WPLM-FM

For the AM radio station in Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States, see WPLM (AM).
WPLM-FM
City Plymouth, Massachusetts
Broadcast area Boston
New Bedford-Fall River
Cape Cod
Branding Today's Easy 99.1
Slogan Boston's Home for True Variety
Frequency 99.1 MHz
First air date June 25, 1961
Format Adult Contemporary
ERP 50,000 watts, Stereo
HAAT 131 meters
Class B
Facility ID 52838
Transmitter coordinates 41°58′2.00″N 70°42′4.00″W / 41.9672222°N 70.7011111°W / 41.9672222; -70.7011111 (WPLM-FM)
Callsign meaning Plymouth or We Play Lovely Music[1]
Owner Plymouth Rock Broadcasting Company
Sister stations WPLM
Webcast Listen Live
Website easy991.com

WPLM-FM (99.1 FM, "Easy 99.1") is an Adult Contemporary station serving the Boston,Massachusetts, New Bedford-Fall River, Massachusetts, and Cape Cod radio markets from Plymouth, Massachusetts. It is owned by Plymouth Rock Broadcasting Co. and has a sister AM station by the same callsign. Its transmitter is located in Plymouth. As of September 2014 the signal was strengthened to reach much of Rhode Island.

History

WPLM-FM signed on June 25, 1961.[2] In the station's first decades on the air, it had a big band format. This was abandoned in 1993 in favor of an adult contemporary format, branded "Variety 99.1".[3] However, the station saw little success with this format, due to there being several other stations with a similar format within WPLM's coverage area, and as a result it switched to smooth jazz on June 25, 1995.[3][4] Initially, programming was largely provided by SW Networks' Smooth FM service;[5] (indeed, the station took the branding "Smooth FM 99.1")[3] however, after Smooth FM closed on December 31, 1996,[6] the station switched to a similar service from Jones Radio Networks[7] and reimaged as "Jazzy 99.1".[8] Two years later, this was discontinued in favor of the current "Easy 99.1" format.[8] In the beginning, adult standards artists such as Frank Sinatra received a large amount of airplay, but the station has subsequently shifted to more of a contemporary format..

From WPLM-FM's inception, its programming has been simulcast, in whole or in part, with its sister AM station, which signed on six years earlier;[2][9] however, the AM station has gradually shifted some of its schedule to simulcasts of WADN/WBNW (1120) since 1997.

Notable past and present personnel include Audrey Constant, Scott Reiniche, Billy Teed, Chris Rogers, Ken Coleman, Ron Della Chiesa, Bill O'Connell, and Sean Casey.

References

  1. ↑ "Call Letter Origins". Radio History on the Web.
  2. 1 2 Broadcasting Yearbook 1981 (PDF). 1981. p. C-112. Retrieved February 12, 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 Fybush, Scott (June 29, 1995). "New England Radio Watcher: WPLM goes smooth". rec.radio.broadcasting. Google Groups. Retrieved February 9, 2010.
  4. ↑ Shneyder, Mark (June 28, 1995). "Boston Radio Watch 06-27-95". rec.radio.broadcasting. Google Groups. Retrieved February 9, 2010.
  5. ↑ Fybush, Scott (May 21, 1996). "New England RadioWatch". Retrieved February 9, 2010.
  6. ↑ Fybush, Scott (December 9, 1996). "New England RadioWatch". Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  7. ↑ Fybush, Scott (December 26, 1996). "WNBX Is Sold, WSNG Is Back, and More Elmo-Mania". New England RadioWatch. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  8. 1 2 Fybush, Scott (January 1, 1999). "Standards Die, Standards Live". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved February 12, 2010.
  9. ↑ Broadcasting Yearbook 1961-62 (PDF). 1961. p. B-82. Retrieved February 12, 2010.
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