WNCK (89.5 FM) is radio station known as "89.5 Quahog Country". It is licensed to and serves Nantucket, Massachusetts. The station is owned by Nantucket Public Radio, Inc.[2][3]

WNCK
Broadcast areaNantucket, Massachusetts
Frequency89.5 MHz
Branding89.5 Quahog Country
Programming
FormatCountry
Ownership
OwnerNantucket Public Radio, Inc.
WAZK
History
First air date
2002
Former call signs
WAZK (2001–2002)
Call sign meaning
Nantucket
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID87830
ClassA
ERP820 watts
HAAT35 meters (115 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
41°17′6.4″N 70°8′37.1″W / 41.285111°N 70.143639°W / 41.285111; -70.143639
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen live
Websitewww.nantucketscountry.com

History

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The station signed on in 2002 and originally programmed an adult contemporary format.[4] On April 1, 2003, the station entered into a ten-year programming and operational agreement with the WGBH Educational Foundation;[5] despite this, WNCK remained separately-run from WCAI, WNAN, and WZAI, the WGBH-owned and operated Cape and Islands NPR stations.

Originally, WGBH programmed WNCK as a simulcast of its primary radio service, offering a mixed-format of classical, jazz, folk, blues, Celtic music, and news. Upon the completion of WGBH's acquisition of Boston classical music station WCRB on December 1, 2009, WNCK switched its programming source to that station in an effort to improve WCRB's signal. (Concurrent with the acquisition, WGBH's own classical music programming, as well as the folk and blues programming, were replaced with increased news programming, essentially rendering the simulcast on WNCK largely redundant to WCAI, specifically the WNAN transmitter.)[6]

On June 19, 2014, WNCK dropped its simulcast with WCRB to become a local NPR station for Nantucket. The station's lineup included Morning Edition and All Things Considered, with classical music being aired the rest of the day and all weekend.[7] On December 28, 2020, the station changed its format to country music, branded as "89.5 Quahog Country". By this point, WNCK was being operated under common management with commercial station WAZK.[8]

References

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  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WNCK". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ "WNCK Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  3. ^ "WNCK Station Information Profile". Arbitron.
  4. ^ Fybush, Scott (July 29, 2002). "Vox buys WBEC (Really!)". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
  5. ^ "Ownership Report For Noncommercial Educational Broadcast Station". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. July 7, 2003. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
  6. ^ "WGBH Radio Help Center". WGBH.org. Retrieved November 23, 2009.
  7. ^ WNCK Shifts to Public News/Talk
  8. ^ Venta, Lance (December 29, 2020). "WNCK Makes Rare NonComm Country Flip". RadioInsight. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
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