WLNA is powered at 5,000 watts by day and 1,000 watts at night. To protect other stations on 1420 AM from interference, it uses a directional antenna with a five-tower array. The transmitter is just north of Peekskill in the Town of Cortlandt, New York. (The day and night patterns use two different arrays of three towers, with only one tower shared by both arrays.)[2] Programming is also heard on one-watt FM translatorW232DQ at 94.3 MHz.[3]
WLNA signed on the air on December 22, 1948; 76 years ago (December 22, 1948). It was originally a daytimer, with 500 watts of power by day and required to go off the air at night. It used a single tower, located on Radio Terrace in the Town of Cortlandt.[4]
From the 1950s till the 1980s, it was a full servicemiddle of the road AM station with heavy emphasis on local news and community events. A typical broadcast day had local news at the top and bottom of the hour, farm reports, local weather, and recorded or live music in between.
During the Peekskill riots on September 4, 1949, WLNA was requested by State Police and City of Peekskill officials to stay on the air past its 6 p.m. sign off time. It was used to broadcast emergency information to local residents and persons traveling into the area who may have not been aware of the situation. The Riots took place near Van Cortlandtville, about 2 miles west of the station.[5]
In 1951, the station increased power to 1,000 watts. In 1958 WLNA-FM 100.7 MHz signed on as a simulcast of the AM station.[6] After sign-off time, WLNA-FM continued on-the-air until about midnight, allowing its programming to be heard in the evening when the AM station was silent. On October 24, 1971, WLNA-FM changed its call letters to WHUD. In 1972 the simulcast ended as FM signal split off and launched a beautiful music format, syndicated from Bonneville International.
Throughout the 1970s, WLNA continued its full service format. It switched from its Middle of the Road music to easy listening.
Signal upgrade and sale
In 1980, WLNA applied to the Federal Communications Commission for a signal upgrade to 5,000 watts daytime and 1,000 watts night time power. This would entail moving the transmitter site about 1/2-mile south and putting up a five tower directional antenna array. The station owners, Highland Broadcasting, battled the Town of Cortlandt zoning board all the way to the New York State Supreme Court over a zoning variance for use of the new transmitter site.[7] The Supreme Court sided with the radio station, and construction was finished in late 1981.
Despite the power upgrade, the station's signal never was still difficult to hear in parts of its service area. With the decline of AM radio, more resources were put into its sister FM station WHUD.
Highland Broadcasting sold both WLNA and WHUD to Radio Terrace, Inc., in 1982. Radio Terrace also owned WROW and WROW-FM in Albany, New York. Radio Terrace sold WROW-AM-FM to Albany Broadcasting, predecessor of Pamal Broadcasting in December 1993. Pamal acquired WLNA and WHUD in 1997.
Real Country, Classic Hits and Conservative Talk
On March 24, 2014, WLNA and WBNR introduced the "Real Country" national music format. The stations played classic country hits from the 1960s through the 90s. On March 15, 2021, WLNA and WBNR changed their format from classic country to a simulcast of co-owned classic hits station WBPM92.9 FM in Saugerties.[8]
On October 14, 2024, WLNA changed its format again, ending the classic hits simulcast of WBPM. WLNA, WBNR and WGHQ began airing a conservative talk format, branded as "The Beacon".[9] It began airing syndicated talk shows from Westwood One and carrying ABC News Radio for national news updates.
