WFCI (defunct)

Matchbook from WFCI.

WFCI was one of four radio stations in the pre-World War II Providence market (the others being WPRO, WEAN and WJAR). WFCI was an affiliate of the NBC Blue network which in 1943 became simply the Blue Network & finally changed to the American Broadcasting Company, or ABC, in 1945. WFCI added FM service on 101.5 Megacycles/Channel 268 circa 1950. On that frequency today is today's WWBB.

A listing for WFCI: Pawtucket dates from at least 1927, owned by Frank Crook. It is not known if he was a principal of the Pawtucket Broadcasting Company. If this WFCI is the same station, it was on 1330kc. on or before June 30, 1927, with 50 watts then moving to 1240 kc. (not yet a Class IV frequency as it would become under NARBA) a year later. WFCI's first studio/office location was at 450 Main Street in Pawtucket. The original WFCI became WPAW which was merged into WPRO in May 1933. WFCI was then restarted in 1941. The station became a Mutual affiliate as of June 1, 1942 (prior to that it had served as WEAN's overflow station). WFCI moved to the Biltmore Hotel in Providence in 1949 and took WEAN's ABC affiliation. WFCI was relicensed to Providence in 1950.

WFCI was sold to the Providence Journal-Bulletin in 1952 which changed the callsign to WPJB, matching their radio station on 105.1 Mc. (now WWLI). When the Journal-Bulletin bought WEAN in 1954, it surrendered WPJB's license back to the FCC.

1420 was not silent long as WBSM in New Bedford, Massachusetts was given permission to move to 1420 in 1956 where it remains to this day.

Programming

• Buddy & The Gang.
• Cavaliere Antonio Pace hosted an Italian program which had originated at WPRO & was also heard at one time on WRIB.

Personnel

• Frank Crook: Founder.
• Arthur Paquette: Host of the "1420 Club" (1942)
• Anita Ramos: Supervisor of foreign broadcasts.
• Mark Sheeler: Disc jockey (1948)
• Wallace A. Walker: General Manager (1946)

References/External links

• North East Radio Watch September 17, 2004 (retrieved July 26, 2010)
• 1949 list of A.M. stations and their networks
• Cached listing of WFCI on 1330 in 1927.
• June 30, 1928 listing of WFCI: Pawtucket on 1240kc.
• WFCI temporary permit issued to Frank Crook (Inc.) in April 1927
• Snippet of an Italian-language program on WFCI.
• ASU staff profile of Anita Ramos De Schaff
• Mutual 1942 affiliate list
• 1946 Broadcasting Yearbook ad for WFCI.
• List of radio personalities from the 1942 Broadcasting Yearbook, including Arthur Paquette
• January 16, 2012 obituary for Lucille M. Masse who was a child performer on "Buddy & The Gang" (retrieved November 27, 2012)
• Listing of Mark Sheeler on WFCI.