Pamal Broadcasting, Ltd. is a family-owned
radio
Radio is the technology of communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 3 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmitter connec ...
group with twenty-three stations in medium-to-small markets in the
Northeast
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A '' compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—eac ...
. Based in the
Albany suburb of
Latham, New York
Latham is a Hamlet (New York), hamlet and census-designated place in Albany County, New York, Albany County, New York (state), New York, United States. It is located along U.S. Route 9 in New York, U.S. Route 9 in the Administrative divisions of ...
, Pamal Broadcasting was founded in 1987 as Albany Broadcasting Company, when business man James J. Morrell entered broadcast ownership with the purchase of
WFLY
WFLY (92.3 FM, ''FLY 92.3'') is a contemporary hit radio station licensed to Troy, New York, and serving the Capital District. The station is owned by Pamal Broadcasting and is considered the company's flagship station. The radio studios and ...
and
WPTR from Five States Tower Company, a Poughkeepsie, New York–based broadcasting company that also owned radio stations WPDH and WEOK in the mid-Hudson valley. The Pamal name, a
portmanteau
In linguistics, a blend—also known as a blend word, lexical blend, or portmanteau—is a word formed by combining the meanings, and parts of the sounds, of two or more words together. of the names of Morrell's children, was adopted in 1996 though each cluster uses a unique name (such as Albany Broadcasting for the Albany cluster; the Pamal name is rarely used on-air, except in the Hudson Valley).
In 2005, Pamal Broadcasting was the 27th-largest owner of radio stations in the United States. By mid-2011, the company has divested itself of 40% of its radio station licenses from its 2005 high-water mark. Pamal completed its exit from Florida in 2013.
Stations
Former Pamal stations
*
WDCD Albany, New York (owned under its original WPTR calls until 1995 when sold to
Crawford Broadcasting)
*
WRNX Amherst, Massachusetts
Amherst () is a city in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Connecticut River valley. Amherst has a council–manager form of government, and is considered a city under Massachusetts state law. Amherst is one of several Massach ...
(owned 2003–2006, sold to
Clear Channel Communications
iHeartMedia, Inc., or CC Media Holdings, Inc., is an American mass media corporation headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It is the holding company of iHeartCommunications, Inc., formerly Clear Channel Communications, Inc., a company founded by ...
, in 2007)
*
WVTQ
WVTQ (95.1 FM) is a radio station licensed to Sunderland, Vermont, United States. The station is owned by Vermont Public as part of its Classical network, airing classical music. WVTQ broadcasts from atop Mount Equinox in Manchester, Vermont, Man ...
Formerly WJAN
Sunderland, Vermont
Sunderland is a New England town, town in Bennington County, Vermont, Bennington County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,056 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. It is home to the mail-order company Orvis.
Geography
Sunder ...
, sold to
Vermont Public Radio
Vermont Public Co. is the public broadcaster serving the U.S. state of Vermont. Its headquarters, newsroom, and radio studios are located in Colchester, with television studios in Winooski. It operates two statewide radio services aligned wit ...
in 2007
*
WRGO Cedar Key, Florida, sold to WRGO RADIO, LLC in 2007
*
WYNY Cross City, Florida, sold to WRGO RADIO, LLC in 2007
*
WIZR Johnstown, New York, sold to WIZR AM Radio, LLC in 2010
*
WPYR Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge ( ; , ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It had a population of 227,470 at the 2020 United States census, making it List of municipalities in Louisiana, Louisiana's second-m ...
, sold to Michael Glitner in 2008
*
WDVH Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the county seat of Alachua County, Florida, United States, and the most populous city in North Central Florida, with a population of 145,212 in 2022. It is the principal city of the Gainesville metropolitan area, Florida, Gainesv ...
, sold to MARC Radio Gainesville, LLC July 2011
*
WDVH-FM Trenton, Florida
Trenton is a city in and the county seat of Gilchrist County, Florida, Gilchrist County, Florida, United States. The population was 2,015 as of the 2020 census, up from 1,999 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Gainesville, Florida Gainesville m ...
, sold to MARC Radio Gainesville, LLC July 2011
*
WHHZ Newberry, Florida, sold to MARC Radio Gainesville, LLC July 2011
*
WKZY Cross City, Florida, sold to MARC Radio Gainesville, LLC July 2011
*
WRZN Hernando, Florida
Hernando is a census-designated place in Citrus County, Florida, Citrus County, Florida, United States. The population was 9,284 at the 2020 census, up from 9,054 at the 2010 census. At one time it was a city but it was disincorporated in the 1 ...
, sold to MARC Radio Gainesville, LLC July 2011
*
WTMG Williston, Florida, sold to MARC Radio Gainesville, LLC July 2011
*
WTMN Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the county seat of Alachua County, Florida, United States, and the most populous city in North Central Florida, with a population of 145,212 in 2022. It is the principal city of the Gainesville metropolitan area, Florida, Gainesv ...
, sold to MARC Radio Gainesville, LLC July 2011
*
WPNI Amherst, Massachusetts
Amherst () is a city in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Connecticut River valley. Amherst has a council–manager form of government, and is considered a city under Massachusetts state law. Amherst is one of several Massach ...
(owned 2003–2014; shut down November 30, 2013, and license returned to the
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, internet, wi-fi, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains j ...
on May 27, 2014)
*
WMEZ Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola ( ) is a city in the Florida panhandle in the United States. It is the county seat and only incorporated city, city in Escambia County, Florida, Escambia County. The population was 54,312 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. ...
, sold to Cumulus Broadcasting in January 2013
*
WXBM Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola ( ) is a city in the Florida panhandle in the United States. It is the county seat and only incorporated city, city in Escambia County, Florida, Escambia County. The population was 54,312 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. ...
, sold to Cumulus Broadcasting in January 2013
Two stations were to be acquired by Pamal, though never purchased.
*
WNYQ
WNYQ (101.7 FM broadcasting, FM) is a commercial radio station city of license, licensed to Hudson Falls, New York, and serving the Glens Falls area of the Adirondack Mountains. It is owned by Pamal Broadcasting and airs a rock-leaning classic ...
Queensbury, New York
Queensbury is a town in Warren County, New York, United States. The population was 29,169 at the 2020 census.US Census 2020 Report, QUickFacts Queeensbury town https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/queensburytownwarrencountynewyork
It contains the c ...
(controlled by Pamal 2004-2006 prior to move into the Albany market and purchase by
Regent Communications who now operates it as WQBK-FM)
*WBEC-FM
Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Pittsfield is the most populous city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Pittsfi ...
(Pamal had an agreement in principle to move the station to the Springfield market, but later sold it to
Entercom Communications which now operates it as
WWEI).
External links
Company homepage
{{Pamal Broadcasting
Radio broadcasting companies of the United States
Companies based in New York (state)