WHMP

WHMP (1400 AM) is a commercial radio station broadcasting a news/talk format. Licensed to Northampton, Massachusetts, it serves the Pioneer Valley, with studios on Hampton Avenue. It is owned by Saga Communications, and operates as part of its Northampton Radio Group.

WHMP

Northampton, Massachusetts United States
Broadcast area	Pioneer Valley
Frequency	1400 kHz
Branding	NewsTalk WHMP
Programming
Format	News/talk
Affiliations	CBS News Radio Compass Media Networks Westwood One
Ownership
Owner	Saga Communications (Saga Communications of New England, LLC)
Sister stations	WAQY, WHAI, WLZX, WLZX-FM, WPVQ-FM, WRSI
History
First air date	December 1950; 74 years ago (1950-12)[1]
Call sign meaning	Hampshire County
Technical information[2]
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	46962
Class	C
Power	1,000 watts unlimited
Transmitter coordinates	42°19′36.32″N 72°39′26.33″W
Translator(s)	101.5 W268CZ (Northampton)
Repeater(s)	93.9 WRSI-HD2 (Turners Falls)
Links
Public license information	Public file LMS
Webcast	Listen live
Website	www.whmp.com

WHMP is powered at 1,000 watts, using a non-directional antenna. Its programming is also heard on FM translator station W268CZ at 101.5 MHz in Northampton, and on an HD Radio digital subchannel of WRSI (93.9 FM) in Turners Falls.

Programming

Weekdays begin with news, talk and information shows hosted by Jess Tyler, Bill Newman and Buz Eisenberg. The rest of the schedule is nationally syndicated talk programs: The Stephanie Miller Show, The Thom Hartmann Show, The Ramsey Show with Dave Ramsey, Armstrong & Getty, CBS Eye on The World with John Batchelor, America Tonight with Rich Valdes and This Morning, America's First News with Gordon Deal.

Weekends feature specialty shows on health, pets, technology, travel, cars and gardening. Syndicated programs include The Kim Komando Show, The Car Doctor with Ron Ananian, World Travel with Rudy Maxa, Rich DeMuro on Tech, The Lars Larson Show, along with a Sunday morning polka music show and a Sunday evening Old-Time Radio show. Most hours begin with an update from CBS News Radio.

History

WHMP signed on the air in December 1950. For much of its early decades, it aired a full service format of middle of the road (MOR) music, news, talk and sports. It had been an affiliate of the ABC Information Network. In 1956, it added an FM sister station, 99.3 WHMP-FM (now WLZX-FM).^[3]

During the 2000s and 2010s, WHMP was simulcast on WHMQ (1240 AM) in Greenfield and WHNP (1600 AM) in East Longmeadow. WHNP and WHMQ previously simulcast sister FM stations; WHNP was a simulcast of WAQY-FM (as WAQY,^[4][5] WMRE,^[4][5] and WPNT^[6]) until 2000^[7][8] (it carried a promotional loop for Six Flags New England for several months after dropping the WAQY simulcast^[7][9]), while WHMQ repeated WHAI-FM (as WHAI) until 2001.^[10]

WHMP's network of stations constituted part of a network of progressive talk stations throughout the northeastern United States that were owned by Saga Communications (others included WNYY in Ithaca, New York, and WKVT in Brattleboro, Vermont); these, in turn, were among the last progressive talk stations still on the air in early 2017. Because of the migration of most progressive talk shows to off-air platforms, Saga announced plans to drop the format from WNYY in Ithaca effective February 1, 2017;^[11] WHNP received WNYY's translator under a policy that allows translators to be moved up to 250 miles from their original city of license.^[12] On February 3, 2017, following the translator's move, WHNP dropped out of the simulcast with WHMP and became WLZX, a simulcast of WLZX-FM 99.3.^[13]

Logo used with 96.9 translator

WHMP was previously carried on translator W245BK (96.9 FM) in Amherst. Following the launch of W268CZ, the 96.9 facility was repurposed as an oldies station, fed by the HD3 channel of WLZX-FM, in June 2018.^[14] Until February 1, 2021, WHMQ in Greenfield had its own translator, W298CA (107.5 FM); that facility then launched a soft adult contemporary format originating from the HD2 channel of WPVQ-FM.^[15]

Saga Communications surrendered WHMQ's license to the Federal Communications Commission on March 20, 2023, and it was deleted the same day.

Translators

Broadcast translator for WHMP

Call sign	Frequency	City of license	FID	ERP (W)	Class	Transmitter coordinates	FCC info
W268CZ	101.5 FM	Northampton, Massachusetts	200012	175	D	42°21′49.3″N 72°25′22.3″W	LMS

References

1. Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1999 (PDF). 1999. pp. D-209–12. Retrieved October 28, 2012.
2. "Facility Technical Data for WHMP". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
3. Broadcasting Yearbook 1977 page C-100. Retrieved Feb. 4, 2025
4. Fybush, Scott (January 18, 1997). "New England RadioWatch". Retrieved January 1, 2008.
5. Fybush, Scott (February 28, 1997). "The Big Get Bigger". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved January 1, 2008.
6. Fybush, Scott (May 21, 1999). "NHPR Goes North". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved January 1, 2008.
7. Fybush, Scott (October 23, 2000). "WNSS Gets Funny, Utica Gets Buggy, Dodge Gets Arrested". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved January 1, 2008.
8. Fybush, Scott (October 30, 2000). "Martin-Trigona -- He's Back!". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved January 1, 2008.
9. Fybush, Scott (June 2, 2000). "What "Cooperation" Means". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved January 1, 2008.
10. Fybush, Scott (February 5, 2001). "River Flows to New Home". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved January 1, 2008.
11. Reynolds, Nick (January 11, 2017). "A Progressive Talk Station Goes Off Air. No, It's Not A Conspiracy". Ithaca Times. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
12. Fybush, Scott (January 16, 2017). Prog Talk Fades Away. NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved January 19, 2017.
13. Laser 99.3 Adds Second Signal Radioinsight - February 3, 2017
14. Venta, Lance (June 4, 2018). "Saga Launches Pure Oldies In Amherst MA". RadioInsight. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
15. Venta, Lance (February 21, 2021). "Saga Gets EZ In Greenfield MA". RadioInsight. Retrieved March 27, 2023.

External links

• Official website
• Facility details for Facility ID 46962 (WHMP) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
• WHMP in Nielsen Audio's AM station database
• Facility details for Facility ID 200012 (W268CZ) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
• W268CZ at FCCdata.org