WSNE-FM facts for kids
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| Broadcast area | Providence metropolitan area and Southeastern Massachusetts |
| Frequency | 93.3 MHz (also on HD Radio) |
| Branding | Now 93.3 |
| Programming | |
| Format | Hot adult contemporary |
| Subchannels |
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| Affiliations | Premiere Networks |
| Ownership | |
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Sister stations
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WHJJ, WHJY, WWBB |
| History | |
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First air date
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January 26, 1966 |
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Former call signs
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Call sign meaning
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Southern New England |
| Technical information | |
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Licensing authority
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FCC |
| Facility ID | 74069 |
| Class | B |
| ERP | 31,000 watts |
| HAAT | 180 meters (590 ft) |
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Transmitter coordinates
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41°51′58″N 71°17′20″W / 41.866°N 71.289°W |
| Translator(s) | HD2: 104.7 W284BA (Warwick) |
| Links | |
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Public license information
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| Webcast | Listen live (via iHeartRadio) |
WSNE-FM (93.3 MHz) is a radio station that plays music and is located in Taunton, Massachusetts. It serves areas like Southeastern Massachusetts and the Providence metropolitan area. The station is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. and plays a type of music called hot adult contemporary. It is known as Now 93.3.
The station's main offices are in Providence. WSNE-FM plays the popular show On Air with Ryan Seacrest in the afternoons. Some other shows on the station use "voicetracking." This means the DJs record their parts ahead of time from other iHeart stations.
WSNE-FM sends out a strong signal of 31,000 watts. Its transmitter is in Rehoboth, Massachusetts. People can hear the station in many places. This includes most of Greater Boston, all of Rhode Island, eastern Connecticut, and parts of Cape Cod. WSNE-FM also uses HD Radio technology. This allows it to broadcast extra digital channels. One of these, HD2, plays the same shows as WHJJ (920 AM), which is a talk radio station.
Contents
Station History
Early Days as WRLM
The station first started broadcasting on January 26, 1966. It was called WRLM, named after its first owner, Robert L. McCarthy. Back then, it played "middle of the road" music. This was a mix of popular songs, easy listening, and some older hits. The station also shared local news and high school sports for the Taunton area.
In 1976, WRLM started broadcasting in FM stereo. This made the music sound much better. By the 1970s, the station changed its music style. It began playing adult contemporary music.
Becoming WSNE
In 1980, the station was sold to the Outlet Company. This company also owned other stations in Providence. The station kept its adult contemporary music style. However, its name was changed to WSNE.
Many popular radio personalities from Providence joined the station. These included Mike Sands and Paul Perry. The station's offices moved to Providence. Its transmitter also moved to Rehoboth, Massachusetts. This helped the station's signal reach more of Rhode Island. By 1984, the station was known as "93.3 WSNE."
In 1986, a new company, Beck-Ross Communications, Inc., bought WSNE. More well-known hosts joined the team. David Jones and Joannie Edwardsen became a very popular morning show called "Jones & Joan." By 1989, their show was one of the most listened-to in the area.
Changes and New Music
On June 5, 1993, a sad event happened. Mike Sands, a popular midday host, passed away in a car accident. The station honored him with special tributes from listeners and other radio personalities.
After this, the station slowly started changing its music. It moved from adult contemporary to hot adult contemporary. This style includes more current pop and rock songs. In 1995, the station changed its name to "93-3 SNE." It used the slogan "Southern New England's Variety Station." Later, it went back to "93-3 WSNE" and played "A Better Variety of the '70s, '80s and '90s."
Clear Channel Takes Over
In 1999, Clear Channel Communications became the owner of WSNE. Around this time, the station started playing more adult contemporary music again. It added the popular Delilah show at night. This show features call-ins and song dedications. On March 1, 2001, the station's official name became WSNE-FM. The "FM" was added to show it was an FM radio station.
In November 2002, WSNE-FM played only Christmas music between Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. After Christmas, the "Jones & Joan" morning show ended. The station then tried a new name, "Star 93-3." However, another station in Boston already used "Star" in its name. So, WSNE-FM had to change its name again.
For a few months in 2003, the station was called "The New 93-3." Then it became "Coast 93-3." More changes happened with the morning show hosts.
New Shows and Programming
In June 2008, the station added On-Air With Ryan Seacrest for afternoons. The John Tesh Radio Show replaced Delilah in the evenings. These changes made WSNE-FM sound even more like a hot adult contemporary station.
In 2009, Clear Channel Communications made some changes across its stations. WSNE-FM started using a service called Premium Choice. This service provides music and recorded voices from DJs at other Clear Channel stations. This meant WSNE-FM could use these programs for its music and some of its shows.
Over the next few years, the station continued to change its lineup of DJs. It also updated its slogan. In 2011, the slogan became "The Best Variety of the '90s, 2K and Today." Even though the slogan didn't mention it, the station still played some popular songs from the 1980s.
In 2015, the station changed its music style slightly. It became more like an "adult top 40" station. This meant it played more current hits and fewer older songs. But by 2017, it went back to playing more songs from the 1990s and 2000s.
On August 16, 2021, WSNE-FM changed its name again. It became "Now 93.3." This new name matches other iHeart Radio stations around the country.
WSNE-FM HD2
On April 25, 2006, WSNE-FM added an HD2 digital subchannel. This is like an extra channel that broadcasts digitally. When it first started, it played dance and disco music. In 2009, the HD2 channel changed to a smooth jazz format.
Later, the smooth jazz music was replaced. Now, the HD2 subchannel plays the same shows as WHJJ, a talk radio station also owned by iHeartMedia. This HD2 channel also sends its signal to another small FM station, W284BA, at 104.7 MHz. This gives WHJJ listeners a way to hear the talk station on the FM dial.
| Call sign | Frequency (MHz) |
City of license | Facility ID |
ERP (W) |
Height (m (ft)) |
Class | Transmitter coordinates | FCC info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W284BA | 104.7 | Warwick, Rhode Island | 156672 | 99 | 45.3 m (149 ft) | D | 41°45′22″N 71°26′40″W / 41.75611°N 71.44444°W | FCC |
WSNE-FM HD3
On January 28, 2014, WSNE-FM started broadcasting the K-Love Christian contemporary music network on its new HD3 subchannel. In September 2014, the HD3 channel changed to a talk radio format. K-Love music later returned to the HD3 channel.
For a while, the HD3 subchannel was silent, meaning it wasn't broadcasting anything. It later returned with soft adult contemporary music. This music comes from iHeartRadio's "The Breeze" service.
