WPVQ-FM

WPVQ-FM (95.3 MHz, "Bear Country 95.3") is a radio station licensed to serve Greenfield, Massachusetts. The station is owned by Saga Communications and licensed to Saga Communications of New England, LLC; it operates as part of Saga's Western Mass Radio Group. WPVQ-FM airs a country music format.[3]

WPVQ-FM
Frequency95.3 MHz (HD Radio)
BrandingBear Country 95.3
Programming
FormatCountry
Subchannels
AffiliationsNew England Patriots Radio Network
Ownership
Owner
  • Saga Communications
  • (Saga Communications of New England, LLC)
WHAI, WIZZ, WRSI
History
First air date
July 26, 1981[1]
Former call signs
  • WRSI (1981–2001)
  • WPVQ (2001–2018)[2]
Technical information
Facility ID54780
ClassA
ERP610 watts
HAAT224 meters (735 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
42°41′50″N 72°36′20″W
Translator(s)
  • HD2: 107.5 W298CA (Greenfield)
  • HD3: 92.3 W222CH (Greenfield)
Links
WebcastListen live
Listen live (HD2)
Listen live (HD3)
Websitebear953.com
ez1075.com (HD2)
outlaw923.com (HD3)

History

In August 1996, Dynacom purchased WRSI (95.3 FM) and WGAM from Radio Skutnik, Inc. (Ed Skutnik, owner) for a reported sale price of $650,000.[4] In August 1999, Vox Media Corp. purchased Dynacom and all of its radio assets, including WRSI, for a reported $5.5 million.[5]

In July 2000, Vox purchased WPVQ (93.9 FM) from Cardwell Broadcasting for a reported sale price of $2.925 million.[6]

In February 2001, WPVQ swapped frequencies with WRSI so that WRSI now broadcasts on 93.9 MHz from Turners Falls, Massachusetts, and WPVQ broadcasts on its current 95.3 MHz.[7] The 95.3 FM station was assigned the WPVQ call letters by the Federal Communications Commission on February 1, 2001.[2]

In December 2003, Saga Communications announced that it had reached an agreement to purchase WRSI (93.9 FM) and WPVQ (95.3 FM) plus WRSY (101.5 FM) from Vox.[8] The $7 million deal closed in April 2004.[9] The station's call sign was modified to WPVQ-FM on October 5, 2018.[2]

HD subchannels

On February 1, 2021, WPVQ-FM launched a soft adult contemporary format on its HD2 subchannel, branded as "EZ 107.5"; the branding reflects its carriage on translator W298CA (107.5 FM) in Greenfield.[10]

As of November 2022, WPVQ-FM's HD3 subchannel serves as the origination for the classic country format, branded "92.3 The Outlaw", carried on W222CH (92.3 FM) in Greenfield. The "Outlaw" programming and the 92.3 translator had been associated with WPVQ (700 AM) prior to Saga's sale of that station in 2022.[11]

References
  1. Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2009 (PDF). 2009. p. D-271. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  2. "Call Sign History". FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database.
  3. "Station Information Profile". Arbitron. Archived from the original on March 1, 2010.
  4. Fybush, Scott (2006-08-28). "Entercom's Big Week". NorthEast Radio Watch.
  5. Fybush, Scott (1999-08-06). "Sales Galore". NorthEast Radio Watch.
  6. "Changing Hands". Broadcasting & Cable. 2000-07-31.
  7. Fybush, Scott (2001-12-31). "2001: The Year in Review". NorthEast Radio Watch.
  8. Fybush, Scott (2003-12-29). "Saga Adds in Pioneer Valley". NorthEast Radio Watch.
  9. Fybush, Scott (2004-04-12). "Nassau Shakeup in Maine". NorthEast Radio Watch.
  10. Saga Gets EZ In Greenfield MA Radioinsight - February 12, 2021
  11. Venta, Lance (November 4, 2022). "Station Sales Week Of 11/4". RadioInsight. Retrieved November 4, 2022.


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