WCRN
Encyclopedia
WCRN is an AM
radio station
in Worcester, Massachusetts
, owned by Carter Broadcasting
.
The station broadcasts at 830 AM at a transmitter power output of 50,000 watt
s and can be heard from Maine
to Providence, Rhode Island
, and from Boston
to Springfield, Massachusetts
. The signal is pointed away from such other stations at 830 kHz as WCCO in Minneapolis, Minnesota
.
The station bills itself as "True Talk 830," with a talk radio
format all day, except for financial shows from 9-11 a.m. and noon to 1 p.m. weekdays and infomercials at assorted times on Saturdays and Sundays.
The station is owned by the Carberry family, who also own WACE in Chicopee, Massachusetts
. Kurt Carberry is the vice president and general manager; the program director is Hank Stolz.
programming from the Carter Radio Network, based out of then-sister station WROL
in Boston. In December 2000, this was abandoned in favor of a big band
format, "Swing 830". Around this time, the station upgraded its daytime power from 5,000 watts to the current 50,000 watts. The format was changed to oldies
, via ABC Radio's The True Oldies Channel
, in August 2004, and then to the current talk format on May 8, 2006.
Following the lead of the day signal, WCRN upgraded its night power from 5,000 watts to 50,000 watts on April 4, 2007, just in time for the first Boston Red Sox
night game of the season.
), Laura Ingraham
, Jerry Doyle
and Doug Stephan
weekdays, and The Twilight Zone Radio Dramas, sports, and programming from Talk Radio Network
and Radio America on weekends. Howie Carr
was on WCRN from its debut as a talk station until September 17, 2007, when WCRN dropped his show over uncertainties over Carr's contract status at his Boston flagship station, WRKO
, and his (at the time presumed) move to crosstown talk rival WTKK
. The move fell through after a contract dispute and Carr returned to WRKO, and WCRN is again broadcasting the show.
Currently, WCRN serves as the flagship for the Worcester Tornadoes
minor-league baseball team. The station is also an affiliate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst
network for football and men's basketball broadcasts.
From 2007 through 2009, WCRN shared the Worcester affiliation of the Boston Red Sox
radio network with WEEI
satellite station WVEI, an arrangement made in order to take advantage of WCRN's then-new 50,000 watt night signal to serve areas of MetroWest
that had difficulty receiving either WVEI itself or the team's then-flagship, WRKO, particularly at night (when most Red Sox games are played), with WVEI selling local advertising on both stations. The two stations replaced WTAG, which had carried Sox games for 40 years. WVEI became the sole Red Sox affiliate in Worcester in 2010; nonetheless, WEEI continues to list WCRN as an affiliate as well.
AM broadcasting
AM broadcasting is the process of radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation. AM was the first method of impressing sound on a radio signal and is still widely used today. Commercial and public AM broadcasting is carried out in the medium wave band world wide, and on long wave and short wave...
radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
in Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
, owned by Carter Broadcasting
Carter Broadcasting
Carter Broadcasting is a New England based broadcasting group owned by Ken Carberry. Its headquarters are in Braintree, Massachusetts.-Massachusetts :*WACE/730: Chicopee*WCRN/830: Worcester-References:**...
.
The station broadcasts at 830 AM at a transmitter power output of 50,000 watt
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
s and can be heard from Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
to Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
, and from Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
to Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
. The signal is pointed away from such other stations at 830 kHz as WCCO in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
.
The station bills itself as "True Talk 830," with a talk radio
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
format all day, except for financial shows from 9-11 a.m. and noon to 1 p.m. weekdays and infomercials at assorted times on Saturdays and Sundays.
The station is owned by the Carberry family, who also own WACE in Chicopee, Massachusetts
Chicopee, Massachusetts
Chicopee is a city located on the Connecticut River in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States of America. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 55,298, making it the second largest city in...
. Kurt Carberry is the vice president and general manager; the program director is Hank Stolz.
History
WCRN signed on in 1994, carrying religiousReligious broadcasting
Religious broadcasting refers to broadcasting by religious organizations, usually with a religious message. Many religious organizations have long recorded content such as sermons and lectures, and have moved into distributing content on their Internet websites.While this article emphasises...
programming from the Carter Radio Network, based out of then-sister station WROL
WROL
-External links:*...
in Boston. In December 2000, this was abandoned in favor of a big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
format, "Swing 830". Around this time, the station upgraded its daytime power from 5,000 watts to the current 50,000 watts. The format was changed to oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
, via ABC Radio's The True Oldies Channel
The True Oldies Channel
The True Oldies Channel is a syndicated radio programming stream begun in the spring of 2004, hosted by American radio personality Scott Shannon...
, in August 2004, and then to the current talk format on May 8, 2006.
Following the lead of the day signal, WCRN upgraded its night power from 5,000 watts to 50,000 watts on April 4, 2007, just in time for the first Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
night game of the season.
Programming
WCRN's programming features former U.S. Congressman Peter Blute in morning drive, Hank Stolz (previously at rival WTAGWTAG
WTAG is an AM radio station broadcasting on 580 kHz in Paxton, Massachusetts. WTAG programming is also simulcast on FM translator W235AV at 94.9 MHz, licensed to Tatnuck, Massachusetts...
), Laura Ingraham
Laura Ingraham
Laura Anne Ingraham is an American radio host, author, and conservative political commentator. Her nationally syndicated talk show, The Laura Ingraham Show, airs throughout the United States on Talk Radio Network...
, Jerry Doyle
Jerry Doyle (actor)
Jerry Doyle is an American talk radio host, conservative political commentator, and television actor. His nationally-syndicated talk show, The Jerry Doyle Show, airs throughout the United States on Talk Radio Network...
and Doug Stephan
Doug Stephan
Doug Stephan is an American radio talk show personality and hosts the nationally syndicated Doug Stephan's Good Day.-Radio Programs:Doug Stephan's Good Day is a "call-in" and interview show airing live Monday through Saturday featuring a fast paced format covering variety of topics...
weekdays, and The Twilight Zone Radio Dramas, sports, and programming from Talk Radio Network
Talk Radio Network
Talk Radio Network is an American radio network providing talk radio programming, with an emphasis on conservative talk on weekdays and variety/general interest talk radio on weekends. Some of the most recognizable personalities in American radio, such as Laura Ingraham and Michael Savage, are...
and Radio America on weekends. Howie Carr
Howie Carr
Howard Louis "Howie" Carr, Jr. is an American journalist, author, and conservative radio talk-show host based in Boston with a listening audience rooted in New England.-Radio:...
was on WCRN from its debut as a talk station until September 17, 2007, when WCRN dropped his show over uncertainties over Carr's contract status at his Boston flagship station, WRKO
WRKO
WRKO is a radio station based in Boston, Massachusetts, currently owned by Entercom. Its transmitter is located in Burlington, Massachusetts, next to the Burlington Mall.-1920-1940:...
, and his (at the time presumed) move to crosstown talk rival WTKK
WTKK
WTKK is a New England commercial talk radio station, first broadcast out of Boston on 96.9 FM beginning in 1999. It can be heard in eastern Massachusetts, the northernmost area of Rhode Island, southern New Hampshire, and southern Maine...
. The move fell through after a contract dispute and Carr returned to WRKO, and WCRN is again broadcasting the show.
Currently, WCRN serves as the flagship for the Worcester Tornadoes
Worcester Tornadoes
The Worcester Tornadoes are a professional baseball team based in Worcester, Massachusetts, in the United States. The Tornadoes are a member of the Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball, an independent baseball league which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
minor-league baseball team. The station is also an affiliate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research and land-grant university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States and the flagship of the University of Massachusetts system...
network for football and men's basketball broadcasts.
From 2007 through 2009, WCRN shared the Worcester affiliation of the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
radio network with WEEI
WEEI
WEEI is a sports radio station in Boston, Massachusetts, that broadcasts on 850 kHz from a transmitter in Needham, Massachusetts, and is owned by Entercom Communications. The station is one of the top-rated sports talk radio stations in the nation. Studios are located in Brighton, Massachusetts...
satellite station WVEI, an arrangement made in order to take advantage of WCRN's then-new 50,000 watt night signal to serve areas of MetroWest
MetroWest
MetroWest is a cluster of cities and towns lying west of Boston and east of Worcester, in the US state of Massachusetts. The name was coined in the 1980s by a local newspaper....
that had difficulty receiving either WVEI itself or the team's then-flagship, WRKO, particularly at night (when most Red Sox games are played), with WVEI selling local advertising on both stations. The two stations replaced WTAG, which had carried Sox games for 40 years. WVEI became the sole Red Sox affiliate in Worcester in 2010; nonetheless, WEEI continues to list WCRN as an affiliate as well.