| |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | |
| Frequency | 104.9MHz |
| Branding | K-Love |
| Programming | |
| Format | Contemporary Christian |
| Network | K-Love |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Educational Media Foundation |
| WKVB | |
| History | |
First air date | September 14, 1964; 60 years ago (1964-09-14)[1] |
Former call signs |
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| Technical information[2] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 61409 |
| Class | A |
| ERP | 6,000 watts |
| HAAT | 98 meters (322 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 42°38′22″N70°56′20″W / 42.6395°N 70.9389°W /42.6395; -70.9389 |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live |
| Website | www |
WNKC (104.9FM) is a radio station licensed toGloucester, Massachusetts, United States. The station is owned by theEducational Media Foundation (EMF) and carriescontemporary Christian music through itsK-Love network. WNKC operates as the K-Love station for theNorth Shore andMerrimack Valley regions ofGreater Boston, serving portions of the metro area not covered by K-Love's primary Boston-area station,WKVB (107.3 FM).
The station was founded bySimon Geller, a native ofLowell, Massachusetts. After working in radio in New Jersey, Geller moved to Gloucester in 1964 because, he told a reporter, it was the biggest town on the East Coast without a radio station. He first applied for a license for an AM station on 1410 kHz; theFederal Communications Commission (FCC) would instead award that frequency toanother proposed station inBrockton. They suggested Geller apply for an FM station at 104.9 MHz instead. This station became WVCA-FM: "The Voice of Cape Ann", a phrase which became attached to Geller himself.
Geller operated the station out of his apartment, running it primarily on donations from among his estimated 43,000 listeners within the 35-mile radius reached by the station. When it was time to take a lunch break or run an errand, the unpredictable Geller might simply shut the station down. His eccentric on-air behavior earned Geller a loyal following of listeners wondering what he might do or say next.
One of the early programming choices wastop 40, followed byclassical music later in the evening. Tom Todisco became one of the earliest WVCA-FM DJs, and his show, "Tommy T's Teen Scene" became popular and made a dent in the ratings at the expense of the Boston stations. Tom later became famous for his award-winning direction ofWSBK-TV'sBoston Red Sox coverage for many years.
Geller owned the station for over 20 years before selling it in 1988 and moving to Las Vegas. During the time he owned WVCA-FM, Grandbanke Communications filed a petition to deny license renewals because, they argued, he had not fulfilled the station's public service requirements. Grandbanke's application to take over the frequency was at first successful but upon appeal it was ultimately denied in 1985. Geller's argument was that the value of the frequency had gone up considerably, to at least $800,000, due to its proximity to Boston.
After the station's sale to new owner Douglas Tanger in 1988 it maintained its classical programming as WBOQ ("W-Bach"), adding on-air hosts well-versed in the form, such as professional flutist Heather Kent and program director Steve Murphy, a singer and choral conductor. In the late 1990s, WBOQ transitioned to a mix ofBroadway andmovie music, and later to ajazz standards format.
At the end of 2003 the station flipped to anoldies format under new owner Todd Tanger and program director Charlie Curtis, a veteran air personality at such oldies outlets asWCBS-FM in New York andWOMC in Detroit. It also adopted the new name "North Shore 104.9", to reflect the station's dedication to itsNorth Shore location. With the change the station's listening audience more than quadrupled in size, and the Curtis-hosted "Morning Show" boasted the largest listening audience on the North Shore after all-newsWBZ. During this period, WBOQ maintained studios onRoute 1A inNorth Beverly. From 2006 until 2016, it carried Boston Red Sox baseball as part of theRed Sox Radio Network.
The station began broadcasting from a new transmitter site inTopsfield on January 10, 2013, with a 6,000–watt signal which increased coverage to other areas such as theMerrimack Valley and theRoute 1 corridor; it then began identifying as "WBOQ Gloucester-Boston". On December 26, 2017, WBOQ dropped oldies foradult contemporary.[3]
The adult contemporary format ended on July 1, 2022, when theEducational Media Foundation (EMF) began programming WBOQ under alocal marketing agreement with itsK-Love network; on July 13, EMF filed to purchase the station for $1.75 million. The acquisition of WBOQ allows K-Love to reach some areas of the Boston market not covered by its primary station in the area,WKVB (107.3 FM).[4] EMF completed its acquisition of the station on September 28, 2022;[5] on October 5, it applied to change the call sign to WNKC effective October 20.[6] The actual change of the call sign occurred on October 21.