WGHQ


WGHQ is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Kingston, New York and serving the Hudson Valley. WGHQ is owned by Pamal Broadcasting and is part of a three-station simulcast along with sister stations 1260 WBNR in Beacon and 1420 WLNA in Peekskill. The stations air a classic country format known as "Real Country." WGHQ breaks away from the simulcast on weekday mornings from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. to air "Kingston Community Radio."
WGHQ operates at 1000 watts daytime and 38 watts nighttime, non-directional, from a single tower located south of Port Ewen, New York, while its studios are in Beacon.

History

WGHQ 920 kHz first signed on the air on March 4, 1956. The original call letters were WSKN licensed to Saugerties, New York with 1000 watts of power, for daytime broadcasting only. Its transmitter and studio were located on the Glasco Turnpike, in the Town of Saugerties. In March 1960 the call letters were changed to WGHQ, the City of License was changed to Kingston, the transmitter site was moved to Route 9W, just south of Port Ewen, NY. The station's operating power was increased to 5,000 watts, still as a daytimer.
WGHQ was the second radio station licensed to Kingston. In 1965, WGHQ-FM was licensed on 94.3 MHz. It was a full-time simulcast the AM's programming for much of the next decade. From its inception, WGHQ aired a somewhat Kingston-centric full service middle of the road format which had a vast daytime advantage to WKNY, but WKNY was a full-time station.
WGHQ kept its focus but rising costs and the decline of full service formats on AM forced the station to drop much of its news coverage and change to an all music format. In 1988, WGHQ was licensed for 78 watts nighttime power, however, the station dropped local programming, going instead to mainly satellite syndicated music programming.
WGHQ aired Adult Standards for most of the 1990s. In 1999 the family sold WGHQ and WBPM to WRWD/WBWZ local radio owner Roberts Radio Group. This began a period of multiple format changes. Roberts Radio sold to Clear Channel in mid-2000. WGHQ became a talk radio station under Clear Channel ownership, airing syndicated talk shows including Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck. WGHQ along with WBPM 92.9 MHz was sold to Pamal Broadcasting in April 2007
Pamal Broadcasting changed the format from talk radio back to Adult Standards in July 2007, simulcasting with co-owned WBNR and WLNA, but keeping locally originated "Kingston Community Radio," produced by Walter Maxwell, in its 7-9 am time slot. See www.mykcr.org In March 2008 the tri-mulcast of WBNR, WLNA and WGHQ changed to a service-oriented talk radio format under the name "Hudson Valley Talk Radio." HVTR featured non-political syndicated advice hosts Gary Goldberg, Dr. Laura Schlesinger, Dave Ramsey as well as local experts under time brokered arrangements.
On December 20, 2013, Pamal announced that Tri-State Public Communications, which operates WHDD in Sharon, Connecticut and WLHV in Annandale-on-Hudson as public radio station Robin Hood Radio, would acquire WGHQ through a donation. As of January 1, 2014 WGHQ was re-transmitting Robin Hood Radio programming except during the 7-9 AM time slot Monday thru Friday when The "Kingston Community Radio" program airs on WGHQ. A local marketing agreement or LMA was in effect until paperwork was filed and approved by the FCC for the donation of WGHQ to Robin Hood Radio.
On March 1, 2016, Tri-State Public Communications ended its lease of the station . Pamal Broadcasting took back programming control of WGHQ and now simulcasts it again with WBNR and WLNA airing the syndicated "Real Country" classic country music format.
On June 28, 2016, Pamal Broadcasting removed two of three towers at the WGHQ transmitter site due to the poor physical condition of the towers. The station power was reduced to 1000 watts daytime, 38 watts nighttime non-directional from the remaining tower.
In January 2017 Pamal Broadcasting acquired an FM Translator at 92.5 FM to simulcast WGHQ's programming. WGHQ continues to feature the locally produced Kingston Community Radio program mornings from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and the syndicated Real Country format the rest of the day.