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| WELI | |
|---|---|
| Name | WELI |
| City | New Haven, Connecticut |
| Area | New Haven–Bridgeport–Milford |
| Branding | NewsTalk 960 |
| Frequency | 960 AM |
| Airdate | 1935 |
| Format | News/Talk |
| Language | English |
| Owner | Cumulus Media |
| Sister stations | WELI does not use aliases in this entry |
WELI WELI is a commercial AM radio station licensed to New Haven, Connecticut, serving the New Haven–Bridgeport–Milford market with a news/talk format. Established in 1935, the station has been part of the Connecticut broadcast landscape alongside regional outlets and national networks. Over decades it has carried syndicated programming, local shows, and sports broadcasts, interacting with figures and institutions from Connecticut and beyond.
WELI began broadcasting in 1935 in New Haven, Connecticut and has undergone ownership and affiliation changes involving organizations such as CBS Radio affiliates and later media groups including Cumulus Media. The station operated amid shifts in the American broadcast industry influenced by regulatory actions of the Federal Communications Commission and economic forces affecting companies like Clear Channel Communications and corporate mergers exemplified by transactions involving Citadel Broadcasting. WELI's studio and transmitter movements occurred in parallel with urban developments in New Haven and regional infrastructure projects affecting sites near Interstate 95. Throughout mid‑20th century operations, WELI interacted with personalities associated with networks such as Mutual Broadcasting System and formats that mirrored trends at stations like WABC (AM) and WNBC. In the 1980s and 1990s, changes in syndicated talk programming mirrored national currents driven by figures linked to Fox News Radio, Premiere Networks, and hosts who later worked with Cumulus Media syndication. Ownership transfers and format pivots reflected business patterns seen in deals involving broadcasters such as Entercom and iHeartMedia.
WELI’s weekday schedule has featured a mixture of locally produced shows and nationally syndicated programs distributed by organizations including Premiere Networks, Westwood One, and FOX News Radio. The station’s lineup has included conservative and libertarian commentators whose contemporaries have been associated with hosts like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, and Mark Levin. Local talk segments have addressed municipal and state topics involving offices such as the Connecticut General Assembly and institutions like Yale University, often inviting guests from New Haven Register–covered politics and local non‑profits. Weekend programming and specialty blocks at times featured lifestyle and brokerage content similar to shows on Bloomberg Radio and interview formats reminiscent of public affairs programs on NPR member stations. WELI has also carried hourly news updates using services provided by national outlets like Associated Press and commentary from contributors connected with media such as The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.
WELI has broadcast live play-by-play and commentary for collegiate and professional teams, affiliating with sports organizations and leagues including the National Football League and collegiate programs from Yale Bulldogs. The station has been part of regional radio networks that carried games for franchises comparable to the New York Yankees and Connecticut Huskies across seasons when teams negotiated local rights. Affiliations included partnerships with local sports journalists who previously worked for publications such as the Hartford Courant and broadcasters who had experience at stations like WFAN and WEEI. WELI’s sports coverage intersected with events and venues including Yankee Stadium and regional collegiate tournaments regulated by bodies like the NCAA.
WELI broadcasts on 960 kHz on the AM band using transmitter facilities sited in the New Haven area, operating with directional antenna patterns to comply with allocations overseen by the Federal Communications Commission. The station’s technical evolution followed trends in AM engineering seen at facilities used by stations such as WBZ (AM), involving transmitter upgrades, antenna arrays, and transitions in studio‑to‑transmitter links paralleling developments at broadcast engineering firms. WELI has at times used FM translators and streaming technology comparable to initiatives by stations like WABC (AM) and KFI (AM) to reach audiences on the FM band and digital platforms, adapting to audience migration toward services from providers such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
WELI has participated in community outreach, partnering with local institutions including Yale University, municipal offices of New Haven, Connecticut, and charitable organizations covered by the New Haven Register. The station has promoted civic events, public safety campaigns coordinated with agencies like the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, and charity drives similar in spirit to initiatives run by broadcasters collaborating with groups such as United Way. Public affairs programming often featured representatives from non‑profits, regional cultural centers, and educational institutions like Southern Connecticut State University.
On‑air talent and associated figures have included local hosts who built profiles akin to regional broadcasters who later interacted with national figures such as Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, and guests from academic circles at Yale University. Producers, engineers, and news directors connected to WELI have had professional links with media organizations including AP bureaus, print outlets like The New York Times and Hartford Courant, and radio stations such as WTIC (AM) and WPLR. Community leaders, elected officials from Connecticut and guests from institutions including Fairfield University and regional healthcare systems have appeared on WELI programs.
Category:Radio stations in Connecticut