WEXT

WEXT
City Amsterdam, New York
Broadcast area Albany, New York
Branding Exit 97.7
Frequency 97.7 MHz
First air date July 16, 1979 (as WMVL)
Format Adult album alternative
ERP 1,600 watts
HAAT 190 meters (620 ft)
Class A
Facility ID 23457
Transmitter coordinates 42°59′5.00″N 74°10′49.00″W / 42.9847222°N 74.1802778°W / 42.9847222; -74.1802778
Callsign meaning EXiT 97.7
Former callsigns WCSS-FM (1975-1979) WMVQ (1979-1988)
WKOL-FM (1988-1994)
WBKK (1994-2007)
Affiliations National Public Radio, Public Radio International
Owner WMHT Educational Telecommunications
Sister stations WMHT-FM
Website exit977.org

WEXT (97.7 FM) is a radio station broadcasting an adult album alternative format.[1] Licensed to Amsterdam, New York, USA, the station serves Albany, New York.[2] The station is currently owned by WMHT Educational Telecommunications and features programming from American Public Media, National Public Radio and Public Radio International.

History

WEXT began operations as WCSS-FM in 1975, airing a top 40/oldies format. In 1979, the call letters changed to WMVQ, which now programmed a MOR format. In 1984, WMVQ changed formats to soft rock. In late 1988, the format was changed to oldies with the call letters WKOL-FM, which was known as Cool 97.7. In late 1989, the station flipped to adult contemporary.

On December 26, 1994, the station flipped to classical music as WBKK W-Bach after playing Christmas music under the AC format. As a commercial station, the station originally ran using the KDFC DAT service, switching to the now-defunct SW Classical network and eventually to a service provided by WCRB in Boston, Massachusetts.

On August 4, 2005, the station became a simulcast of WMHT-FM after GEM Associates sold the station to WMHT Educational Telecommunications for $1.5 million. In April 2006, WBKK split off from the simulcast of WMHT-FM with a classical music format carrying shorter pieces than its sister station.

On July 7, 2007, WMHT-FM dropped their classical service on WBKK and launched a new adult album alternative format under the Exit 97.7 branding and the WEXT calls. The station highlights a lot of local music, calling it "Local 518" (in reference to the station's area code). Featured programs include the children's rock and roll program called "The Peanut Butter Jam."[3]

References

  1. "Station Information Profile". Arbitron.
  2. Furfaro, Danielle (2007-07-06). "'The Exit,' a new format for radio, emerges". Albany Times Union.
  3. "WEXT Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 9/18/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.