 | |
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|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Hudson Valley |
| Frequency | 100.7MHz |
| Branding | 100.7 WHUD |
| Programming | |
| Format | Adult contemporary |
| Affiliations | Compass Media Networks |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| WBNR,WBPM,WGHQ,WLNA,WSPK,WXPK | |
| History | |
First air date | October 24, 1958; 67 years ago (1958-10-24) |
Former call signs | WLNA-FM (1958–1971) |
Call sign meaning | Hudson |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 54854 |
| Class | B |
| ERP | 50,000 watts |
| HAAT | 152 meters (499 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 41°20′18.3″N73°53′39.4″W / 41.338417°N 73.894278°W /41.338417; -73.894278 |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live |
| Website | www |
WHUD (100.7FM) is a commercial radio stationlicensed toPeekskill, New York. It airs anadult contemporary format, switching toChristmas music for most of November and December. WHUD is owned byPamal Broadcasting and broadcasts at 50,000 wattsERP. The station'stransmitter facility is located inPhilipstown, New York, and its studios are located on Route 52 inBeacon, New York, along with other Hudson Valley Pamal stations. WHUD is responsible for the activation of theHudson Valley areaEmergency Alert System.[2]
In early 1957, Highland Broadcasting, owner ofWLNA, began petitioning theFederal Communications Commission[3] to grant aclass B FM allocation to the City ofPeekskill, New York. In the petition, Highland noted that there were no class B FM allotments betweenPoughkeepsie and New York City, that the far flung northern suburbs were rather heavily populated, not all of the area was covered by FM signals, and it was culturally unique from New York City.
Initially, it was thought that106.7 MHz would fit in with the stations already licensed to New York City. However, by March 1957 that frequency had already been applied for by theRiverside Church in New York City. After some frequency shuffling between the cities ofNew Haven, Connecticut andWaterbury, Connecticut, 100.7 MHz was allotted to Peekskill, New York on May 24, 1957.[4]
WLNA-FM signed on for the first time on October 24, 1958, as the second FM station between New York City andAlbany, New York. The format was a 100%simulcast of WLNA.[5] During this time, the FM station's main source of revenue was aMuzakSubcarrier.[6]
The first major changes to the station occurred in late 1971. On October 14, 1971, thecall sign was changed to WHUD.[7] In December 1971, WHUD increased its power from 20 KW to 50KWERP.[8] In February 1972, the simulcast with WLNA ended, WHUD began broadcasting in stereo, and launched abeautiful music format.
TheBonneville format consisted largely of instrumental covers of pop songs with some vocal standards. Someadult contemporary artists were mixed into the music rotation with one vocal track per 15 minutes under the work of Program Director (and morning personality) Joe O'Brien. Prior to his work at WHUD, O'Brien was one of theWMCAGood Guys and had been doing mornings on the New York City station since the early 60s.
During this early period, WHUD branded its format asMusic From the Terrace, a term named for the location of WHUD's studios on Radio Terrace, (41°18′46.04″N73°54′58.2552″W / 41.3127889°N 73.916182000°W /41.3127889; -73.916182000 (Radio Terrace)) a public street in the town ofCortlandt, New York.
In 1982, Highland Broadcasting sold WHUD and WLNA to Radio Terrace, Inc. The format remained unchanged, however, more resources were diverted away from WLNA in favor of WHUD asAM radio began to decline.
In 1986, Joe O'Brien retired and was replaced by longtime New York City radio personality Ed Baer. Baer spent a total of 18 years broadcasting in the New York Citymarket, also as one of theWMCA good guys then on country stationWHN and later onWYNY[9] He stayed in the morning show position until he retired for the second time in 2000. Ed Baer was replaced by longtime news director Mike Bennett who got his start atHudson Valley radio stationWHVW in the early 1970s.
1986 was also the year that WHUD began to equal out the vocal/instrumental ratio to the point that by early 1990 it was an even split. However, the declining demographics and audience of the beautiful music format led WHUD to eliminate instrumental covers with little fanfare, evolving into asoft adult contemporary format. Throughout the first half of the 1990s, WHUD would continue evolving to a wide play list adult contemporary format.
In 1997, WHUD was sold to Albany, New York basedPamal Broadcasting. The studios were moved from Radio Terrace to the newly reconstructed "Broadcast Center" onNY Route 52, in the town ofFishkill, New York.
After the ownership transfer, Pamal altered the format with a slight recurrent lean to the play list and the addition of theDelilah show in evening time slot in spite of the same program being cleared on the Poughkeepsie-basedWRNQ. This geographic loophole also led to the stations sharing a jingle package for several years. Regardless, WHUD droppedDelilah in September 2006 and replaced her with a live and local evening program calledNight Rhythms hosted by Catherine Michaels. (The Delilah program resurfaced on 106.7WLTW two months later and continues to be heard there).
WHUD serves as the primary (LP-1)Emergency Alert System (EAS) station forWestchester,Rockland,Putnam, andOrange Counties.[10] As such it is the first media outlet in theIndian Point Nuclear Power Plant public warning system.[11] Prior to the studio move toFishkill, New York, these duties fell toWABC in New York City because WHUD's studio was located within the 10-mile Emergency Planning Zone around the Indian Point Energy Center.[12] In July 2007 Pamal spent approximately $500,000 to upgrade WHUD's transmitter site and add redundancies to its technical facility to ensure that the station could meet its public warning responsibilities.[13]
WHUD's signal reaches most of the Hudson Valley and the suburbs of New York City with a usable signal in much ofManhattan,Queens and especially inthe Bronx. In total, WHUD's signal reaches parts of five states.[14] The primary target market of WHUD is Westchester and Rockland Counties plus the Mid-Hudson Valley. In all of these areas, WHUD is at or near the top of the ratings and is the highest rated Westchester County station in Nielsen's New York City book.
For many years, WHUD playedChristmas music only occasionally in the month between Thanksgiving and Christmas, going with all Holiday songs in the days leading to December 25. Most Adult Contemporary stations in the U.S. and Canada switch to all Christmas music for part of November and most of December. In 2020, during theCOVID-19 pandemic, WHUD joined with other AC stations and played all Christmas songs from Thanksgiving to Christmas Day.