WUBG (AM)

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Coordinates: 42°40′26.3″N 71°11′24.2″W / 42.673972°N 71.190056°W / 42.673972; -71.190056 (WUBG)
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WUBG
Broadcast areaGreater Boston
Frequency1570 kHz
BrandingLa Pantera
Programming
FormatRegional Mexican
Ownership
OwnerCosta-Eagle Radio Ventures Limited Partnership
OperatorCosta Media
History
First air date
December 22, 1963 (60 years ago) (1963-12-22)[1]
Former call signs
  • WMLO (1963–1979)
  • WBVD (1979–1984)
  • WNSH (1984–2012)
  • WMVX (2012–2017)
  • WCCM (2017–2018)
Call sign meaning
"Big" (former format)
Technical information[2]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID22798
ClassD
Power
  • 44,000 watts (day)
  • 140 watts (night)
Transmitter coordinates
42°40′26.3″N 71°11′24.2″W / 42.673972°N 71.190056°W / 42.673972; -71.190056 (WUBG)
Translator(s)105.3 W287CW (Methuen)
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen Live

WUBG (1570 kHz) is a regional Mexican station licensed to serve Methuen, Massachusetts. It has an FM translator, W287CW, at 105.3 MHz. The station is called "La Pantera". The WUBG transmitter is located in Andover, while W287CW's transmitter is in Medford. The station is owned by Costa-Eagle Radio Ventures Limited Partnership—a partnership between Pat Costa and The Eagle-Tribune.[3] Under a local marketing agreement, WUBG is programmed by Costa Media Boston LLC, a similarly-named but separate company controlled by Jose Villafañe.

History[edit]

The station signed on the air as WMLO, a 500-watt radio station[1] originally licensed to Beverly, Massachusetts, on December 22, 1963.[4] It changed its call sign to WBVD on December 5, 1979, and to WNSH on July 1, 1984.[5] Its studios have been located in Danvers,[4] in Salem (at Pickering Wharf), in two different buildings at Endicott College in Beverly, and on the second floor of a hardware warehouse in Hamilton.

In 2011, Willow Farm, Inc. sold WNSH for $400,000 to Costa-Eagle Broadcasting. In March 2011, Costa-Eagle changed the station to "Viva 1570". The format changed from tropical music, simulcasting Costa-Eagle sister station WNNW, to Spanish adult contemporary. On November 26, 2012, the call letters were changed to WMVX.[5] The station switched to a Brazilian Portuguese music and talk format in July 2014. On October 8, 2014, the New England Revolution soccer team announced that WMVX would become its Portuguese-language flagship station.[6]

In January 2013, WMVX was granted a U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) construction permit to increase daytime power to 50,000 watts. Even with the anticipated increase to 50,000 watts, the maximum AM power allowed by the FCC, the permit required the station to reduce power at night to 85 watts because 1570 kHz is a Mexican clear channel frequency and WMVX must protect XERF in Ciudad Acuña, Coahuila, the Class A station on 1570. In 2016, the station switched its city of license from Beverly to Methuen with its transmitter in Andover, Massachusetts.

The station changed its call sign to WCCM on April 1, 2017.[5] It swapped call letters with its sister station in Salem, New Hampshire.[7] Also in 2017, the Brazilian Portuguese programming, branded "Nossa Radio", was dropped from the station. Its programmer, the International Church of the Grace of God, bought WBIX the following year, to air programming for the Boston area's Brazilian and Portuguese listeners.[8][9] WCCM then returned to simulcasting WNNW, and briefly ran a separate Spanish-language music format branded "Galaxia".

In March 2018, the station was heard simulcasting sister station WMVX (with an FM translator at 98.9 MHz), running classic hits as "Valley 98.9". On April 2, 2018, 1570 AM started broadcasting a classic hits format separate from WMVX.[10] On April 3, the call sign was changed to WUBG.[5]

On July 1, 2019, WUBG's classic hits format went online-only, while 1570 AM and the 105.3 translator switched to the Educational Media Foundation's "K-Love" contemporary Christian format.[11]

On May 29, 2022, the station dropped K-Love programming for a simulcast of the "LatinX" Spanish CHR programming of sister station WCCM, which is programmed by Jose Villafañe's Costa Media (a separate company from Costa-Eagle).[12][13] In January 2024, the stations rebranded to "Exitos Boston", with no change in format.[14]

Translators[edit]

In addition to the main station, WUBG is relayed by an FM translator.

Call sign Frequency City of license FID ERP (W) Class Transmitter coordinates FCC info
W287CW 105.3 FM Methuen, Massachusetts 139956 250 D 42°25′52.30″N 71°05′17.20″W / 42.4311944°N 71.0881111°W / 42.4311944; -71.0881111 (W287CW) LMS

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Halper, Donna; Wollman, Garrett. "The Eastern Massachusetts Radio Timeline: the 1960s". The Archives @ BostonRadio.org. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
  2. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WUBG". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  3. ^ "WUBG Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  4. ^ a b "WBVD (WUBG) FCC history cards" (PDF). CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
  5. ^ a b c d "Call Sign History (WUBG)". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
  6. ^ "Brazilian radio station WMVX1570 NOSSA RADIO USA becomes the official Portuguese voice of the Revolution" (Press release). Foxborough, Massachusetts and Somerville, Massachusetts: New England Revolution. October 8, 2014. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  7. ^ Venta, Lance (April 4, 2017). "Classic Hits Comes To The Merrimack Valley". RadioInsight. Retrieved April 10, 2017. The WMVX call letters have brought over from 1570 in Methuen MA, with the WCCM calls moved there.
  8. ^ Venta, Lance (January 8, 2018). "WBIX Boston Drops Conservative Talk For Brazilian". RadioInsight. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
  9. ^ Venta, Lance (January 19, 2018). "Station Sales Week Of 1/19: A Pair Of Boston AMs Sold". RadioInsight. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
  10. ^ Venta, Lance (April 3, 2018). "Big 105.3 Brings Classic Hits To Boston's Suburbs". RadioInsight. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
  11. ^ Big 105.3 Gives Way to K-Love Gaining Entry in Boston Radioinsight - July 1, 2019
  12. ^ https://www.fybush.com/nerw-20220530/ NorthEast Radio Watch May 30, 2022: Q107 Suspends Derringer
  13. ^ Jacobson, Adam (May 31, 2022). "'Latinx' Gets More Signal Power, North of Boston". Radio & Television Business Report. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  14. ^ Venta, Lance (January 18, 2024). "LatinX Gives Way To Exitos North of Boston". RadioInsight. Retrieved March 14, 2024.

External links[edit]

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