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Explore the people, places, events, achievements, struggles and stories that shaped our journey.
Movements, leaders, victories and the continuing fight for equality.
Innovation, patents, science, technology and world-changing contributions.
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In 1968 Shirley Chisholm became the first Black woman elected to the United States Congress. In 1972 she launched a campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, breaking another political barrier.
MORE →Reflects the personal views, recollections, and perspective of the author, Mike Davis.
This is a personal recollection on the Move fire on May 13, 1985
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Broadcast area | Greater Springfield |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 1450 kHz |
| Branding | Nueva 98.1 |
| Programming | |
| Language | Spanish |
| Format | |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| History | |
First air date | September 1, 1932 |
Former call signs | WMAS (1932–2009) |
Call sign meaning | in reference to the station's studios at the Basketball Hall of Fame |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| 36545 | |
| Class | C |
| Power | 1,000 watts (unlimited) |
Transmitter coordinates | 42°6′33.34″N 72°36′38.32″W / 42.1092611°N 72.6106444°W |
| Translator | 98.1 W251CT (Springfield) |
| Repeater | 94.7 WMAS-FM HD2 (Enfield, Connecticut) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live (via Audacy) |
| Website | www |
WHLL (1450 AM) – branded as Nueva 98.1 – is a commercial radio station broadcasting a Spanish-language Latin pop format licensed to Springfield, Massachusetts. Owned by Audacy, Inc., the station serves the Springfield metropolitan area; and the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts. The WHLL studios are located at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, alongside sister stations WMAS-FM and WWEI, while the station transmitter, shared with WMAS-FM, resides in Springfield's Brightwood neighborhood. In addition to a standard analog transmission, WHLL simulcasts over low-power analog Springfield translator W251CT (98.1 FM) and on the second HD Radio channel of WMAS-FM, and streams online via Audacy.
In May 1932, Albert S. Moffatt, a former newsreel photographer, was granted a construction permit by the Federal Radio Commission to begin work on a new radio station, with the sequential call sign WHEU. When the station officially signed on, its call letters were changed to WMAS.[2] The letters stood for Massachusetts, and they also include the owner's initials, although not in the correct order. The station's studios were in the Hotel Stonehaven, and when it signed on for the first time, on September 1, 1932, it broadcast on 1420 kHz with 100 watts.
During the 1940s and 1950s, WMAS was a member of the Yankee Network, a programming service originating in Boston for New England radio stations. WMAS was also a CBS Radio Network affiliate. It carried the CBS line-up of dramas, comedies, news, sports, soap operas, game shows, children's shows and big band broadcasts, during the "Golden Age of Radio".
In 1947, WMAS-FM signed on. At first, both stations mostly simulcast their programming.[3]
When network programming shifted from radio to television, WMAS-AM-FM switched to a full service, middle of the road music format. WMAS 1450 later had a country music format as "The Country Leader". On-air personalities included Dave Thatcher (also the station's news director), Fred Stevens, and Mike Williamson.
WMAS was one of the original "Music Of Your Life" adult standards radio stations, as its previous owner for many years, Bob Lappin (Lappin Communications, Inc.) was friends with the format's originator and syndicator, Al Ham.
In June 2004, WMAS-AM-FM were sold to Citadel Broadcasting for $22 million.[4] Citadel switched AM 1450 to an unsuccessful talk radio format, then tried oldies, playing Scott Shannon's The True Oldies Channel from ABC Radio.[5]
On April 7, 2009, the format was changed to sports radio with programming from ESPN Radio. The call sign was changed to WHLL to represent the word "Hall". The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is located in Springfield and the station's studios were moved to the facility. Citadel merged with Cumulus Media on September 16, 2011.[6] After the merger, WHLL switched networks to CBS Sports Radio, a network that Cumulus Media had a financial interest in.
On December 27, 2018, WHLL changed its format from sports to country, branded as "98.1 Nash Icon", in line with the launch of an FM simulcast of WHLL on translator W251CT, which is licensed to Springfield.[7]
On February 13, 2019, Cumulus and Entercom announced an agreement in which WHLL and WMAS-FM, as well as WNSH in New York City, would be swapped to Entercom in exchange for Entercom's Indianapolis stations. Under the terms of the deal, Entercom began operating WHLL under a local marketing agreement (LMA) on March 1, 2019.[8] The swap was completed on May 9, 2019.[9] On March 22, 2021, WHLL rebranded as "Hall of Fame Country 98.1".[10]
On September 1, 2023, WHLL flipped to Spanish CHR, branded as "Nueva 98.1".[11]
| Call sign | Frequency | City of license | FID | ERP (W) | Class | Transmitter coordinates | FCC info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W251CT | 98.1 FM | Springfield, Massachusetts | 200871 | 250 | D | 42°6′33″N 72°36′38″W / 42.10917°N 72.61056°W | LMS |
Source: Wikipedia. Article content is retrieved live through the MediaWiki API.
WHLL (1450 AM) – branded as Nueva 98.1 – is a commercial radio station broadcasting a Spanish-language Latin pop format licensed to Springfield, Massachusetts. Owned by Audacy, Inc., the station serves the Springfield metropolitan area; and the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts. The WHLL studios are located at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, alongside sister stations WMAS-FM and WWEI, while the station transmitter, shared with WMAS-FM, resides in Springfield's Brightwood neighborhood. In addition to a standard analog transmission, WHLL simulcasts over low-power analog Springfield translator W251CT (98.1 FM) and on the second HD Radio channel of WMAS-FM, and streams online via Audacy.
WMAS may refer to: WHLL, a radio station (1450 AM) licensed to Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, which used the callsign WMAS until April 2009 WMAS-FM, a radio station (94.7 FM) licensed to Springfield, Massachusetts, United States West Midlands Ambulance Service, NHS Ambulance Trust in England
Doug Brown is an American sportscaster who has worked for ESPN Radio since 1993. He is currently the host of SportsCenterNightly. Brown has previously worked for WSAR (1978–1981), WHLL (1981–1983), WNDS, WBZ Radio (1987), WEEI (1987–1991), WSBK-TV (1993–1996), WABU (1996–1999). He has hosted studio shows for the Boston Red Sox, Boston Celtics, and Boston Bruins and was the Celtics color commentator during the 1990–91 season. For ESPN Radio, Brown called NBA and college basketball and reported and hosted shows from the Olympics, the World Series, the Final Four, and the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Brown is a 1978 graduate of the Boston University College of Communication. He served as the play-by-play announcer for Boston University men's basketball on radio from 1981 to 1995 and from 2005 to 2024 and on television from 1995 to 1999. Brown is also known by his nicknames, "Dougie Fresh" and "Downtown Dougie Brown."
Jerry Williams (September 24, 1923 – April 29, 2003) was an American radio host, one of the originators of the talk radio format. His radio career spanned more than 50 years, starting in 1946 at WCYB in Bristol, Virginia (near the Tennessee border), followed by a stint at WIBG in Philadelphia. But it was at WMEX in Boston (1957–1965) where his popularity took off. He later went to WBBM in Chicago. In 1968, he returned to Boston on WBZ for eight years. In 1976 he was on WMCA in New York, then back to Philadelphia on WWDB, where he became the first FM radio talk host. He came back to Boston once again in 1981, on WRKO, where he was promoted as "the man you love to hate," and where he remained until 1998. From 2002 to 2003, he hosted a program on WROL while fighting a series of illnesses. He also hosted television talk shows on WBZ-TV (1968–1969), WFXT (1987–1990), and WHLL (1990). Jerry Williams was influential in the movement to remove Nixon from office of president. Williams was described as a liberal and a populist. He was a critic of the state and federal liberal political establishment and media. Williams carried out frequent radio crusades, including ones to repeal Massachusetts' mandatory seat belt law and against a proposed prison in New Braintree, Massachusetts. He was a critic of Governor Michael Dukakis. A Christmas tradition on his radio program was a reading of Dylan Thomas' A Child's Christmas in Wales. He traditionally signed off with "Good Night, Good Luck, Good Morning, Good Night, Tee". Tee was his wife Therese. Williams founded the National Association of Radio Talk Show Hosts. He was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 1996. Howie Carr cited him as an influence. Williams died on April 29, 2003, in Boston. In 2008, Burning Up The Air, a biography by former producers Steve Elman and Alan Tolz, was published by Commonwealth Editions (acquired by Applewood Books in 2010).
Before the 1921 destruction of Tulsa’s Greenwood District, Black residents had created a remarkable center of business and community life. The district included stores, professional offices, entertainment venues and homes owned by Black citizens. Understanding Greenwood means learning what was built—not only what was burned.
MORE →Madam C.J. Walker