WEPN-FM
WEPN-FM (98.7 MHz) branded ESPN New York, is a sports radio station licensed to New York, New York. The station is owned by Emmis Communications and its operations are controlled by Good Karma Brands, under a local marketing agreement. The station's transmitter is located at the Empire State Building.
- New York, New York
- United States
- New York, New York
- United States
98.7 MHz
ESPN New York
- ESPN Radio
- MSG Radio Network (New York Knicks and New York Rangers games only)
- Emmis Communications
- (Emmis New York Radio License LLC)
Good Karma Brands (under LMA)
1941
- W71NY (1941–1943)
- WOR-FM (1943)
- WBAM (1943–1948)
- WOR-FM (1948–1972)
- WXLO (1972–1981)
- WRKS-FM (1981–2012)
ESPN Radio
63781
B
6,000 watts
415 meters (1,362 ft)
History[edit]
Experimental operations (1939–1941)[edit]
In the late 1930s WOR (710 AM), then licensed to Newark, New Jersey and owned by the Bamberger Broadcasting Service, Inc., a division of R.H. Macy and Company, became interested in the newly developed technology of FM radio. In the summer of 1939, WOR engineers, working with Bell Telephone engineers, set up an experimental 1,000-watt transmitter in Carteret, New Jersey, with the call sign W2XWI. In June 1940 experimental operations were moved to 444 Madison Avenue in New York City, now operating under the call sign W2XOR.[3]
As W71NY (1941–1943)[edit]
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) began permitting commercial operations by FM stations in 1941, and Bamberger's New York station was included among the first authorizations made for the original FM band.[4] The station was given the call sign W71NY, which reflected its operation at 47.1 MHz.
As WBAM (1943–1948)[edit]
Effective November 1, 1943, the FCC updated its call letter policy to allow FM stations to have call signs similar to those used on the AM band. The station initially chose WOR-FM, but six weeks later changed it on December 14 to WBAM.[5] In 1945 the FM band was moved to higher frequencies, and WBAM was initially reassigned to 96.5 MHz, before moving to 98.7 MHz in October 1947.[6]