WTON (AM)
| Broadcast area | Staunton, Virginia Augusta County, Virginia |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 1240 kHz |
| Branding | Independent Music Radio WNRN |
| Programming | |
| Format | Adult album alternative |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Stu-Comm, Inc. |
| WTON-FM, WNRN-FM | |
| History | |
First air date | March 9, 1946 (at 1400)[1] |
Former call signs | WSTN (1944–1945)[2] |
Former frequencies | 1400 kHz (1944–1956)[2] |
Call sign meaning | StaunTON |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 50077 |
| Class | C |
| Power | 1,000 watts unlimited |
Transmitter coordinates | 38°8′30.0″N 79°2′33.0″W / 38.141667°N 79.042500°W |
| Links | |
| Website | https://www.wnrn.org |
WTON (1240 kHz) is an adult album alternative formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Staunton, Virginia, United States, serving Staunton and Augusta County, Virginia. WTON is owned and operated by Stu-Comm, Inc., and is a full-time relay of their Charlottesville-based WNRN-FM.[3]
WTON had previously carried ESPN Radio and local and regional sports starting in 2000. Stu-Comm, Inc. purchased WTON and co-owned WTON-FM (94.3 FM) in 2023, intending to use WTON-FM as a full-powered relay of its WNRN-FM for the lower Shenandoah Valley. In March 2024, it then sold WTON and their now-redundant FM translators covering Staunton–Waynesboro and Harrisonburg to WCHV morning host and program director Joe Thomas. WCHV owner Monticello Media fired Thomas when the sale was reported publicly, stating that the purchase of another station within its coverage area was an unacceptable conflict of interest.[4][5] Thomas then told the Staunton News Leader that he plans to return WTON to a competing format of local news, talk and sports programming.[6]
References[edit]
- ^ "Stations in the U.S." (PDF). Retrieved 2023-09-13.
- ^ a b FCC History Cards for WTON
- ^ "WTON Facility Record". Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
- ^ Venta, Lance (2 April 2024). "Joe Thomas Let Go From WCHV Following WTON Purchase". RadioInsight.
- ^ "[To our listeners and the Central Virginia community,]". WCHV Radio [Facebook]. 2 April 2024.
- ^ Hite, Patrick (12 April 2024). "WTON sold: New owner plans to return local programming to Staunton radio station". Staunton News Leader.
External links[edit]
- WTON in the FCC AM station database
- WTON in Nielsen Audio's AM station database
  | This article about a radio station in Virginia is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |