WPAT-FM
Encyclopedia
WPAT-FM, known on-air as "93.1 Amor", is a radio station
with a Spanish-language
Rhythmic AC format. Located on 93.1 FM
, the station, which is licensed to Paterson, New Jersey
, serves the New York City
Metropolitan area.
. It eventually moved to new studios on Church Street in Paterson, and later moved to its last studio at the four-tower transmitter site,1396 Broad Street in Clifton, New Jersey
before the station adopted its current format.
The station, along with its AM counterpart
, was owned for many years by Capital Cities Communications
. This changed in 1985, when the company bought ABC
. As a result of Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) regulations of the time, the company decided to sell WPAT-AM and -FM because ABC already owned WABC
and WPLJ
. The stations were sold to Park Communications.
For years WPAT operated both stations with a beautiful music
format under the slogan "Easy 93". In the early 1990s, WPAT-FM gradually switched to an adult contemporary format, and from October 1994 to its sign off in January 1996, the station was known as "Today's 93.1". In November 1995, the Spanish Broadcasting System
(SBS) agreed to purchase the 93.1 FM license and transmitter. The building and intellectual property were excluded from the sale. The building, the AM transmitter, and 930 AM license were sold to Heftel Broadcasting (now Univisión
radio), which was another company specializing in Spanish-language programming.
On January 19, 1996 at 11:59 pm, WPAT-FM ceased being an English language broadcaster when control of the station was switched over to the new owners. WPAT-FM DJ Karen Carson did the last airshift for the station's adult contemporary format that day, and Operations Director Ken McKenzie gave a farewell speech right before the format change. Immediately after the station signed off from Clifton, the new Spanish-language adult contemporary format signed on from Manhattan
, and the station began calling itself "Suave 93.1" ("Smooth 93.1"). Eventually, on February 4, 1998, the station's name was changed to "Amor 93.1" ("Love 93.1") and in January 2002, reversed to "93.1 Amor" ("93.1 Love") currently.
For many years WPAT-FM's Manhattan transmitter was located at the top of the North Tower of the World Trade Center
, but it was destroyed as a result of the September 11 attacks in 2001. The station's transmitter was eventually moved to the Empire State Building
.
In January 2002, WPAT dropped classics and shifted to a "'90s to today" direction. WPAT's music direction changed again on June 13, 2011, by dropping the 1990's tracks and sticks to a "2000's-now" direction and on July 6, 2011 is shifting to spanish rhythmic AC direction like based on 103.5 KTU.
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...
with a Spanish-language
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
Rhythmic AC format. Located on 93.1 FM
Frequency modulation
In telecommunications and signal processing, frequency modulation conveys information over a carrier wave by varying its instantaneous frequency. This contrasts with amplitude modulation, in which the amplitude of the carrier is varied while its frequency remains constant...
, the station, which is licensed to Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson is a city serving as the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 146,199, rendering it New Jersey's third largest city and one of the largest cities in the New York City Metropolitan Area, despite a decrease of 3,023...
, serves the 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...
Metropolitan area.
History
WPAT-FM signed on in 1957 from its studios in Newark, New JerseyNewark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
. It eventually moved to new studios on Church Street in Paterson, and later moved to its last studio at the four-tower transmitter site,1396 Broad Street in Clifton, New Jersey
Clifton, New Jersey
Clifton is a city in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 84,136. The 2010 population represented an increase of 5,464 residents from its population of 78,672 in the 2000 Census, making it the state's 11th largest...
before the station adopted its current format.
The station, along with its AM counterpart
WPAT (AM)
WPAT is the callsign of a radio station licensed to Paterson, New Jersey. Located at 930 kHz in the medium-wave AM band, the station runs paid ethnic programming....
, was owned for many years by Capital Cities Communications
Capital Cities Communications
Capital Cities redirects here. For the article about the seat of a government, see Capital .Capital Cities Communications was an American media company best known for its surprise purchase of the much larger American Broadcasting Company in 1985...
. This changed in 1985, when the company bought ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
. As a result of Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC) regulations of the time, the company decided to sell WPAT-AM and -FM because ABC already owned WABC
WABC (AM)
WABC , known as "NewsTalkRadio 77 WABC" is a radio station in New York City. Owned by the broadcasting division of Cumulus Media, the station broadcasts on a clear channel and is the flagship station of Cumulus Media Networks...
and WPLJ
WPLJ
WPLJ is a radio station in New York City owned by the broadcasting division of Cumulus Media. WPLJ shares studio facilities with sister station WABC inside 2 Penn Plaza in midtown Manhattan, and its transmitter is atop the Empire State Building. The station currently plays a Hot Adult...
. The stations were sold to Park Communications.
For years WPAT operated both stations with a beautiful music
Beautiful music
Beautiful music is a mostly instrumental music format that was prominent in American radio from the 1960s through the 1980s...
format under the slogan "Easy 93". In the early 1990s, WPAT-FM gradually switched to an adult contemporary format, and from October 1994 to its sign off in January 1996, the station was known as "Today's 93.1". In November 1995, the Spanish Broadcasting System
Spanish Broadcasting System
Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc. is one of the largest owners and operators of radio stations in the United States. SBS is also invested in television and internet properties, deriving the majority of its income from advertising through its media products.SBS owns the internet portal LaMusica.com...
(SBS) agreed to purchase the 93.1 FM license and transmitter. The building and intellectual property were excluded from the sale. The building, the AM transmitter, and 930 AM license were sold to Heftel Broadcasting (now Univisión
Univision
Univision is a Spanish-language television network in the United States. It has the largest audience of Spanish language television viewers according to Nielsen ratings. Randy Falco, COO, has been in charge of the company since the departure of Univision Communications president and CEO Joe Uva...
radio), which was another company specializing in Spanish-language programming.
On January 19, 1996 at 11:59 pm, WPAT-FM ceased being an English language broadcaster when control of the station was switched over to the new owners. WPAT-FM DJ Karen Carson did the last airshift for the station's adult contemporary format that day, and Operations Director Ken McKenzie gave a farewell speech right before the format change. Immediately after the station signed off from Clifton, the new Spanish-language adult contemporary format signed on from Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, and the station began calling itself "Suave 93.1" ("Smooth 93.1"). Eventually, on February 4, 1998, the station's name was changed to "Amor 93.1" ("Love 93.1") and in January 2002, reversed to "93.1 Amor" ("93.1 Love") currently.
For many years WPAT-FM's Manhattan transmitter was located at the top of the North Tower of the World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
, but it was destroyed as a result of the September 11 attacks in 2001. The station's transmitter was eventually moved to the Empire State Building
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived...
.
In January 2002, WPAT dropped classics and shifted to a "'90s to today" direction. WPAT's music direction changed again on June 13, 2011, by dropping the 1990's tracks and sticks to a "2000's-now" direction and on July 6, 2011 is shifting to spanish rhythmic AC direction like based on 103.5 KTU.
Current programming
- Señor Bolero con Francis Mendez (Douglas Peña) (1996-2010, 2011-present)
- Viva Mexico con Alejandro Cobos, Alberto Otero (8/6/2011) (Gabriel Pino) (1997-2010, 2011-present)
Former programming
- Noche de Concierto con Maria Mercedes (Luisa Martinez) (1996-2000)
- Los Clasicos de Amor (Suave) (1996-2001)
- Mileño: Rock en Español con Maria Mercedes (1999-2001)
External links
- WPAT Website
- Internet Jukebox 2 - features sounds and artifacts from WPAT's beautiful music era