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WORC-FM
Broadcast areaWorcester metropolitan area
Frequency98.9 MHz
Branding98.9 Nash Icon
Programming
FormatCountry
AffiliationsWorcester Railers
Worcester Red Sox
Ownership
Owner
WWFX, WXLO
History
First air date
April 8, 1994; 29 years ago (1994-04-08) (as WXXW)
Former call signs
WXXW (1994–1998)
Call sign meaning
Former FM sister station of WORC
Technical information
Facility ID50231
ClassA
ERP1,870 watts
HAAT125 meters (410 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
42°2′11.00″N 71°59′22.00″W / 42.0363889°N 71.9894444°W / 42.0363889; -71.9894444 (WORC-FM)
Links
WebcastListen Live
Websitewww.nashicon989.com

WORC-FM (98.9 MHz) is a commercial radio station licensed to Webster, Massachusetts, and serving the Worcester metropolitan area. It is owned by Cumulus Media and airs a country radio format, mostly featuring songs from the 1990s and early 2000s. The studios are on Commercial Street in Downtown Worcester in the Winsor Building. It carries the games of the Worcester Red Sox and Worcester Railers.

WORC-FM has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 1,870 watts. Its transmitter is on Blackmere Road in Dudley.[1] The station serves most of Worcester County, Massachusetts, and northeastern Connecticut.

History

The station signed on April 8, 1994; 29 years ago (April 8, 1994). The original call sign was WXXW, though it did not formally launch its initial format, a blend of hot talk and oldies, until April 11. In the interim, the station stunted by continuously playing Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock and Roll".[2]

Following original owner Alan Okun's death on December 31, 1996,[3] the station and its AM sister station WGFP were sold to Bengal Atlantic Communications in 1997.[4] Bengal Atlantic sold them to Chowder Broadcasting soon afterward.[5] Chowder switched WXXW to a classic rock format in 1998.[6] In September, this was followed by a call letter change to WORC-FM, reflecting its newly-common ownership with WORC 1310 AM.[7]

Montachusett Broadcasting, the owner of 104.5 WXLO, acquired WORC-FM in 1999.[8] Several months later, the stations were sold to Citadel Broadcasting.[9] Citadel subsequently acquired competing classic rock station WWFX and as a result reverted WORC-FM to oldies on May 26, 2000.[10]

Citadel merged with Cumulus Media on September 16, 2011.[11] During its oldies era, WORC-FM would broadcast American Top 40: The 70s with Casey Kasem on Saturday mornings and Sunday evenings.[12]

On October 31, 2014, at 10:00 a.m., WORC-FM flipped to country music. It used Cumulus' brand for 1990s and 2000s country music, "Nash Icon".[13]

On July 7, 2017, the Worcester Railers hockey team announced that WORC-FM would broadcast its games.[14] In March 2020, WORC-FM was named as the flagship radio station for the inaugural season of the Worcester Red Sox. The games began to be broadcast in the 2021 season.[15]


References

  1. ^ Radio-Locator.com/WORC-FM
  2. ^ Fybush, Scott D. (April 12, 1994). "New England Radio Watch". rec.radio.broadcasting/Google Groups. Retrieved January 3, 2010.
  3. ^ Fybush, Scott (January 8, 1997). "WRKO Shakeup". New England RadioWatch. Retrieved January 3, 2010.
  4. ^ Fybush, Scott (July 24, 1997). "Remembering Walt Dibble". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved January 3, 2010.
  5. ^ Fybush, Scott (March 5, 1998). "Loss of Two Legends". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved January 3, 2010.
  6. ^ Fybush, Scott (May 20, 1998). "North Country Changes". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved January 3, 2010.
  7. ^ Fybush, Scott (September 4, 1998). "One Shoe Drops in Maine..." North East RadioWatch. Retrieved January 3, 2010.
  8. ^ Fybush, Scott (April 30, 1999). "Fuller-Jeffrey Sells Out". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved January 3, 2010.
  9. ^ Fybush, Scott (December 10, 1999). "John Otto Dies at 70". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved January 3, 2010.
  10. ^ Fybush, Scott (June 9, 2000). "Laquidara Says "Aloha!"". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved January 3, 2010.
  11. ^ "Cumulus now owns Citadel Broadcasting". Atlanta Business Journal. September 16, 2011. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
  12. ^ http://www.oldies989.com/showdj.asp?DJID=50004
  13. ^ Nash Icon Enters Worcester
  14. ^ "Railers games to be broadcast on 98.9 FM". Worcester Business Journal. July 7, 2017. Retrieved July 8, 2017.
  15. ^ Sargent, Patrick (March 9, 2020). "Nash Icon 98.9 to Carry all Worcester Red Sox Games in 2021". This Week in Worcester. Retrieved November 13, 2020.

External links

Radio stations in Worcester County, Massachusetts
Country radio stations in the state of Massachusetts
Cumulus Media
Categories