| Currentlysilent | |
|---|---|
 | |
| |
| Broadcast area | Lebanon-Hanover-White River Junction |
| Frequency | 1400kHz |
| Branding | The Penguin |
| Programming | |
| Format | Adult hits |
| Affiliations | CBS News Radio |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Great Eastern Radio, LLC |
| WFYX,WHDQ,WGXL,WWOD,WTSV,WXXK | |
| History | |
First air date | October1950 |
Call sign meaning | Twin StateLebanon[1] |
| Technical information[2] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 12083 |
| Class | C |
| Power | 1,000 watts unlimited |
Transmitter coordinates | 43°41′3.26″N72°17′44.33″W / 43.6842389°N 72.2956472°W /43.6842389; -72.2956472 |
| Translators |
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| Repeaters | |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live |
| Website | www |
WTSL (1400AM) is acommercial radio stationlicensed toHanover, New Hampshire, United States. It airs anadult hitsradio format and serves theLebanon-Hanover-White River Junction area. The station is owned by Great Eastern Radio, LLC.[3] WTSL also broadcastsDartmouth College Big Greenfootball andhockey games.
Listeners can also hear WTSL programming onFMtranslator stationsW248DA at 97.5MHz in Hanover andW269DI at 101.7 inClaremont, as well as on the secondHD subchannel ofWHDQ. The stations call themselves "The Penguin".
In October 1950, WTSL firstsigned on.[4] It was owned by Granite State Broadcasters and was powered at only 250 watts, anetwork affiliate of theMutual Broadcasting System. In 1961, the daytime power was increased to 1,000 watts. In the 1980s, the nighttime power was also boosted to 1,000 watts.
In June 1970, the station was acquired by Tri City Broadcasting from Knight Quality Stations. Sound Citizens Communications bought the station in 1974.[5] Up to this time, WTSL carried theNBC Radio Network news and music showMonitor, along withBoston Red Sox baseball, via an over-the-air feed fromWGIR-FM inManchester andWTSV-FM inClaremont. It aired amiddle of the road music format. In the 1970s, WTSL dropped NBC, adding theCBS Radio Network and later, returning to the Mutual Broadcasting System as a secondary affiliation. This change would allow WTSL to switch from overnight music toLarry King'sMutual talk show.
After a period with Mutual, WTSL was asked to become its primary affiliate in the Lebanon–Hanover market, but turned it down. Mutual then moved toWNHV AM–FM inWhite River Junction, Vermont, and WTSL joinedABC; this allowed the station to addPaul Harvey, which had been on WNHV. During this period of time, the studios were located at its transmitter site on Oak Ridge Road inWest Lebanon, New Hampshire. The studios were subsequently moved to downtown Lebanon mall along with sister station WTSL-FM (nowWGXL). Several owners later, the station was purchased by Robert Frisch, owner ofWXXK (originally on101.7 FM; later moving to 100.5 with the purchase of that facility) By this period of time, WTSL was atalk radio station with a strong local news presentation, including major newscasts indrive time and at noon. Mountain View Broadcasting held onto WTSL, as well as WGXL, WXXK and WVRR (the old WXXK facility at 101.7) property until their sale toClear Channel Communications (now iHeartMedia) in 2000. During the time, WTSL held onto the rights to Red Sox baseball (since then baseball has moved to sister stationWWOD).
Clear Channel continued the talk radio format,[6] while addingRush Limbaugh, taking the program fromWNTK-FM. Rush stayed on WTSL until it was sold again in 2007 to Great Eastern Radio. Rush returned to WNTK, which had now beganWUVR. Great Eastern flipped it to asports radio format,simulcast withsister station 1230WTSV in Claremont, using theESPN Radio Network.
On June 12, 2018, WTSL dropped the ESPN sports format and beganstunting with "Rapper's Delight" by theSugarhill Gang, in preparation of launching new translator W248DA (97.5 FM).[7] (1230 WTSV continues with the sports format.) On June 21, 2018, the stunting ended, with WTSL and W248DA changing format toclassic hip hop, branded as "Hot 97.5".[8]
On July 29, 2022, WTSL dropped the classic hip hop format and flipped toadult hits, branded as "97.5 & 101.7 The Penguin"; with this format change, the station began simulcasting on the secondHD subchannel of WHDQ (the former WTSV-FM), along with a Claremont translator, W269DI (101.7 FM).
WTSL went silent on December 17, 2024, after losing the lease on its transmitter site.[9]
| Call sign | Frequency | City of license | FID | ERP (W) | Class | Transmitter coordinates | FCC info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W248DA | 97.5 FM | Hanover, New Hampshire | 200453 | 18 | D | 43°39′16.7″N72°17′39.9″W / 43.654639°N 72.294417°W /43.654639; -72.294417 (W248DA) | LMS |
| W269DI | 101.7 FM | Claremont, New Hampshire | 46339 | 150 | D | 43°23′45.2″N72°17′38.3″W / 43.395889°N 72.293972°W /43.395889; -72.293972 (W269DI) | LMS |
