WEAV

{{Infobox radio station

| name = WEAV

| logo = WEAV The Game 97.1 105.9 960 logo.png

| logo_alt =

| city = Plattsburgh, New York

| country = US

| area = Champlain Valley

| branding = The Game FM

| frequency = 960 kHz

| translator = {{ubl|{{Radio Relay|97.1|W246DT|Colchester, Vermont}}|{{Radio Relay|105.9|W290AT|Plattsburgh}}}}

| airdate = February 3, 1935 (as WMFF at 1310)

| format = Sports

| power = 5,000 watts

| class = B

| facility_id = 52806

| licensing_authority = FCC

| coordinates = {{coord|44|34|27.17|N|73|26|52.48|W|region:US-NY_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}

| callsign_meaning =

| former_callsigns = WMFF (1935–1948)

| former_frequencies = {{ubl|1310 kHz (1935–1941)|1340 kHz (1941–1948)}}

| affiliations = {{ubl|Fox Sports Radio|Boston Bruins Radio Network|Boston Celtics Radio Network|Boston Red Sox Radio Network|New England Patriots Radio Network}}

| owner = Vox AM/FM, LLC

| licensee =

| sister_stations = WEZF, WCPV, WXZO, WVTK, WVMT, WXXX

| webcast = [https://lightningstream.com/player.aspx?call=WEAV-AM Listen Live]

| website = [https://www.thegamefm.com thegamefm.com]

}}

WEAV (960 AM) is an English-language American radio station in Plattsburgh, New York, with studios in Colchester, Vermont. The station broadcasts a sports format.

Owned and operated by Vox AM/FM, the station broadcasts on 960 kHz with a power of 5,000 watts as a class B station, using a directional antenna with slightly different daytime and nighttime directional patterns in order to protect various other stations on that frequency. Both daytime and the tighter nighttime patterns of WEAV are directed mostly to the north and west of Plattsburgh, with not a lot of signal strength reaching deep into Vermont. It also broadcasts in Burlington on FM translator 97.1 and in Plattsburgh on FM translator 105.9.

History

The station signed on February 3, 1935,{{cite book|title=Broadcasting Yearbook 1981|year=1981|pages=C-161–2|url=http://www.davidgleason.com/Archive%20BC-YB/1981/Cb%20Facilities%20of%20Radio%201981%20N-Z.pdf|access-date=February 8, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101008193016/http://davidgleason.com/Archive%20BC-YB/1981/Cb%20Facilities%20of%20Radio%201981%20N-Z.pdf|archive-date=October 8, 2010|url-status=dead}} as WMFF, owned by Plattsburgh Broadcasting Corporation (in turn controlled by the Bissell family), and operating on 1310 kHz.{{cite book|title=Broadcasting Yearbook 1935|year=1935|page=46|url=http://www.davidgleason.com/Broadcasting%201935%20Yearbook%20Page%20Range%20Guide_files/Broadcasting%20Yearbook%201935%201-100.pdf|access-date=February 8, 2010}}{{Dead link|date=September 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} The North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement in 1941 moved the station to 1340 kHz.{{cite book|title=Broadcasting Yearbook 1943|year=1943|page=120|url=http://www.davidgleason.com/Archive%20BC-YB/1943/1943%20YB%20Radio%20By%20States.pdf|access-date=February 8, 2010}}{{Dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} On October 23, 1948,{{cite news|title=WMFF Now WEAV|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1948/1948-11-08-BC.pdf|access-date=February 1, 2015|agency=Broadcasting|date=November 8, 1948}} the station changed its call letters to WEAV;{{cite web|url=http://www.nrcdxas.org/qsl/ERC_Veries/NY/WEAV.pdf|title=WEAV reception acknowledgement|access-date=August 19, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160927003641/http://www.nrcdxas.org/qsl/ERC_Veries/NY/WEAV.pdf|archive-date=September 27, 2016|url-status=dead}} two months later, on December 29, the station relocated again, this time to the current 960 kHz.{{cite news|title=WEAV Ups Power|url=http://americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1949/1949-01-10-BC.pdf|access-date=August 19, 2015|work=Broadcasting-Telecasting|date=January 10, 1949|page=70}} At one time an affiliate of ABC Radio{{cite book|title=Broadcasting Yearbook 1958|year=1958|page=A-331|url=http://www.davidgleason.com/Archive%20BC-YB/1958/Sectin%20A%20Radio%20By%20State%20Broadcasting%20Yearbook%201958-9.pdf|access-date=February 8, 2010}}{{Dead link|date=April 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} and its predecessor, the Blue Network, WEAV switched to CBS Radio in the late 1950s.{{cite book|title=Broadcasting Yearbook 1959|year=1959|page=B-197|url=http://www.davidgleason.com/Archive%20BC-YB/1959/B-2%20Radio%201959%20YB.pdf|access-date=February 8, 2010}}{{Dead link|date=April 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} The station inaugurated FM service on February 3, 1960, with the launch of WEAV-FM (99.9) as a simulcast of the AM station.{{cite book|title=Broadcasting Yearbook 1960|year=1960|page=A-197|url=http://www.davidgleason.com/Archive%20BC-YB/1960/B%202%20Radio%20Yearbook%201960.pdf|access-date=February 8, 2010}}{{Dead link|date=April 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

By 1972, WEAV had a contemporary format, with only some of its programming simulcast on the FM (which had largely switched to another format).{{cite book|title=Broadcasting Yearbook 1973|year=1973|page=B-138|url=http://www.davidgleason.com/Archive%20BC-YB/1973/B%202%20YB%201973.pdf|access-date=February 8, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101008151948/http://davidgleason.com/Archive%20BC-YB/1973/B%202%20YB%201973.pdf|archive-date=October 8, 2010|url-status=dead}} Within a year, the station was mixing in some country and rock music,{{cite book|title=Broadcasting Yearbook 1974|year=1974|page=B-145|url=http://www.davidgleason.com/Archive%20BC-YB/1974/B%202%201974%20YB.pdf|access-date=February 8, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101008152800/http://davidgleason.com/Archive%20BC-YB/1974/B%202%201974%20YB.pdf|archive-date=October 8, 2010|url-status=dead}} and by 1974 WEAV-FM had ended the remaining simulcast periods and become WGFB.{{cite book|title=Broadcasting Yearbook 1975|year=1975|page=C-131|url=http://www.davidgleason.com/Archive%20BC-YB/1975/C%202%201975%20Radio.pdf|access-date=February 8, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101008161835/http://davidgleason.com/Archive%20BC-YB/1975/C%202%201975%20Radio.pdf|archive-date=October 8, 2010|url-status=dead}} Soon afterward, WEAV became a top 40 station.{{cite book|title=Broadcasting Yearbook 1976|year=1976|page=C-137|url=http://www.davidgleason.com/Archive%20BC-YB/1976/C-2%20%20Broadcasting%20Yearbook%201976.pdf|access-date=February 8, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101008170609/http://davidgleason.com/Archive%20BC-YB/1976/C-2%20%20Broadcasting%20Yearbook%201976.pdf|archive-date=October 8, 2010|url-status=dead}}

WEAV had again begun simulcasting with WGFB, this time relaying its soft adult contemporary format, by 1994;{{cite web|url=http://groups.google.com/group/rec.radio.broadcasting/msg/3b048953f1a4f594?hl=en|title=Burlington VT Plattsburgh NY RADIO - WEXP|last=Tymecki|first=Joe|date=August 20, 1994|work=rec.radio.broadcasting|publisher=Google Groups|access-date=February 8, 2010}} WEAV-exclusive programming consisted entirely of Montreal Expos games.{{cite news|url=http://www.bostonradio.org/nerw/nerw-960627.html|title=KF2XBF Solved, etc.|last=Fybush|first=Scott|date=June 27, 1996|work=New England RadioWatch|access-date=February 8, 2010}} However, by 1995, ownership was expressing concern that the high costs of running the station could not be justified given the economic conditions in the market;{{cite news|url=http://www.bostonradio.org/nerw/nerw-961016.html|title=Here Comes Kidstar!|last=Fybush|first=Scott|date=October 16, 1996|work=New England RadioWatch|access-date=February 8, 2010}} after WGFB was leased out and became WBTZ in 1996, WEAV went dark and was put up for sale.{{cite news|url=http://www.bostonradio.org/nerw/nerw-960825.html|title=The Country Wars End|last=Fybush|first=Scott|date=August 25, 1996|work=New England RadioWatch|access-date=February 8, 2010}}

WEAV returned to the air in February 1997; after briefly relaying the talk format from WZBZ (1070 AM; now WJMP),{{cite news|url=http://www.bostonradio.org/nerw/nerw-970228.html|title=The Big Get Bigger|last=Fybush|first=Scott|date=February 28, 1997|work=North East RadioWatch|access-date=February 8, 2010}} the station was leased to WXPS (96.7 FM) that July to serve as a relay, first with sports talk,{{cite news|url=http://www.bostonradio.org/nerw/nerw-970724.html|title=Remembering Walt Dibble|last=Fybush|first=Scott|date=July 24, 1997|work=North East RadioWatch|access-date=February 8, 2010}} and later with country.{{cite news|url=http://www.bostonradio.org/nerw/nerw-981218.html|title=Vermont Heats Up|last=Fybush|first=Scott|date=December 18, 1998|work=North East RadioWatch|access-date=February 8, 2010}} Because of WEAV's patterns, the station's signal was the perfect complement to WXPS, as WEAV reaches well into the much larger metro area of Montréal, Québec.

Separate programming returned to WEAV in April 1999, when the station flipped to a talk format.{{cite news|url=http://www.bostonradio.org/nerw/nerw-990423.html|title=WABY Goes All-News|last=Fybush|first=Scott|date=April 23, 1999|work=North East RadioWatch|access-date=February 8, 2010}} This began to be simulcast on 96.7, renamed WXZO, two years later, at which point the current "Zone" branding was adopted.{{cite news|url=http://www.bostonradio.org/nerw/nerw-010404.html|title=Take Me Out to the Ban Game|last=Fybush|first=Scott|date=April 4, 2001|work=North East RadioWatch|access-date=February 8, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100620214649/http://bostonradio.org/nerw/nerw-010404.html|archive-date=June 20, 2010|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|url=http://www.bostonradio.org/nerw/nerw-010409.html|title=WWZN Stole the Celtics!|last=Fybush|first=Scott|date=April 9, 2001|work=North East RadioWatch|access-date=February 8, 2010}} A few months later, Plattsburgh Broadcasting Corporation finally sold the station, to Clear Channel Communications (which had already been operating the station via the local marketing agreement).{{cite web|url=http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/prefill_and_display.pl?Application_id=577327&Service=AM&Form_id=314&Facility_id=52806|title=APPLICATION FOR CONSENT TO ASSIGNMENT OF BROADCAST STATION CONSTRUCTION PERMIT OR LICENSE |date=August 13, 2001|work=CDBS Public Access|publisher=Federal Communications Commission|access-date=February 8, 2010}}

Clear Channel announced on November 16, 2006, that it would sell its Champlain Valley stations after being bought by private equity firms,{{cite news|url=http://www.fybush.com/NERW/2006/061120/nerw.html|title=Dark Days All Around|last=Fybush|first=Scott|date=November 20, 2006|work=NorthEast Radio Watch|access-date=February 8, 2010}} resulting first in the addition of a third station, WTSJ (1320 AM) in Randolph, Vermont, to the simulcast in 2007 (following the sale of its previous parent station, WTSL, for the same reason),{{cite news|url=http://www.fybush.com/NERW/2007/070507/nerw.html|title=CC Selloff Gathers Steam in Maine|last=Fybush|first=Scott|date=May 7, 2007|work=NorthEast Radio Watch|access-date=February 8, 2010}} and then in a sale to Vox Communications in 2008.{{cite news|url=http://www.fybush.com/NERW/2008/080107/nerw.html|title=Entercom/Nassau WEEI Deal is Dead|last=Fybush|first=Scott|date=January 7, 2008|work=NorthEast Radio Watch|access-date=February 8, 2010}} Vox largely removed WXZO from the simulcast on September 17 by converting it to an oldies station; both stations continued to simulcast First Light and Imus in the Morning for two years afterward.{{cite news|url=http://www.fybush.com/NERW/2008/080922/nerw.html|title=Lobel's Radio Days|last=Fybush|first=Scott|date=September 22, 2008|work=NorthEast Radio Watch|access-date=February 8, 2010}} WTSJ also left the simulcast for a time in 2008 and 2009 when Vox attempted to sell the station;{{cite news|url=http://www.fybush.com/NERW/2008/081006/nerw.html|title=WCOJ's Gone...Is Nassau Next?|last=Fybush|first=Scott|date=October 6, 2008|work=NorthEast Radio Watch|access-date=February 8, 2010}}{{cite news|url=http://www.fybush.com/NERW/2009/090928/nerw.html|title=NAB Radio Show in Philadelphia|last=Fybush|first=Scott|date=September 28, 2009|work=NorthEast Radio Watch|access-date=February 8, 2010}} the simulcast ended for good in March 2010 after another deal to sell WTSJ, soon renamed WCVR, was reached.{{cite news|url=http://www.fybush.com/NERW/2010/100315/nerw.html|title=Joey Reynolds Off the Air - For Now|last=Fybush|first=Scott|date=March 15, 2010|work=NorthEast Radio Watch|access-date=March 15, 2010}}

WEAV shifted to sports talk on January 2, 2013, when CBS Sports Radio launched (though it carried some NBC Sports Radio programming as well). On October 1, 2021, WEAV rebranded as "The Game FM" and switched affiliations to Fox Sports Radio; the move marked a consolidation of Vox's sports radio stations in the Champlain Valley, as the "Game" branding and Fox Sports Radio affiliation were transferred from WCPV.[https://radioinsight.com/headlines/213544/the-game-on-the-move-in-burlington-plattsburgh/ The Game On The Move In Burlington/Plattsburgh] Radioinsight - October 1, 2021