Its broadcasting range extends to western and central Massachusetts, northern Connecticut and southern Vermont and New Hampshire. WFCR's studios for most of its history were located at Hampshire House on the campus of the University of Massachusetts Amherst. However, in 2013, the station moved most of its operations to the Fuller Building in downtown Springfield.[2] It airs a mix of NPR programming and classical music.
The station signed on May 6, 1961 as a repeater of WGBH in Boston. However, by 1964, it had expanded its local programming to 17 hours per day. The call letters represent "Five College Radio". It was a charter member of NPR, and was one of the stations that carried the initial broadcast of All Things Considered.
WFCR claims the distinction of being the first radio station in western Massachusetts to transmit a signal using iBiquity's HD Radio system.[citation needed] It airs two digital streams. The first is a simulcast of the analog signal, the second is a 24-hour classical music station.
WFCR provides a full-time NPR news/talk programming feed on WNNZ, 640 kHz, licensed to Westfield, Massachusetts, which was owned by Clear Channel Communications. WNNZ's grade B signal reaches into the Capital District of New York State. Transmitter power output is 50,000 watts daytime, 1,000 watts nighttime; the antenna is a three-tower array, using differing directional patterns day and night.
Until 2010, WFCR provided the station's programming, while Clear Channel sold underwriting advertisements.[4][5] However in July 2010, WFCR purchased WNNZ from Clear Channel for $525,000. The sale does not include the transmission towers, but rather has a lease clause in the sale agreement in which Clear Channel will own them and lease them to WFCR.[6] WFCR purchased the license from Clear Channel under the name of "WFCR Foundation Inc." The FCC approved the sale August 25, 2010.[7][8] Prior to 2007, the programming heard on WNNZ was heard on WPNI, 1430 kHz, in Amherst, which was owned by Pamal Broadcasting.
WFCR, again, under the licensee name of "WFCR Foundation Inc.", acquired the license of WGAJ 91.7 in Deerfield, MA from Deerfield Academy. The license transfer was granted on August 19, 2010.[9] WFCR paid Deerfield Academy $10,000 for the signal.[10][11] The call letters of the station were changed to WNNZ-FM as of September 1, 2010.[12]
WFCR won the allocation of 98.9 in Adams, MA, in FCC Auction #91 (under the applicant name, WFCR Foundation Inc.)[13] WFCR won it for $189,750. WFCR has filed the application for new station with the FCC, to transmit the new signal from the top of West Summit, in North Adams, MA. (Where the current WUPE-FM transmitter site is located. WFCR already has a translator, W266AW, located there.)[14]