WIRY is an AM radio station licensed to Plattsburgh, New York. The locally owned and operated radio station broadcasts at 1340 kHz in C-QUAM AM stereo into a Valcom whip antenna[3] (one of the only stations to do so) with a full service variety format.

WIRY
Broadcast areaBurlington-Plattsburgh
Frequency1340 kHz
BrandingHometown Radio
Programming
FormatFull service
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
  • Dave Andrews
  • (Hometown Communications, LLC)
History
First air date
January 30, 1950[1]
Technical information[2]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID73035
ClassC
Power
  • 1,000 watts day
  • 940 watts night
Transmitter coordinates
44°41′49″N 73°28′40″W / 44.69694°N 73.47778°W / 44.69694; -73.47778
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen live
Websitewiry.com

WIRY is primarily music-formatted, featuring an eclectic variety of formats. The station describes its format as a mix of adult contemporary, country music, and oldies.

WIRY is mostly locally operated. The station has a live local morning show and an extensive local news and sports bureau, carrying the Plattsburgh Cardinals hockey team in winter months and high school sports. The station also has several creative advertising programs, including a listing of lunch menus from advertisers and a radio help-wanted show titled "Who's Hiring." Weather forecasts are taken from public domain National Weather Service reports.

The station serves as an affiliate for the New York Yankees, New York Giants, Westwood One, The Beatle Years with Bob Malik, When Radio Was and The Country Music Greats Radio Show.

In addition, the station also streams on the Internet. It has streamed continuously since prior to 2002 and survived the Internet radio bust that forced many stations to stop streaming at that time.

WIRY began leasing FM radio station WPLB in 2016; the rechristened WIRY-FM would mostly simulcast the AM side, with syndicated music programs likely to air in place of sports (Bill Santa, WIRY's owner, stated that major sports teams prefer AM radio affiliates).[4] WIRY ended the FM simulcast in 2020.

In September 2019, a coalition led by the station's news director Dave Andrews along with Clinton County businessmen and politicians was revealed to be in negotiations to purchase WIRY from Bill Santa. The station's full-service format is not expected to change.[5] The purchase by Hometown Communications, LLC, at a price of $287,500, was consummated on December 27, 2019.

References

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  1. ^ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1999 (PDF). 1999. p. D-309. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
  2. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WIRY". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  3. ^ "Site of the Week 6/19/15: More of New York's North Country". 19 June 2015.
  4. ^ "WIRY launches FM signal".
  5. ^ "WIRY to be Sold".
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