WOON (1240 AM) is

Woonsocket, Rhode Island Woonsocket ( ), is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 43,240 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, making it the sixth largest city in the state. Being Rhode Island's northernmost city, Woonsock ...

's oldest

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 radio ...

, having taken to the air on November 11, 1946 as WWON, a

callsign In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally assigne ...

it kept until the current WOON became available in 1992. The change in call became effective on February 3, 1992. On June 26,

1949 Events January * January 1 – A United Nations-sponsored ceasefire brings an end to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. The war results in a stalemate and the division of Kashmir, which still continues as of 2022. * January 2 – Luis ...

WWON added a sister station with WWON-FM on 105.5Mc/s. later moving to 106.3Mc/s. That station is now

WWKX WWKX (106.3 FM, "Hot 106") is a rhythmic contemporary station in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, serving the Blackstone Valley and much of the Providence metropolitan area. The Cumulus Media outlet operates with an ERP of 1.15 kW and is licensed ...

. WWON was owned by the local newspaper ''

The Woonsocket Call ''The Call'' is an American daily newspaper published seven days per week in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, covering northern Providence County, Rhode Island, and some adjacent towns in Massachusetts. Originally an afternoon newspaper known as ''The E ...

'' for a time. It is currently owned by O-N Radio, Inc. WOON's programming day consists of almost exclusively locally originating programming with a few exceptions (Cowboy Corner,

Old Time Radio The Golden Age of Radio, also known as the old-time radio (OTR) era, was an era of radio in the United States where it was the dominant electronic home entertainment medium. It began with the birth of commercial radio broadcasting in the early ...

, The Cowboy Show, and a few other shows). WOON's format is "full-service" meaning it mixes news/talk and music (in WOON's case: oldies & Adult Contemporary among others).

Technical parameters

WOON operates on 1240 kHz with an unlimited power level of 1,000 watts unlimited hours,

diplexing A diplexer is a passive device that implements frequency-domain multiplexing. Two ports (e.g., L and H) are multiplexed onto a third port (e.g., S). The signals on ports L and H occupy disjoint frequency bands. Consequently, the signals on L and ...

off of the

WNRI WNRI (1380 AM, "1380 AM & 99.9 FM WNRI") is a radio station located in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. The station has a news & talk radio format and has been owned by Bouchard Broadcasting Inc. since 2004. WNRI began broadcasting November 28, 1954. ...

tower. Originally it was licensed at 250 watts, later upgrading to 1,000 watts day/250 watts night before receiving authorization to increase nighttime power to 1,000 watts as well.

Programming

WOON is a

full service Full service or Full Service may refer to: * Full-service radio, a wide range of programming * Full Service Network, a communications company Entertainment * "Full Service", a song by the New Kids on the Block from their album ''The Block'' * F ...

station. On weekdays WOON begins with morning host Joe Callahan followed by a roundtable discussion program entitled "Coffee An'". Coffee An' is billed by the station as the longest running panel discussion program in American Radio. Following that, WOON's programs consist of a nutrition show, a nostalgia show ("Do You Remember?"), an Astrology show, old-time radio, a midday music/trivia/interview show, varied programs in the mid-afternoon & evening. Weekend programs consist of easy listening music and oldies as well as sports and programs in the Portuguese, Polish & Spanish languages. WOON also serves as the home station for

Bryant University Bryant University is a private university in Smithfield, Rhode Island. It has two colleges, the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Business, and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. History Butler Exc ...

athletics & Woonsocket Villanovans sports.

Internet-only stations

Besides its primary AM signal on 1240 kHz, it operates several internet stations including all-news "O-N2", all-sports "O-N3", and internet TV station "O-N TV" plus an on-demand service.

History

1940s

WWON signs on the air with 250 watts (day & night) on November 11, 1946 as Woonsocket's lone radio station. It would add F.M. service with WWON-FM/105.5 on June 26, 1949.

1970s

*WWON is listed as a Mutual Network affiliate along with WWON-FM in 1976. *Current morning personality Dave Richards takes over the slot in 1978.

1980s

WWON is part of the

Boston Bruins Radio Network The Boston Bruins Radio Network is a 17-station (9 AM, 9 FM, plus 3 FM translators) network which carries live game broadcasts of the Boston Bruins. The network's flagship station is WBZ-FM/98.5- Boston, Massachusetts. Judd Sirott announces play-by ...

. Later that decade, the F.M. station is spun off from the A.M. & becoming

1990s

On February 3, 1992 WWON changes calls to WOON after that call becomes available.

2010s

On July 24, 2018 WOON added FM service on 99.5 via translator W258DU.

FM translator

References

*1992 Broadcasting & Cable Marketplace, p. A-306
Notice about WOON carrying Celtics games when WEEI-FM is carrying Red Sox Games on the WEEI Celtics Radio Network page

External links

* * * * {{Other Radio Stations in Rhode Island OON Full service radio stations in the United States Radio stations established in 1946 Woonsocket, Rhode Island 1946 establishments in Rhode Island