WILI (1400 kHz) is an AM

radio station Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radi ...

Willimantic, Connecticut Willimantic is a city located in the town of Windham in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. It is a former Census-designated place and borough, and is currently organized as one of two tax districts within the Town of Windham. Known as " ...

, broadcasting at a power of 1,000 watts, full-time. WILI's programming is also heard on

translator station A broadcast relay station, also known as a satellite station, relay transmitter, broadcast translator (U.S.), re-broadcaster (Canada), repeater (two-way radio) or complementary station (Mexico), is a broadcast transmitter which repeats (or tran ...

W237EL (95.3 FM). It is affiliated with the ABC Entertainment Network, the

Red Sox Radio Network The Boston Red Sox Radio Network is an American radio network composed of 54 radio stations which carry English language coverage of the Boston Red Sox, a professional baseball team in Major League Baseball (MLB). Lawrence, Massachusetts station ...

, and the UConn Basketball and Football Networks. Its sister station is WILI-FM (98.3). The station is owned by

Hall Communications Hall Communications, Inc. is a broadcasting company based in Lakeland, Florida. The company currently owns 17 radio stations in Polk County, Florida; eastern Connecticut; New Bedford, Massachusetts; and Burlington, Vermont. History The company ...

, Inc. The studios are located on Main Street in Willimatic, near the Willimantic Footbridge.

Ownership

In May 2005, Florida-based

reached an agreement to acquire WILI and WILI-FM from Nutmeg Broadcasting Co. At the time of the purchase, Hall already owned

WICH A "-''wich'' town" is a settlement in Anglo-Saxon England characterised by extensive artisanal activity and tradean " emporium". The name is derived from the Anglo-Saxon suffix , signifying "a dwelling or fortified place". Such settlements were u ...

and WCTY in Norwich and WNLC and WKNL in New London. In addition, Hall owns a number of stations in medium-sized markets along the eastern seaboard from Vermont to Florida.

Boom Box Parade

WILI has gained international attention for its unusual July 4 Boom Box Parade. Called "Connecticut's Unique People's Parade," it is the largest parade of its kind in the world. In 1986, no marching band could be found for Windham's Memorial Day Parade. Five weeks later, the "Boom Box Parade" concept was born, as WILI plays the marching band music on the air, while thousands march and watch, loudly playing their radios boom boxes. Anyone can march in the Boom Box Parade. The only requirement is to wear some red, white, and blue, and bring a radio tuned to WILI. American flags are optional, but encouraged. There is no official theme for the parade. Every year WILI morning disc jockey Wayne Norman serves as the parade's Grand Marshal. It was not held in 2020 due to the Coronavirus Pandemic but a Virtual Version was held instead.

Translators

References

External links

* * * {{Hall Communications Willimantic, Connecticut Windham County, Connecticut ILI Radio stations established in 1957 1957 establishments in Connecticut Full service radio stations in the United States Mainstream adult contemporary radio stations in the United States News and talk radio stations in the United States