 WACM in Springfield, Massachusetts.

WSKP
Broadcast areaWashington County, Rhode Island
New London County, Connecticut
Frequency1180 kHz
BrandingKool Radio, Kool 1180 AM and 104.3 FM
Programming
FormatOldies
Ownership
Owner
  • John Fuller
  • (Red Wolf Broadcasting Corporation)
WACM, WBMW, WJJF, WNTY, WSPR, WWRX
History
First air date
October 5, 1985 (1985-10-05)[1]
Former call signs
WJJF (1985–2004)
WCNX (2004–2011)
WCRI (2011–2013)
WSKP (12/1/2013–12/24/2013)
WWRX (2013–2014)[2]
Technical information[3]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID3068
ClassD
Power1,800 watts days only
1,000 watts critical hours
Transmitter coordinates
41°31′36″N 71°44′35″W
Translator(s)
Repeater(s)106.5 WBMW-HD3 (Pawcatuck, Connecticut)
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen live
Websitewww.koololdiesradio.net

WSKP is a daytimer AM station. By day, it broadcasts at 1,800 watts and at 1,000 watts during critical hours. But 1180 AM is a clear channel frequency reserved for Class A WHAM in Rochester, New York. So at night, to avoid interference, WSKP must sign off the air. Programming can still be heard around the clock on the HD3 digital subchannel of 106.5 WBMW in Pawcatuck, Connecticut, as well as FM translators W282CB at 104.3 FM in Hope Valley and W283BW at 104.5 FM in New London, Connecticut.

History

The station signed on October 5, 1985, as WJJF, a country music station. It was started by John J. Fuller, now owner of Red Wolf Broadcasting. The "JJF" in the call reflected Fuller's initials. WJJF's studio and transmitter were located on the Fuller Farm at 26 Woody Hill Road in Hope Valley. The transmitter still exists there.

Fuller sold WJJF to Charles River Broadcasting, owner of several classical music stations in New England (including WCRI on Block Island, WCRB in Boston, and WFCC-FM on Cape Cod), in 2002.[4] Charles River Broadcasting continued the country music format (making it the company's second non-classical station, after classic rock-formatted WKPE-FM on Cape Cod) until July 2004, when the call letters were changed to WCNX[2] and the station temporarily left the air for tower replacement.[5] Prior to being assigned in Rhode Island, the call letters were used by what is now WMRD in Middletown, Connecticut. WCNX returned that August with an all-news format provided by CNN Headline News;[6] the Headline News simulcast was eventually phased out (as with most of the network's radio affiliates) in favor of talk shows.

Charles River Broadcasting announced on October 27, 2005, that it was exploring the sale of its properties,[7] with Judson Group purchasing WCNX and WCRI in 2006.[8] Judson continued the news/talk format until October 1, 2011, when it became WCRI, a simulcast of WCRI-FM's classical music programming.[9] In November 2013, Judson filed to sell WCRI to Red Wolf Broadcasting Corporation; this returned the station to the ownership of John Fuller.[10] The call letters were changed to WSKP on November 29;[2] on December 2, WSKP dropped the WCRI-FM simulcast and launched an oldies format, branded as "Kool 1180". The format is also heard on WBMW-HD3 out of Pawcatuck, Connecticut. The station swapped call letters with 107.7 FM and became WWRX on December 24, 2013; the swap was reversed on April 23, 2014.[2] The sale to Red Wolf was completed on May 13, 2014.[11]

In November 2015, WSKP's oldies format was expanded to WXCT in Southington, Connecticut, and WACM in Springfield, Massachusetts, which Red Wolf had acquired from Davidson Media Group and had previously carried their own oldies format.[12] Translator station W282CB signed on in March 2016.[13]

Previous logos
  • Logo as WCRI, reflecting its simulcast with WCRI-FM
    Logo as WCRI, reflecting its simulcast with WCRI-FM

References
  1. 1994 & 1995 Journal-Bulletin Rhode Island Almanacs, p. 250 (both editions).
  2. "Call Sign History". FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database.
  3. "Facility Technical Data for WSKP". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  4. Fybush, Scott (December 3, 2002). "Floodgates Open for New Quebec FMs". December 3, 2002. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
  5. Fybush, Scott (July 26, 2004). "WWTI Pulls Plug on Newscasts". NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
  6. Fybush, Scott (August 16, 2004). "Remembering Chuck Leonard". NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
  7. Reidy, Chris (October 28, 2005). "WCRB's parent company exploring a sale". The Boston Globe. Retrieved December 5, 2009.
  8. Fybush, Scott (September 18, 2006). "Ed Ansin Gets His Duopoly". NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved December 5, 2009.
  9. Providence Journal from September 20, 2011; retrieved September 20, 2011.
  10. "APPLICATION FOR CONSENT TO ASSIGNMENT OF BROADCAST STATION CONSTRUCTION PERMIT OR LICENSE". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. November 27, 2013. Retrieved November 29, 2013.
  11. "Consummation Notice". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved May 27, 2014.
  12. Radio Insight "Red Wolf Creates New England Oldies Trimulcast. Retrieved May 29, 2016.
  13. Venta, Lance (March 28, 2016). "Kool New England Trimulcast Signal Changes". RadioInsight. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
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