WSAR

WSAR is an AM radio station licensed to Fall River, Massachusetts. Its studios and transmitter are located in Somerset, Massachusetts broadcasting on 1480 kHz. Its transmitter power output is 5,000 watts unlimited hours using two towers at the Somerset site. In September 2011 WSAR was granted a U.S. Federal Communications Commission construction permit to increase day power to 25,000 watts by adding a third tower that is about one half the height of the current two towers.

Format

WSAR's format is news/talk and sports. It used to be a full service music station playing top 40 music. itsflagship programs are The Bristol County Breakfast Club with Hector "Happy Hec" Gauthier in the morning, Underreported with Ric Oliveira, The WSAR Newsroom with Barry Richard & Alan Zarek, and Faust Fiore during afternoon drive, The Faust Lane. WSAR also carries live game coverage for the Boston Red Sox, New England Patriots and the Boston Celtics.

History

1920s

WSAR was licensed in June 1923 (although in one 1940s station publication, the station claimed September 21, 1921) with the sequentially-issued callsign of WSAR. WSAR's original owner was the Doughty & Welch Electric Company. WSAR's first air date was July 3, 1923. WSAR first operated on 1180kc with 10 watts. It would stay on 1180 through 1926. Power in 1926 was 100 watts. WSAR then moved to Portsmouth, Rhode Island and changed frequency to 1190kc, still with 100 watts, by June 30, 1927. WSAR moved back to Fall River and changed frequency again, to 1410kc, in 1928. During the late 1920s the power was increased to 1,000 watts. An early slogan used by WSAR (sometime between 1926 and 1932) was "Fall River Looms Up."