WGNY (AM)
Encyclopedia
WGNY is a radio station
broadcasting a Oldies
format. Licensed to Newburgh, New York, the station serves the Newburgh-Middletown area and is currently owned by Sunrise Broadcasting Corporation and features programming from ABC Radio .
WGNY-AM is also simulcasted on 1490 WDLC-AM
in Port Jervis
, and on 98.9 WGNY-FM
in the Poughkeepsie/Kingston
area.
's first radio station on February 25, 1933, owned by wealthy real estate developer Robert Wilson Goelet. Goelet built his estate, Glenmere mansion
, in the town of Chester, New York
in 1911; in 1932, he decided to create a radio station that would broadcast from its grounds. (Goelet wanted the call letters WCNY, for "Chester New York", but as they were already taken, he settled for WGNY.)
In 1937, WGNY moved its operations to 161 Broadway in Newburgh; the following year, Goelet sold out to Merritt C. Speidel and the WGNY Broadcasting Company. Originally at 100 watts, WGNY upped its power to 250 watts in 1940 (and eventually 10,000 watts in the 1970s). Billing itself as "The Only Radio Station Between Albany
and New York City
", WGNY would have Orange County, New York
to itself until Middletown
's WALL
signed on in 1942. (During the 1940s and 50s WGNY would have satellite studios in Middletown and Poughkeepsie.)
In 1952, WGNY switched news affiliations from the United Press to the AP
, while Speidel retired and was replaced as president by George W. Bingham. In 1953, a third station in Orange County signed on -- WDLC
in Port Jervis, New York
-- but WGNY's listening dominance in the county was near-total, capturing over half the audience as late as the mid-1950s.
More changes came in 1958, when WGNY Broadcasting sold out to Orange County Broadcasting, Inc., and studios were moved to Little Britain Road in New Windsor, New York
, where they remain to this day.
in Rosendale, New York
began duplicating WGNY's AM signal on 98.9 MHz; meanwhile, translator W231BP in Chester (WGNY's original location) began carrying WJGK's programming at 94.1 FM.
in Warwick, New York
.
In the 1990s, WGNY sought a new transmitter site and a change to 1200 KHz; the FCC turned down the frequency change, and the Town of New Windsor nixed the new site.
with Port Jervis' WDLC and WTSX
, with the four stations combining airstaffs. WGNY-AM began simulcasting a 1955-72 Oldies format with WDLC until January 2007, when WDLC dropped the oldies format in favor of a Sports Talk format from ESPN Radio
. In February 2009, WDLC returned to the WGNY simulcast.
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...
broadcasting a 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....
format. Licensed to Newburgh, New York, the station serves the Newburgh-Middletown area and is currently owned by Sunrise Broadcasting Corporation and features programming from ABC Radio .
WGNY-AM is also simulcasted on 1490 WDLC-AM
WDLC
WDLC is a radio station broadcasting an oldies format. Licensed to Port Jervis, New York, USA, the station serves the Sussex area. The station is owned by PJ Radio, L.L.C...
in Port Jervis
Port Jervis, New York
Port Jervis is a city on the Delaware River in western Orange County, New York, with a population of 8,860 at the 2000 census. The communities of Deerpark, Huguenot, Sparrowbush, and Greenville are adjacent to Port Jervis, and the towns of Montague, New Jersey and Matamoras, Pennsylvania face the...
, and on 98.9 WGNY-FM
WGNY-FM
WGNY-FM is a radio station broadcasting an Oldies format. Licensed to Rosendale, New York, USA, the station serves the Poughkeepsie and Kingston areas. The station, which signed on in February 2011, is currently owned by Hawkeye Communications and operated by Sunrise Broadcasting Corporation, and...
in the Poughkeepsie/Kingston
Kingston, New York
Kingston is a city in and the county seat of Ulster County, New York, USA. It is north of New York City and south of Albany. It became New York's first capital in 1777, and was burned by the British Oct. 16, 1777, after the Battles of Saratoga...
area.
Early history
WGNY signed on as the Hudson ValleyHudson Valley
The Hudson Valley comprises the valley of the Hudson River and its adjacent communities in New York State, United States, from northern Westchester County northward to the cities of Albany and Troy.-History:...
's first radio station on February 25, 1933, owned by wealthy real estate developer Robert Wilson Goelet. Goelet built his estate, Glenmere mansion
Glenmere mansion
The Glenmere mansion, overlooking Glenmere Lake, approximately 50 miles northwest of New York City in Orange County, New York, was built by New York City real estate developer Robert Wilson Goelet in 1911, on the grounds of his sprawling estate in Sugar Loaf, a hamlet of the town of Chester, New...
, in the town of Chester, New York
Chester (town), New York
Chester is a town in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 12,140 at the 2000 census. The town is named after another city in Great Britain...
in 1911; in 1932, he decided to create a radio station that would broadcast from its grounds. (Goelet wanted the call letters WCNY, for "Chester New York", but as they were already taken, he settled for WGNY.)
In 1937, WGNY moved its operations to 161 Broadway in Newburgh; the following year, Goelet sold out to Merritt C. Speidel and the WGNY Broadcasting Company. Originally at 100 watts, WGNY upped its power to 250 watts in 1940 (and eventually 10,000 watts in the 1970s). Billing itself as "The Only Radio Station Between Albany
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
", WGNY would have Orange County, New York
Orange County, New York
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located at the northern reaches of the New York metropolitan area. The county sits in the state's scenic Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley...
to itself until Middletown
Middletown, New York
Middletown is the name of two separate places located in the U.S. state of New York:*Middletown, Delaware County, New York, a town*Middletown, Orange County, New York, a city...
's WALL
WALL
WALL is a radio station licensed to Middletown, New York that serves Orange County, New York. WALL is owned by Cumulus Media and broadcasts at 1340 kHz with 1,000 watts, daytime and nighttime, both nondirectional....
signed on in 1942. (During the 1940s and 50s WGNY would have satellite studios in Middletown and Poughkeepsie.)
In 1952, WGNY switched news affiliations from the United Press to the AP
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, while Speidel retired and was replaced as president by George W. Bingham. In 1953, a third station in Orange County signed on -- WDLC
WDLC
WDLC is a radio station broadcasting an oldies format. Licensed to Port Jervis, New York, USA, the station serves the Sussex area. The station is owned by PJ Radio, L.L.C...
in Port Jervis, New York
Port Jervis, New York
Port Jervis is a city on the Delaware River in western Orange County, New York, with a population of 8,860 at the 2000 census. The communities of Deerpark, Huguenot, Sparrowbush, and Greenville are adjacent to Port Jervis, and the towns of Montague, New Jersey and Matamoras, Pennsylvania face the...
-- but WGNY's listening dominance in the county was near-total, capturing over half the audience as late as the mid-1950s.
More changes came in 1958, when WGNY Broadcasting sold out to Orange County Broadcasting, Inc., and studios were moved to Little Britain Road in New Windsor, New York
New Windsor, New York
New Windsor is a town in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was estimated at 25,244 in 2010 by the US Census.The Town of New Windsor is in the eastern part of the county, bordering the Town of Newburgh and the City of Newburgh....
, where they remain to this day.
WGNY-FM
In the fall of 1966, FM radio came to Orange County, with WFMN ("FM Newburgh") reaching the air on October 29, followed by Middletown's WALL-FM on November 11. WFMN, owned by brothers Wilbur and Donald Nelson, broadcast at 103.1 MHz and moved into 104 Broadway in Newburgh -- just down the street from the old WGNY studios. WFMN and WGNY remained competitors until 1974, when WGNY bought out Stereo Newburgh, Inc. (who had bought WFMN the previous year). WFMN changed its calls to WGNY-FM in 1985, then to WJGK in 2010. Starting in February 2011, a new WGNY-FMWGNY-FM
WGNY-FM is a radio station broadcasting an Oldies format. Licensed to Rosendale, New York, USA, the station serves the Poughkeepsie and Kingston areas. The station, which signed on in February 2011, is currently owned by Hawkeye Communications and operated by Sunrise Broadcasting Corporation, and...
in Rosendale, New York
Rosendale, New York
Rosendale is a town in the center of Ulster County, New York, United States. It once contained a village of the same name, which was dissolved through a vote. The population was 6,075 at the 2010 census.- History :...
began duplicating WGNY's AM signal on 98.9 MHz; meanwhile, translator W231BP in Chester (WGNY's original location) began carrying WJGK's programming at 94.1 FM.
1960s and onward
In 1968, Hudson Horizons (Kenneth Cowan, president) acquired WGNY; the following year, the station's lock on Orange County was loosened more with the signing-on of WTBQWTBQ
WTBQ is an independent radio station broadcasting from Warwick, New York, featuring oldies, local talk shows and specialty programming. The last locally-owned radio station left in Orange County, New York , WTBQ broadcasts on 1110 AM and 93.5 FM, throughout Orange County and northern New...
in Warwick, New York
Warwick, New York
Warwick is a town in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 30,764 at the 2000 census. The 2007 census population estimate is 32,669.The Town of Warwick is located in the southwest part of the county...
.
In the 1990s, WGNY sought a new transmitter site and a change to 1200 KHz; the FCC turned down the frequency change, and the Town of New Windsor nixed the new site.
21st century and WDLC simulcast
In March 2005, WGNY-AM and FM began a Local Marketing AgreementLocal marketing agreement
In U.S. and Canadian broadcasting, a local marketing agreement is an agreement in which one company agrees to operate a radio or television station owned by another licensee...
with Port Jervis' WDLC and WTSX
WTSX
WTSX is a radio station in Lehman Township, Pennsylvania. The station is owned by Port Jervis Broadcasting, but operated under a local management agreement by Sunrise Broadcasting. They now offer a simulcast of Fox 103.1 WJGK playing an AC format.-History:...
, with the four stations combining airstaffs. WGNY-AM began simulcasting a 1955-72 Oldies format with WDLC until January 2007, when WDLC dropped the oldies format in favor of a Sports Talk format from ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
. In February 2009, WDLC returned to the WGNY simulcast.