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WWRI (AM)
WWRI (1450 AM) is a radio station licensed to West Warwick, Rhode Island, and serving the Providence metropolitan area. The station is owned by Rick W. Schmidt, through licensee Turn Up Your Radio, LLC, and broadcasts a classic rock radio format.
WWRI transmits with 1,000 watts of power. It is also heard on FM translator W288EE in West Warwick, on 105.5 MHz. It uses the FM translator’s frequency in its moniker "I-105.5".
The AM 1450 frequency was a longtime home to WWRI, later WKRI, a community station serving the West Warwick area. WWRI began broadcasting August 15, 1956. WWRI was initially headquartered at 1501 Main St. in West Warwick. Its first licensee and president was W. Paul Oury. On October 8, 1957, WWRI was sold to Melvin Green's Grelin Broadcasting. The next change of ownership occurred on February 8, 1969, when RSVP Inc. bought WWRI. By this time, WWRI was an ABC radio affiliate.
In 1969, the station was bought by MediAmerica Broadcasting, the company that owned WYRE (a daytimer on 810 kHz) that put a listenable signal into both Baltimore and Washington, D.C., with just 500 watts. They changed the calls to WSVP – the call letters standing for "The Suburban Voice of Providence"; although that slogan was rarely, if ever used on the air.
Owner Ernie Tannen installed Jim Hooker, later to become a successful radio sales trainer, as the general manager. He hired Bill Hennes, then programming WNHC in New Haven, Connecticut, as a consultant in hopes of competing for Providence ad dollars. He put in place a Drake-like format using Johnny Mann jingles, however the station had to be oldies based since there were already two established hit-music stations in greater Providence along with several other stations that bled in from outside the market. The station failed to make a dent in WPRO's dominance, but since they sounded big they attracted listeners. The 1,000-watt daytime signal made the station listenable in Providence, but in those days they had to reduce power to 250 watts at night which limited it to just Kent County after dark.
The station was one of the launching pads for air talent in the northeast. During its brief lifespan an all-star team went through there, including Buzz Brindle, Jack Casey, Dick Downes (using Bob Lawrence), G. Michael McKay, Dusty Brooks, Paul Payton, Bill Donovan, Jim Edwards and Charlie Stone.
Famous disc jockeys from Boston's WRKO sometimes volunteered their time to developing WSVP's air talent, by traveling long distances from their homes in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, offer their major-market talent and consulting to the small station, which was also considered a training ground for RKO General Top 40 stations.
WSVP would not last long as on December 1, 1972, RSVP sold WSVP to Consolidated Communications, Inc., which changed the call sign to WKRI in 1973. WKRI was sold again in 1977 to Algonquin Broadcasting Company. Rainbow Broadcasting bought WKRI on October 5, 1979. Rainbow Broadcasting moved WKRI out of its longtime home of 1501 Main St. in West Warwick to its new location of 1585 Centerville Road in the same town. WKRI's next change of ownership came on February 16, 1984, when it was bought by WKRI Broadcasting Inc. Under WKRI Broadcasting's ownership, WKRI increased its nighttime power to 1,000 watts.
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WWRI (AM)
WWRI (1450 AM) is a radio station licensed to West Warwick, Rhode Island, and serving the Providence metropolitan area. The station is owned by Rick W. Schmidt, through licensee Turn Up Your Radio, LLC, and broadcasts a classic rock radio format.
WWRI transmits with 1,000 watts of power. It is also heard on FM translator W288EE in West Warwick, on 105.5 MHz. It uses the FM translator’s frequency in its moniker "I-105.5".
The AM 1450 frequency was a longtime home to WWRI, later WKRI, a community station serving the West Warwick area. WWRI began broadcasting August 15, 1956. WWRI was initially headquartered at 1501 Main St. in West Warwick. Its first licensee and president was W. Paul Oury. On October 8, 1957, WWRI was sold to Melvin Green's Grelin Broadcasting. The next change of ownership occurred on February 8, 1969, when RSVP Inc. bought WWRI. By this time, WWRI was an ABC radio affiliate.
In 1969, the station was bought by MediAmerica Broadcasting, the company that owned WYRE (a daytimer on 810 kHz) that put a listenable signal into both Baltimore and Washington, D.C., with just 500 watts. They changed the calls to WSVP – the call letters standing for "The Suburban Voice of Providence"; although that slogan was rarely, if ever used on the air.
Owner Ernie Tannen installed Jim Hooker, later to become a successful radio sales trainer, as the general manager. He hired Bill Hennes, then programming WNHC in New Haven, Connecticut, as a consultant in hopes of competing for Providence ad dollars. He put in place a Drake-like format using Johnny Mann jingles, however the station had to be oldies based since there were already two established hit-music stations in greater Providence along with several other stations that bled in from outside the market. The station failed to make a dent in WPRO's dominance, but since they sounded big they attracted listeners. The 1,000-watt daytime signal made the station listenable in Providence, but in those days they had to reduce power to 250 watts at night which limited it to just Kent County after dark.
The station was one of the launching pads for air talent in the northeast. During its brief lifespan an all-star team went through there, including Buzz Brindle, Jack Casey, Dick Downes (using Bob Lawrence), G. Michael McKay, Dusty Brooks, Paul Payton, Bill Donovan, Jim Edwards and Charlie Stone.
Famous disc jockeys from Boston's WRKO sometimes volunteered their time to developing WSVP's air talent, by traveling long distances from their homes in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, offer their major-market talent and consulting to the small station, which was also considered a training ground for RKO General Top 40 stations.
WSVP would not last long as on December 1, 1972, RSVP sold WSVP to Consolidated Communications, Inc., which changed the call sign to WKRI in 1973. WKRI was sold again in 1977 to Algonquin Broadcasting Company. Rainbow Broadcasting bought WKRI on October 5, 1979. Rainbow Broadcasting moved WKRI out of its longtime home of 1501 Main St. in West Warwick to its new location of 1585 Centerville Road in the same town. WKRI's next change of ownership came on February 16, 1984, when it was bought by WKRI Broadcasting Inc. Under WKRI Broadcasting's ownership, WKRI increased its nighttime power to 1,000 watts.