WMLL
Broadcast areaMerrimack Valley
Frequency96.5 MHz (HD Radio)
Branding96.5 Live Free Country
Programming
FormatCountry music
SubchannelsHD2: WFEA simulcast
Ownership
Owner
  • Saga Communications
  • (Saga Communications of New England, LLC)
WFEA, WZID
History
First air date
June 27, 1996 (1996-06-27)[1]
Former call signs
  • WAEF (1993–1996)
  • WOXF (1996–1997)
  • WQLL (1997–2005)
Call sign meaning
"Mill" (former branding)
Technical information[2]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID17278
ClassA
ERP730 watts
HAAT285 meters (935 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
42°59′2.30″N 71°35′20.45″W / 42.9839722°N 71.5890139°W / 42.9839722; -71.5890139 (WMLL)
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen live
Websitelivefreecountry.com

WMLL (96.5 FM; "96.5 Live Free Country") is an American radio station licensed to Bedford, New Hampshire, and serving the New Hampshire portion of the Merrimack Valley with a country music format. The station's studios are located on Commercial Street in Manchester. WMLL is owned by Saga Communications, and operates as part of its Manchester Radio Group.

History

The 96.5 FM frequency first signed on in May 1996 with test broadcasts under the call letters WAEF.[3] Regular broadcasting began on June 27, with a rock format branded "96.5 The Fox";[1] the call letters were soon changed to WOXF.[4][5] The station was originally owned by Donna MacNeil.[1]

Logo as "96.5 The Mill"

On July 1, 1997, Saga Communications announced that it had signed a time brokerage agreement to take over WOXF's operations; on July 29, Saga relaunched the station as "Cool 96.5", an oldies station.[6] The call letters were changed to WQLL on August 15, 1997;[5] that month, Saga bought the station outright in a $3.3 million deal that was concluded on November 21, 1997.[6] The station switched to classic rock, branded as "96.5 The Mill", in March 2005;[7] on March 17, the call letters became WMLL.[5] In August 2011, WMLL shifted to a classic hits format. In October 2016, WMLL returned to classic rock, branded as "Iconic Rock".

On December 15, 2023, WMLL flipped to a country music format as "96.5 Live Free Country". The new format was advertised as "Continuous Country Without The Static", as country music was previously available in the Manchester area via adjacent market stations (Portsmouth-market WOKQ, Concord-market WNHW, and two Boston stations); Saga already programmed classic country on the third HD Radio subchannel of WZID and on translators in Concord and Manchester.[8]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Fybush, Scott (June 28, 1996). "WAEF On The Air". New England RadioWatch. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  2. ↑ "Facility Technical Data for WMLL". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  3. ↑ Wollman, Garrett (May 28, 1996). "New England RadioWatch". Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  4. ↑ Fybush, Scott (July 13, 1996). "New Calls for 96.5". New England RadioWatch. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 "Call Sign History". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  6. 1 2 Brouder, Ed (January 12, 2015). "WFEA History - 1990s". Man from Mars Productions. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  7. ↑ Fybush, Scott (March 14, 2005). "ESPN En Route To Boston's 890?". New England RadioWatch. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  8. ↑ Venta, Lance (December 16, 2023). "WMLL Flips To Country". Retrieved December 16, 2023.
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