WACE (730

kHz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), often described as being equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose formal expression in terms of SI base uni ...

) is an

AM radio AM broadcasting is radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation (AM) transmissions. It was the first method developed for making audio radio transmissions, and is still used worldwide, primarily for medium wave (also known as "AM band") transmi ...

station broadcasting a

Catholic radio Christian radio refers to Christian media radio formats that focus on Christian religious broadcasting or various forms of Christian music. Many such formats and programs include contemporary Christian music, gospel music, sermons, radio dramas, ...

format Format may refer to: Printing and visual media * Text formatting, the typesetting of text elements * Paper formats, or paper size standards * Newspaper format, the size of the paper page Computing * File format, particular way that informatio ...

Licensed A license (American English) or licence (Commonwealth English) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another part ...

Chicopee, Massachusetts Chicopee ( ) is a city located on the Connecticut River in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 55,560, making it the second-largest city in western Massachuset ...

, the station serves the Springfield

radio market A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area (DMA), television market area, or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same (or similar) television and radio station offerings, and may also incl ...

and has been permitted to identify itself as "Chicopee-Springfield" since 1969. The station is owned by Holy Family Communications, and operates as part of its

The Station of the Cross The Station of the Cross is a network of Catholic radio stations owned and operated by Holy Family Communications. It is an affiliate of the EWTN Global Catholic Radio network. Current stations Former stations Notes External links Th ...

network.

EWTN Radio The Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) is an American basic cable television network which presents around-the-clock Catholic programming. It is the largest Catholic television network in America, and is purported to be "the world's larges ...

programming is also heard. By day, WACE transmits 5,000 watts, using a

non-directional antenna In radio communication, an omnidirectional antenna is a class of antenna which radiates equal radio power in all directions perpendicular to an axis (azimuthal directions), with power varying with angle to the axis (elevation angle), declining t ...

. AM 730 is a clear channel frequency reserved for Canada and Mexico. To avoid interference with other stations, WACE must reduce power at night to 7 watts. The

transmitter In electronics and telecommunications, a radio transmitter or just transmitter (often abbreviated as XMTR or TX in technical documents) is an electronic device which produces radio waves with an antenna (radio), antenna with the purpose of sig ...

is off West Street in Springfield, near the North End Bridge and the

Connecticut River The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges into Long Isl ...

.Radio-Locator.com/WACE
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History

Early years

WACE

signed on A sign-on (or start-up in Commonwealth countries except Canada) is the beginning of operations for a radio broadcasting, radio or television station, generally at the start of each day. It is the opposite of a sign-off (or closedown in Commonw ...

the air on December 1, 1946. It was owned by the Regional Broadcasting Company with studios on Chicopee Street in Chicopee. The station broadcast at 1,000 watts by day. Because AM 730 is a clear channel frequency, reserved for

CKAC CKAC is a Canadian French, French-language radio station located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Owned by Cogeco, the station operates as a commercial travelers' information station, traffic information service branded as ''Radio Circulation 730''. ...

in Montreal and XEX in Mexico City, WACE was a

daytimer A clear-channel station is a North American AM radio station that has the highest level of protection from interference from other stations, particularly from nighttime skywave signals. This classification exists to ensure the viability of cross ...

signing off ''Signing Off'' is the debut album by British reggae band UB40, released in the UK on 29 August 1980 by Dudley-based independent label Graduate Records. It was an immediate success in their home country, reaching number 2 on the UK albums chart, ...

at sunset to prevent interference. In the 1960s, the daytime power was increased to 5,000 watts. While it remained a daytime-only station, its pre-sunrise power of 8 watts enabled the station to be heard as far away as

Hartford Hartford is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The city, located in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County, had a population of 121,054 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ce ...

, due to the transmitter's location on the banks of the Connecticut River and the low frequency on the AM band. (In 1986 the station was allowed to operate at 7 watts at night as well.) At full power the signal could be heard as distantly as

Rhode Island Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...

Oldies and all-news

During the 1970s, the station broadcast a popular

oldies Oldies is a term for musical genres such as pop music, rock and roll, doo-wop, surf music from the second half of the 20th century, specifically from around the mid-1950s to the 1980s, as well as for a radio format playing this music. Since 2 ...

format. One of its personalities was Charlie (Ahl) Day, later of

WCBS-FM WCBS-FM (101.1 FM) is a radio station owned and operated by Audacy, Inc. licensed to New York, New York, and broadcasting a classic hits format. The station's studios are in the combined Audacy facility in the Hudson Square neighborhood in ...

in New York and

WOMC WOMC (104.3 FM, "104.3 WOMC") is a commercial radio station licensed to Detroit, Michigan. It airs a classic hits radio format and is owned by Audacy, Inc. The studios are located on American Drive off 11 Mile Road in Southfield, Michigan. T ...

in Detroit. Another disc jockey was Mike Adams, for many years a popular sports-talk radio and TV host in

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

. The station also featured a three-hour morning news block anchored by Day and Don Yankee. In 1977, Ace Broadcasting bought the station. As music listening shifted to FM radio, the new owners ended the oldies sound. The station tried an

all-news radio All-news radio is a radio format devoted entirely to the discussion and broadcast of news. All-news radio is available in both local and radio syndication, syndicated forms, and is carried on both major US satellite radio networks. All-news sta ...

format, as a

network affiliate In the broadcasting industry (particularly in North America, and even more in the United States), a network affiliate or affiliated station is a local broadcaster, owned by a company other than the owner of the network, which carries some or a ...

CBS Radio News CBS News Radio, formerly known as CBS Radio News and historically known as the CBS Radio Network, is a radio network that provides news to more than 1,000 radio stations throughout the United States. The network is owned by Paramount Global. It ...

Religious radio

The news format did not last very long. By 1980, WACE was airing a brokered religious format, where national preachers bought blocks of time on the station to discuss their faith and seek donations. On May 1, 2022, WACE went

off the air In broadcasting, a dark television station or silent radio station is one that has gone off the air for an indefinite period of time. Usually unlike dead air (broadcasting only silence), a station that is dark or silent does not even transmit a ...

. The station filed with the

FCC 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 ju ...

for

special temporary authority Special Temporary Authority (STA) in U.S. broadcast law is a type of broadcast license which temporarily allows a broadcast station to operate outside of its normal technical or legal parameters. In the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) st ...

(STA) to stay silent for a while. The request was to relocate to a new transmitter site using the

tower A tower is a tall Nonbuilding structure, structure, taller than it is wide, often by a significant factor. Towers are distinguished from guyed mast, masts by their lack of guy-wires and are therefore, along with tall buildings, self-supporting ...

that

WMAS-FM WMAS-FM (94.7 Hertz, MHz), branded 94.7 WMAS, is a commercial radio station city of license, licensed to Enfield, Connecticut, and serving the Springfield metropolitan area, Massachusetts, Springfield metropolitan area and Pioneer Valley of West ...

WHLL WHLL (1450 AM broadcasting, AM) – branded as ' – is a commercial radio station broadcasting a Spanish-language Latin pop format licensed to Springfield, Massachusetts. Owned by Audacy, Inc., the station serves the Springfield metropolitan ar ...

and W251CT were using. In August 2022, Holy Family Communications, a Roman Catholic broadcaster behind

Network, agreed to purchase the station from

Carter Broadcasting Carter Broadcasting is a New England based broadcasting group owned by Ken Carberry. Its headquarters are in Braintree, Massachusetts. Currently-owned stations Massachusetts (2 stations) *WACE/730: Chicopee (sale to Holy Family Communications ...

. Holy Family relaunched WACE as part of its Catholic radio network on January 23, 2023. In May 2025, Holy Family agreed to sell WACE,

WNEB WNEB (1230 AM) is a Catholic radio station broadcasting religious programming. Licensed to Worcester, Massachusetts, United States, the station serves the Worcester area. The station is owned by Holy Family Communications, and operates as par ...

Worcester Worcester may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England ** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament * Worcester Park, London, Engl ...

, and WESO in Southbridge to Journey For Life Media for $150,000.

References

External links

{{Religious Radio Stations in Massachusetts 1946 establishments in Massachusetts Catholic radio stations Chicopee, Massachusetts

ACE An ace is a playing card, die or domino with a single pip. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit symbol (a heart, diamond, spade, or a club) located in the middle of the card, sometimes large and decorated, especially in the ...

Radio stations established in 1946