WBLQ (AM)

WBLQ

Westerly, Rhode Island United States
Broadcast area	Southern Rhode Island, Southeastern Connecticut
Frequency	1230 kHz C-QUAM AM stereo
Branding	"Stereo 1230 and 103.1 FM WBLQ"
Programming
Format	Full service
Ownership
Owner	DiPonti Communications (Thomas DiPaola, Administrator of Estate)
Sister stations	WWRI, WSUB-LP
History
First air date	July 1, 1949; 75 years ago (1949-07-01)
Former call signs	WERI (1949–1999) WXNI (1999–2009)[1]
Technical information[2]
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	71722
Class	C
Power	1,000 watts
Transmitter coordinates	41°21′57.26″N 71°50′9.25″W / 41.3659056°N 71.8359028°W / 41.3659056; -71.8359028
Translator(s)	103.1 W276DF (Westerly)
Links
Public license information	Public file LMS
Webcast	Listen live
Website	www.wblq.net

WBLQ (1230 AM) is a radio station licensed to serve Westerly, Rhode Island. The station is owned by DiPonti Communications. Its programming is also carried on FM translator W276DF (103.1).

The station, then called WERI, began broadcasting on 1230 kHz on July 1, 1949, using a daytime and nighttime power of 250 watts, non-directional. The station still uses its original 185-foot, Blaw-Knox, self-supporting tower, on Margin Street, beside the Pawcatuck River.

In the 1960s, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) increased the daytime power of all Class IV^[3] AM stations to 1,000 watts. WERI still had to reduce power to 250 watts at night, as did all other stations on the same frequency.

In 1966, WERI added FM service with WERI-FM (103.7, now WVEI-FM). The FM antenna is initially mounted to the side of the AM tower on Margin Street in downtown Westerly. The FM station broadcasts for only a few days from this location before it is shut down due to harmonic interference to TV channel 12. In 1968, WERI-FM moved its transmitter to a new location on Route 3 in Ashaway, and begins regular broadcasting.

In the 1970s, the FCC increased the nighttime power of all Class IV stations from 250 to 1,000 watts, including WERI.

In the 1980s, WERI-FM moved its transmitter closer to Providence, changes callsign to WWRX, and effectively became a Providence station. In the 1990s, WWRX was sold to an independent owner from WERI.

In 1999, WERI was sold to Boston University, and the callsign was changed to WXNI on January 4.^[1] As WXNI, it aired a format of news and talk from National Public Radio.^[4] It was a repeater of WRNI in Providence, and the two stations combined to provide a locally focused NPR member for Rhode Island–the forerunner of what evolved into Rhode Island Public Radio (now The Public's Radio).

In December 2007, BU reached an agreement to sell WXNI to Diponti Communications for a reported $350,000.^[5] The move came after a local group took control of WRNI and acquired WAKX (later WRNI-FM, now WNPE) in Narragansett Pier to serve as its southern satellite. Diponti Communications announced its intention to move the local news and variety programming of WBLQ-LP (96.7 FM, Ashaway, Rhode Island) to WXNI's more powerful AM signal.^[5] On November 29, 2009, WXNI changed its call letters to WBLQ; it would begin broadcasting in C-QUAM AM Stereo.

WBLQ began broadcasting on FM translator W276DF (103.1 MHz) in November 2019.

On December 1, 2001, WBLQ began airing the "Time Machine", Weekends presented By Chris Dipaola, Tommy Stafford, DJ Gadget and the Cali Kid.

On the night of October 13, 2022, WBLQ owner Chris DiPaola died unexpectedly from an apparent heart attack.^[6] This came shortly after the station had settled with the city of Westerly on a five-year lease extension.

• Official website
• Facility details for Facility ID 71722 (WBLQ) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
• WBLQ in Nielsen Audio's AM station database
• FCC History Cards for WBLQ
• Pictures from NECRAT featuring the installation of the A.M. Stereo exciter.
• WBLQ New Year's Eve show, Interview with Dale Parsons. From Airchexx.com