WNEL (1430 AM, Radio Tiempo) is a radio station in Caguas, Puerto Rico, broadcasting a News, Sports and Spanish Oldies format. The station is currently owned by Turabo Radio Corporation. The station is rebroadcast on translator station W241CW (96.1 FM), also located in Caguas.

WNEL
Frequency1430 kHz
BrandingRadio Tiempo
Programming
FormatNews/Sports/Spanish Oldies
AffiliationsNotiUno, iHeartMedia
Ownership
Owner
  • Uno Radio Group
  • (Turabo Radio Corporation)
WUNO, WPRP, WORA, WCMN, WFID, WZAR, WFDT, WPRM-FM, WIVA-FM, WRIO, WTOK-FM, WCMN-FM, WMIO
History
First air date
July 21, 1947 (1947-07-21)
Former call signs
WRIA (1947-1952)
WMIA (1952-1955)
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID68355
ClassB
Power5,000 watts
Transmitter coordinates
18°14′45″N 66°01′22″W / 18.245781°N 66.022801°W / 18.245781; -66.022801
Translator(s)96.1 W241CW (Caguas)
Links
Public license information
Websitewww.radiotiempo.net

History

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The Inter-American Radio Corporation applied for a construction permit to build a new radio station in Caguas on July 30, 1946, and was granted the permit for a 250-watt outlet on 1450 kHz on December 26 of that year.[2] The firm was owned by the Biascochea family of San Juan.[3] WRIA went on the air on July 21, 1947, with a twelve-hour inaugural program.[4] The young station became embroiled in a conflict with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). On November 15, 1950, the commission revoked WRIA's broadcast license and ordered the station to cease operating within 15 days for failure to follow FCC engineering rules and regulations.[5] The station requested a formal hearing, being allowed to continue operating in the process, and was granted one by the commission in January 1951.[6] The station argued financial issues had caused the engineering shortfalls.[7] After the hearing, the station's technical facilities improved to the point where one commissioner, Paul A. Walker, set aside the revocation ruling in October 1950.[8] The commission then granted WRIA a renewal.[7]

WRIA became WMIA on July 4, 1952.[2] By 1953, the station was including time information every five minutes, calling itself "El Reloj de Borinquen" (The Clock of Borinquen).[9] The station changed its call sign again to WNEL on February 8, 1955.[2] The studios were heavily damaged in a 1979 fire; the station was able to remain on the air by hastily moving to an office above a Chase Manhattan Bank branch.[10]

Translator stations

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Broadcast translator for WNEL
Call sign Frequency City of license FID ERP (W) FCC info
W241CW 96.1 FM Caguas, Puerto Rico 203170 .25 LMS

References

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  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WNEL". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ a b c "FCC History Cards for WNEL". Federal Communications Commission.
  3. ^ Martínez García, Andrés (June 17, 1947). "Nueva radioemisora se establecerá en Caguas" [New radio station to be established in Caguas]. El Mundo (in Spanish). p. 4.
  4. ^ Martínez García, Andrés (July 23, 1947). "Caguas cuenta con estación emisora" [Caguas counts with a radio station]. El Mundo (in Spanish). p. 4.
  5. ^ "FCC Roundup". Broadcasting. November 20, 1950. p. 79. ProQuest 1285685748.
  6. ^ "WTNJ WRIA Case: FCC Suspends Revocation". Broadcasting. January 22, 1951. p. 87. ProQuest 1285679660.
  7. ^ a b "WRIA to Keep License". Broadcasting. November 12, 1951. p. 106. ProQuest 1401198363.
  8. ^ "FCC Approves WRIA Set-Up". Billboard. October 27, 1951. p. 6. ProQuest 1040152324.
  9. ^ "Ahora WMIA, La Reloj del Borinquen" [Now WMIA, The Clock of Borinquen]. El Mundo (Advertisement). March 10, 1953. p. 8.
  10. ^ "Fuego Causó $640,000 de Pérdidas en 3 Negocios Caguas" [Fire Caused $640,000 in Losses to 3 Businesses in Caguas]. El Mundo (in Spanish). February 17, 1979. p. 15-B.
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