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| Frequency | 1320kHz |
| Branding | 97.7 WATR |
| Programming | |
| Format | Full service (news-talk; classic and modern hits, adult contemporary) |
| Affiliations |
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| Ownership | |
| Owner |
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| WWCO,WARE,WRYM | |
| History | |
First air date | June 15, 1934; 90 years ago (1934-06-15)[1] |
Call sign meaning | Waterbury |
| Technical information[2] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 71102 |
| Class | B |
| Power |
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Transmitter coordinates | 41°32′12.35″N73°1′50.39″W / 41.5367639°N 73.0306639°W /41.5367639; -73.0306639 |
| Translator(s) | 97.7 W249DY (Waterbury) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Website | www |
WATR (1320AM) is a radio station licensed to serveWaterbury, Connecticut, and the Naugatuck Valley. The station is owned by WATR Radio, LLC. It airs afull-service format featuringnews–talk, as well as classic and modern hits. It was until May 2022 the oldest privately owned station in the state ofConnecticut, never having been sold outside the family of its founder, Harold Thomas (1902–1968).
The station has been assigned the WATR call letters by theFederal Communications Commission since it was initially licensed in 1934.[1][3]
WATR once had sister television and FM stations: WATR-TV (nowWCCT-TV), established in 1953, and WATR-FM (nowWWYZ), established in 1961.
The station was also home to the "Polish Eagle Show", originated in 1934 on WATR by bandleader Victor Zembruski (1912–1976). His widow, Sophie Zembruski (1918–2010),[4] hosted the show from 1976 to 2008, at which time the couple's daughter, Loretta Hoxie, took over hosting duties. "The Zembruski Family Polka Hour", hosted by Nathaniel Zembruski, succeeded Hoxie shortly after she retired in 2013. Zembruski, at age 17, decided to end the show as his junior year of high school concluded. Its finale aired on May 31, 2020.
The station also maintains a decades-long tradition of broadcasting play-by-play of local high school football and basketball. WATR was a member of theUniversity of Connecticut sports radio network from 2018 to 2023.
It was announced on February 24, 2020, that the station was up for sale.[5] A partnership betweenWWCO owner David Webster andWARE owner Kurt Jackson purchased the station and translator W249DY effective August 24, 2022, for $320,000.[6]
| Call sign | Frequency | City of license | FID | ERP (W) | Class | Transmitter coordinates | FCC info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W249DY | 97.7 FM | Waterbury, Connecticut | 203226 | 250 | D | 41°33′47.3″N72°50′40.3″W / 41.563139°N 72.844528°W /41.563139; -72.844528 (W249DY) | LMS |
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