WHMP

{{Short description|Radio station in Northampton, Massachusetts}}

{{Infobox radio station

| name = WHMP

| logo = WHMP Newstalk 101.5 1400 logo.png

| logo_upright = .9

| city = Northampton, Massachusetts

|country = US

| area = Pioneer Valley

| frequency = {{frequency|1400|kHz}}

| branding = NewsTalk WHMP

| format = News/talk

| affiliations = {{ubl|CBS News Radio|Compass Media Networks|Westwood One}}

| owner = Saga Communications

| licensee = Saga Communications of New England, LLC

| sister_stations = {{hlist|WAQY|WHAI|WLZX|WLZX-FM|WPVQ-FM|WRSI}}

| translators = {{Radio Relay|101.5|W268CZ|Northampton}}

| repeaters = {{Radio Relay|93.9|WRSI-HD2|Turners Falls}}

| airdate = {{Start date and age|1950|12}}{{cite book|title=Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1999|year=1999|pages=D-209–12|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1999/D-Radio-AL-NE-BC-YB-1999..pdf|access-date=October 28, 2012}}

| callsign_meaning = Hampshire County

| licensing_authority = FCC

| facility_id = 46962

| class = C

| power = 1,000 watts unlimited

| coordinates = {{Coord|42|19|36.32|N|72|39|26.33|W|region:US-MA_type:landmark|name=WHMP|display=inline,title}}

| webcast = {{listenlive|https://player.amperwave.net/7907}}

| website = {{URL|https://www.whmp.com/}}

}}

WHMP (1400 AM) is a commercial radio station broadcasting a news/talk format. Licensed to Northampton, Massachusetts, it serves the Pioneer Valley, with studios on Hampton Avenue. It is owned by Saga Communications, and operates as part of its Northampton Radio Group.

WHMP is powered at 1,000 watts, using a non-directional antenna. Its programming is also heard on FM translator station W268CZ at 101.5 MHz in Northampton, and on an HD Radio digital subchannel of WRSI (93.9 FM) in Turners Falls.

Programming

Weekdays begin with news, talk and information shows hosted by Jess Tyler, Bill Newman and Buz Eisenberg. The rest of the schedule is nationally syndicated talk programs: The Stephanie Miller Show, The Thom Hartmann Show, The Ramsey Show with Dave Ramsey, Armstrong & Getty, CBS Eye on The World with John Batchelor, America Tonight with Rich Valdes and This Morning, America's First News with Gordon Deal.

Weekends feature specialty shows on health, pets, technology, travel, cars and gardening. Syndicated programs include The Kim Komando Show, The Car Doctor with Ron Ananian, World Travel with Rudy Maxa, Rich DeMuro on Tech, The Lars Larson Show, along with a Sunday morning polka music show and a Sunday evening Old-Time Radio show. Most hours begin with an update from CBS News Radio.

History

WHMP signed on the air in December 1950. For much of its early decades, it aired a full service format of middle of the road (MOR) music, news, talk and sports. It had been an affiliate of the ABC Information Network. In 1965, it added an FM sister station, 99.3 WHMP-FM (now WLZX-FM).{{cite book|title=Broadcasting Yearbook 1975|year=1975|page=C-90}}

During the 2000s and 2010s, WHMP was simulcast on WHMQ (1240 AM) in Greenfield and WHNP (1600 AM) in East Longmeadow. WHNP and WHMQ previously simulcast sister FM stations; WHNP was a simulcast of WAQY-FM (as WAQY,{{cite news |first=Scott |last=Fybush |title=New England RadioWatch |url=http://www.bostonradio.org/nerw/nerw-970118.html |date=January 18, 1997 |access-date=January 1, 2008 }}{{cite news |first=Scott |last=Fybush |title=The Big Get Bigger |url=http://www.bostonradio.org/nerw/nerw-970228.html |work=North East RadioWatch |date=February 28, 1997 |access-date=January 1, 2008 }} WMRE, and WPNT{{cite news |first=Scott |last=Fybush |title=NHPR Goes North |url=http://www.bostonradio.org/nerw/nerw-990521.html |work=North East RadioWatch |date=May 21, 1999 |access-date=January 1, 2008 }}) until 2000{{cite news |first=Scott |last=Fybush |title=WNSS Gets Funny, Utica Gets Buggy, Dodge Gets Arrested |url=http://www.bostonradio.org/nerw/nerw-001023.html |work=North East RadioWatch |date=October 23, 2000 |access-date=January 1, 2008 }}{{cite news |first=Scott |last=Fybush |title=Martin-Trigona -- He's Back! |url=http://www.bostonradio.org/nerw/nerw-001030.html |work=North East RadioWatch |date=October 30, 2000 |access-date=January 1, 2008 }} (it carried a promotional loop for Six Flags New England for several months after dropping the WAQY simulcast{{cite news |first=Scott |last=Fybush |title=What "Cooperation" Means |url=http://www.bostonradio.org/nerw/nerw-000602.html |work=North East RadioWatch |date=June 2, 2000 |access-date=January 1, 2008 }}), while WHMQ repeated WHAI-FM (as WHAI) until 2001.{{cite news |first=Scott |last=Fybush |title=River Flows to New Home |url=http://www.bostonradio.org/nerw/nerw-010205.html |work=North East RadioWatch |date=February 5, 2001 |access-date=January 1, 2008 }}

WHMP's network of stations constituted part of a network of progressive talk stations throughout the northeastern United States that were owned by Saga Communications (others included WNYY in Ithaca, New York, and WKVT in Brattleboro, Vermont); these, in turn, were among the last progressive talk stations still on the air in early 2017. Because of the migration of most progressive talk shows to off-air platforms, Saga announced plans to drop the format from WNYY in Ithaca effective February 1, 2017;{{cite news|last1=Reynolds|first1=Nick|title=A Progressive Talk Station Goes Off Air. No, It's Not A Conspiracy.|url=http://www.ithaca.com/news/ithaca/a-progressive-talk-station-goes-off-air-no-it-s/article_edf3db36-d846-11e6-8305-5796b8655f3f.html|access-date=January 13, 2017|work=Ithaca Times|date=January 11, 2017}} WHNP received WNYY's translator under a policy that allows translators to be moved up to 250 miles from their original city of license.Fybush, Scott (January 16, 2017). [https://www.fybush.com/nerw-20170116/ Prog Talk Fades Away]. NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved January 19, 2017. On February 3, 2017, following the translator's move, WHNP dropped out of the simulcast with WHMP and became WLZX, a simulcast of WLZX-FM 99.3.[https://radioinsight.com/headlines/116313/lazer-99-3-adds-second-signal/ Laser 99.3 Adds Second Signal] Radioinsight - February 3, 2017

File:WHMP logo.jpg

WHMP was previously carried on translator W245BK (96.9 FM) in Amherst. Following the launch of W268CZ, the 96.9 facility was repurposed as an oldies station, fed by the HD3 channel of WLZX-FM, in June 2018.{{cite news |last1=Venta |first1=Lance |title=Saga Launches Pure Oldies In Amherst MA |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/168775/saga-launches-pure-oldies-in-amherst-ma/ |access-date=March 27, 2023 |work=RadioInsight |date=June 4, 2018}} Until February 1, 2021, WHMQ in Greenfield had its own translator, W298CA (107.5 FM); that facility then launched a soft adult contemporary format originating from the HD2 channel of WPVQ-FM.{{cite news |last1=Venta |first1=Lance |title=Saga Gets EZ In Greenfield MA |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/204899/saga-gets-ez-in-greenfield-ma/ |access-date=March 27, 2023 |work=RadioInsight |date=February 21, 2021}}

Saga Communications surrendered WHMQ's license to the Federal Communications Commission on March 20, 2023, and it was deleted the same day.