WATR
| File:WATR NEWS-TALK-GOOD-TIME-OLDIES logo.jpg | |
| Frequency | 1320 kHz |
|---|---|
| Branding | WATR 1320 |
| Programming | |
| Format | News/Talk/Sports/Oldies/Great American Songbook/Jazz |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| History | |
First air date | 1934[1] |
Call sign meaning | WATeRbury |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 71102 |
| Class | B |
| Power | 5,000 Watts (day) 1,000 Watts (night) |
Transmitter coordinates | 41°32′12″N 73°01′52″W / 41.53667°N 73.03111°W |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | www |
WATR (1320 AM) is a radio station licensed to serve Waterbury, Connecticut. The station is owned by WATR, Inc. It airs a full-service News/Talk/Sports plus Oldies music format.[2] It is the oldest privately owned station in the state of Connecticut, never having been sold outside the family of its founder, Harold Thomas (1902–1968).
The station is host to the long-running "Tom Chute & You," the weekday morning drive program (6-9:30 a.m.) hosted by general manager and program director Thomas J. Chute with News Director Christopher M. Fortier anchoring news reports through the noon hour. It is the third-longest continuously running morning drive radio program in Connecticut, having debuted on Jan. 2, 1986. Barbara Hart Davitt, who marked 54 years at the station on Nov. 22, 2017, hosts "Coffee Break" from 9:30 to 10 a.m. Monday through Thursday. Debuting in the mid-1960s, it is one of the longest-running radio shows in the U.S. Since January 2017, Steve Noxon has hosted "Talk of the Town," for decades WATR's flagship talk show focusing on local and national issues, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fortier serves as the program's executive producer.
Weekend programming includes the traditional and contemporary sounds of Polish music on Sunday morning's "The Zembruski Family Polka Hour." The show's predecessor, "The Polish Eagle Show," originated in 1934 on WATR by bandleader Victor Zembruski (1912–1976). His widow, Sophie Zembruski (1918–2010), hosted the show from 1976 to 2008, at which time the couple's daughter, Loretta Hoxie, took over hosting duties. The current show, hosted by Nathaniel Zembruski, succeeded Hoxie shortly after she retired in 2013. Other weekend programming highlights include "Hill's Gallery," hosted by Thomas Hill III, featuring jazz, smooth jazz and talk; the Saturday night "Music Museum" hosted by Jay Crawford; and Sunday morning's "Carosello Italiano," a program hosted by Joe Costa featuring music and news from the Italian community. The station also maintains the tradition of broadcasting play-by-play of local high school sports.
WATR once had sister FM and television stations: WATR-FM, established in 1961, now Country 92-5 WWYZ, and WATR-TV, established in 1953, later WTXX TV 20 and now WCCT-TV.
The station has been assigned the WATR call letters by the Federal Communications Commission since it was initially licensed in 1934.[1][3]
References
- ^ a b Collins, Michael. "Time Line For Connecticut Broadcasting". Connecticut Broadcaster's Association.
- ^ "Winter 2008 Station Information Profile". Arbitron.
- ^ "Call Sign History". FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database.
External links
- WATR official website
- Facility details for Facility ID WATR ({{{2}}}) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- {{{2}}} in Nielsen Audio's AM station database
- Template:FCC History Cards
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