WESO

{{Infobox radio station

| name = WESO

| logo =

| logo_size =

| city = Southbridge, Massachusetts

| country = US

| area = South County

| branding = The Station of the Cross

| frequency = 970 kHz

| translators = {{Radio Relay|101.1 MHz|W266DK|Southbridge}}

| repeater =

| airdate = March 20, 1955{{cite book|title=Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1999|year=1999|page=D-213|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1999/D-Radio-AL-NE-BC-YB-1999..pdf|format=PDF|accessdate=January 27, 2012}}

| format = Catholic radio

| network = The Station of the Cross

| power = {{ubl|1,000 watts day|21 watts night}}

| haat =

| class = D

| facility_id = 18309

| licensing_authority = FCC

| coordinates = {{coord|42|3|59.35|N|71|59|26.27|W|region:US-MA_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}

| callsign_meaning = Webster-Southbridge{{cite web|url=http://nelson.oldradio.com/origins.call-list.html |title=Call Letter Origins |work=Radio History on the Web }}

| former_callsigns =

| operator =

| owner = Holy Family Communications

| licensee =

| sister_stations = WNEB

| webcast = {{listenlive|http://hfc.streamguys1.com/Central-New-England}}

| website = {{URL|https://thestationofthecross.com/stations/southbridge-ma/}}

| affiliations = EWTN Radio

}}

WESO (970 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a Catholic radio format, simulcasting sister station WNEB in Worcester. Established in 1955, the station is licensed to serve Southbridge, Massachusetts, United States. WESO is owned by Holy Family Communications,{{cite web|url=http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/amq?call=WESO |title=WESO Facility Record |work=United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division }} and operates as part of The Station of the Cross.

History

WESO broadcast a country music format as "The Spirit 970" until October 2008, when the station began to simulcast the business talk programming of then-sister station WBNW in Concord. On June 13, 2014, Money Matters Radio, Inc. reached a deal to sell WESO to Emmanuel Communications, Inc., the owner of WNEB. The deal closed on August 29, 2014, at a purchase price of $250,000. Following the sale, WESO was converted to noncommercial operation{{cite web|title=APPLICATION FOR CONSENT TO ASSIGNMENT OF BROADCAST STATION CONSTRUCTION PERMIT OR LICENSE|url=http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/prefill_and_display.pl?Application_id=1640568&Service=AM&Form_id=314&Facility_id=18309|date=June 23, 2014|website=CDBS Public Access|publisher=Federal Communications Commission|accessdate=June 25, 2014}} and began to carry WNEB's "Emmanuel Radio" programming, which included programming from EWTN Radio.{{cite news|last1=Boynton|first1=Donna|title=Worcester Catholic radio to buy WESO station|url=http://www.telegram.com/article/20140628/NEWS/306289978|accessdate=April 18, 2017|work=Worcester Telegram and Gazette|date=June 28, 2014|language=en}}

Holy Family Communications, owner of WQOM in Natick and stations in New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, began operating WESO and WNEB under a local marketing agreement on January 1, 2022. The stations became part of Holy Family's The Station of the Cross network.{{cite news |last1=Venta |first1=Lance |title=Holy Family Communications Expands In Massachusetts |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/216768/holy-family-communications-expands-in-massachusetts/ |access-date=November 30, 2023 |work=RadioInsight |date=December 9, 2021}} In early 2024, Holy Family bought the stations outright for $1,000.{{cite news |last1=Venta |first1=Lance |title=Station Sales Week of 1/5 |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/263017/station-sales-week-of-1-5/ |access-date=April 7, 2024 |work=RadioInsight |date=January 5, 2024}} Holy Family announced its plans to sell WESO, WNEB and WACE in Chicopee to Journey for Life Media for $150,000 in May 2025.[https://radioinsight.com/headlines/300222/station-sales-week-of-5-9-cumulus-sells-buffalo-am/ Station sales week of 5/9: Cumulus sells Buffalo AM]. RadioInsight. Retrieved May 10, 2025.