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WYBC (AM)

{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}}

{{Infobox radio station

| name = WYBC

| city = New Haven, Connecticut

| country = US

| above = Simulcasts WSHU, Westport, Connecticut

| area = Greater New Haven

| frequency = {{Frequency|1340|kHz}}

| branding = WSHU Public Radio

| languages = English

| format = News/talk (public radio)

| affiliations = {{ubl|NPR|Public Radio International|American Public Media}}

| owner = Yale Broadcasting Company, Inc.

| operator = Sacred Heart University

| sister_stations = {{hlist|WSHU-FM|WSUF|WYBC-FM}}

| airdate = {{Start date and age|1944|12}}

| former_callsigns = WNHC (1944–1998)

| callsign_meaning = Yale Broadcasting Company

| licensing_authority = FCC

| facility_id = 72820

| class = C

| power = {{ubl|1,000 watts (day)|880 watts (night)}}

| coordinates = {{Coord|41|17|33|N|72|57|12|W|type:landmark_region:US-CT|display=inline,title}}

| translators = {{Radio Relay|105.5 MHz|W288DV|New Haven}}

| website = {{URL|https://www.wshu.org/}}

}}

WYBC (1340 AM) is a radio station operating on the campus of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. The station is owned by Yale Broadcasting Company, Inc.; however, it is programmed by Sacred Heart University under a time brokerage agreement. WYBC is a public radio station, airing a news/talk format.

History

The 1340 AM frequency first signed-on in December 1944[http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/44-OCR/1944-08-21-BC-OCR-Page-0066.pdf "WNHC takes the air."] Broadcasting - Broadcast Advertising, December 4, 1944, pg. 14. as WNHC, under the ownership of the Elm City Broadcasting Corporation. Elm City was principally controlled by Patrick J. Goode, U.S. postmaster for New Haven and former co-owner of WELI radio; and Aldo DeDominicis, a former WELI sales person.[http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/44-OCR/1944-08-21-BC-OCR-Page-0066.pdf "FCC grants FM, standard permits."] Broadcasting - Broadcast Advertising, August 21, 1944, pg. 66. Triangle Publications acquired the station, along with WNHC-FM (99.1, now WPLR) and WNHC-TV (channel 8, now WTNH), from Elm City in 1956.[http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/56-OCR/1956-05-28-BC-OCR-Page-0082.pdf "Triangle makes 4th purchase in year, buys WNHC-AM-FM-TV for $5.4 million."] Broadcasting - Telecasting, May 28, 1956, pg. 82.

Triangle had sold its stations, including WNHC-AM-FM-TV, to Capital Cities Communications in 1971.[http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/70-OCR/1970-02-16-BC-OCR-Page-0009.pdf "Capcities buys 9 Triangle outlets."] Broadcasting, February 16, 1970, pg. 9."Last minute clearance for Capcities." Broadcasting, March 1, 1971, pp. 19-20. [http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/71-OCR/1971-03-01-BC-OCR-Page-0019.pdf] [http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/71-OCR/1971-03-01-BC-OCR-Page-0020.pdf] However, the new owners were forced by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to spin off the radio stations to comply with then-current ownership limits; WNHC was sold to Westerly Broadcasting Company."WNHC-AM-FM sold." Broadcasting, April 6, 1970, pp. 9-10. [http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/70-OCR/1970-04-06-BC-OCR-Page-0009.pdf] [http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/70-OCR/1970-04-06-BC-OCR-Page-0010.pdf] By this time, the station had a contemporary format;{{cite book|title=Broadcasting Yearbook 1972|year=1972|page=B-46|url=http://www.davidgleason.com/Archive%20BC-YB/1972/B-1%20YB%201972%20All-11.pdf|access-date=April 16, 2010}} this gave way in 1976 to a middle-of-the-road/talk format.{{cite book|title=Broadcasting Yearbook 1977|year=1977|page=C-36|url=http://www.davidgleason.com/Archive%20BC-YB/1977/C-2%20Radio%20Broadcasting%20Yearbook%201977.pdf|access-date=April 16, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101008175325/http://davidgleason.com/Archive%20BC-YB/1977/C-2%20Radio%20Broadcasting%20Yearbook%201977.pdf|archive-date=October 8, 2010|url-status=dead}}

WNHC again attempted a top 40 format starting in June 1979 in an attempt to compete against WAVZ; however, just weeks later, WAVZ swapped formats with its sister station, WKCI.{{cite web|title=WNHC (AM)|url=http://www.hartfordradiohistory.com/WNHC__AM_.html|work=CT Broadcast History|access-date=February 24, 2011}} With minimal promotion, WNHC struggled to compete with WKCI's stronger FM signal, and in March 1980 it flipped to an urban format.{{cite news|url=http://www.bostonradio.org/nerw/nerw-980530.html|title=WNEQ, R.I.P?|last=Fybush|first=Scott|date=May 30, 1998|work=North East RadioWatch|access-date=April 16, 2010}} However, the station ran into financial problems during the 1990s, forcing owner Willis Communications to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December 1997.{{cite web|url=http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/comment.pl?Application_id=257641&File_number=BAPL-19971126EB|title=Application Search Details|work=CDBS Public Access|publisher=Federal Communications Commission|access-date=April 16, 2010}}{{cite news|url=http://www.conntact.com/archive_index/archive_pages/3045_Business_New_Haven.html|title=Air War|last=Mele|first=Linda|date=February 23, 1998|work=Business New Haven|access-date=April 16, 2010}} The bankruptcy resulted in a battle between Yale Broadcasting Company, which wanted to eliminate a competitor to WYBC-FM, and Buckley Broadcasting over the sale of WNHC, as well as protests against Yale Broadcasting in New Haven's African American community.{{cite news|url=http://www.bostonradio.org/nerw/nerw-980129.html|title=A Sinclair Sale|last=Fybush|first=Scott|date=January 29, 1998|work=North East RadioWatch|access-date=April 16, 2010}} The dispute ended on June 3, 1998, when Yale Broadcasting purchased the station in bankruptcy court; the next morning, WNHC was shut down at the order of a United States bankruptcy judge for the District of Connecticut.{{cite news|url=http://www.bostonradio.org/nerw/nerw-980604.html|title=Tornado Topples WIVT|last=Fybush|first=Scott|date=June 4, 1998|work=North East RadioWatch|access-date=April 17, 2010}} It returned to the air under Yale Broadcasting's control on September 15;{{cite news|url=http://www.bostonradio.org/nerw/nerw-980918.html|title=WERS Makes the Big Move|last=Fybush|first=Scott|date=September 18, 1998|work=North East RadioWatch|access-date=April 17, 2010}} on October 5, the call sign was changed to WYBC.{{cite web |url=http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=72820&Callsign=WYBC |title=Call Sign History |work=FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database}} Starting in 1941, Yale students had operated an unofficial AM radio station using weak-signal carrier current technology tolerated by the FCC and common among student-run stations at the time, renamed WYBC and changed to 640 AM in 1945, but that station ceased operations by the early 1980s.[http://drs.library.yale.edu:8083/HLTransformer/HLTransServlet?stylename=yul.ead2002.xhtml.xsl&pid=mssa:ru.0059&query=united%20states%20relocation&clear-stylesheet-cache=yes&hlon=yes&filter=&hitPageStart=26 see WYBC, Yale University Archives]{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

File:WYBC (AM).png station.]]

In the station's first decade as WYBC, unlike many college campus radio stations, it featured both student and non-student programming, some professional. However, interest in the station eventually dwindled (in sharp contrast, sister station WYBC-FM, largely programmed by Cox Radio, is one of the highest-rated urban adult contemporary stations in the country), and its college radio programming was transitioned to an Internet radio station, WYBCX, by 2010.{{cite news|last=Lewis|first=Miranda|title=WYBC makes waves, draws serious fans|url=http://yaleherald.com/arts/wybc-makes-waves-draws-serious-fans/|access-date=April 18, 2011|newspaper=The Yale Herald|date=April 23, 2010}} WYBC then adopted its current public radio programming, provided by Sacred Heart University, on April 4, 2011 (WYBC-FM continues to operate as a commercial station).{{cite news|last=Brensilver|first=David|title=WSHU Programs Airing On WYBC|url=http://newhavenindependent.org/index.php/arts/entry/wshu_introduces_new_programming/|access-date=April 18, 2011|newspaper=Breaking Arts|date=April 7, 2011}} The time brokerage agreement with Sacred Heart University provides funding for WYBCX's operations.{{cite news|last=Fybush|first=Scott|title=WBEN Adds FM|url=http://www.fybush.com/NERW/2011/110411/nerw.html|access-date=April 18, 2011|newspaper=NorthEast Radio Watch|date=April 11, 2011}} The AM station uses a small ValCom fiberglass antenna in place of the original metal tower which stood on the site.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hobbybroadcaster.net/community/index.php?topic=870.0|title = An Interesting AM Broadcast Antenna: The Valcom}}

See also

References

{{Reflist|2}}

External links

{{New Haven Radio}}

{{NPR Connecticut}}

{{Sacred Heart University}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1944 establishments in Connecticut

YBC

Category:Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1997

Category:News and talk radio stations in the United States

Category:Radio stations established in 1944

YBC

Category:Sacred Heart University

Category:Yale University