WOR (New York City)

WOR (New York City)
Name	WOR
City	New York City
Area	New York metropolitan area
Branding	710 WOR
Frequency	710 kHz
Format	Talk radio
Language	English
Facility id	19129
Owner	iHeartMedia
Licensee	iHM Licenses, LLC
Sister stations	WHTZ, WKTU, WAXQ, WLTW, WWRL, WOR-FM (former)
Website	710wor.iheart.com

WOR (New York City) is a commercial AM radio station in New York City broadcasting on 710 kHz with a talk radio format. Established in the early 20th century, the station has played roles in broadcasting evolution, civic discourse, sports coverage, and media consolidation. WOR has been associated with prominent hosts, major events, and shifts in technology from network affiliation to corporate ownership.

History

WOR began operations amid the expansion of broadcasting in the 1920s, contemporaneous with stations like KDKA (AM), WJZ (AM), WABC (AM), WGN (AM), and WCBS (AM). During the 1930s and 1940s WOR was affiliated with networks such as the Mutual Broadcasting System and competed with NBC Blue Network, NBC Red Network, and Columbia Broadcasting System. Its programming in the Golden Age of Radio featured dramatic series, variety programs, and news coverage similar to offerings on The Jack Benny Program, The Shadow, and Lux Radio Theatre. WOR's facilities weathered regulatory shifts involving the Federal Radio Commission and later the Federal Communications Commission, and its signal adjustments paralleled changes seen at WOR-FM (1940s), WNEW (AM), and WMCA (New York). In mid-century decades WOR hosted influential talk and music personalities comparable to those at WOR-FM (former), WABC-FM (former), and WFAN (AM). Corporate changes linked WOR to entities such as RCA, General Tire, MBS Broadcasting, and later conglomerates including Clear Channel Communications and iHeartMedia.

Programming and Format

WOR's format has transitioned from network radio drama and music to news, talk, and sports formats like those on WOR-FM, WFAN, and WABC (AM). Syndicated programs and locally produced shows have mirrored content seen on The Rush Limbaugh Show, Coast to Coast AM, The Sean Hannity Show, and The Jim Bohannon Show while also featuring personalities in the mold of Don Imus, Howard Stern, and Opie and Anthony. Weekend and specialty programming has included public affairs blocks similar to CSPAN Radio, cultural features akin to BBC World Service segments, and brokered shows paralleling offerings on WORL (AM), WABC (AM), and WBZ (AM). The station has carried format experiments and talk formats comparable to Air America Radio liberal shows and conservative talk lineups found on Premiere Networks affiliates.

News and Sports Coverage

WOR maintains a news operation and has provided sports broadcasts, competing with outlets like WFAN (AM), WCBS (AM), WINS (AM), and ESPN Radio. The station has carried play-by-play for franchises and events similar to broadcasts of the New York Yankees, New York Mets, New York Knicks, New York Rangers, New York Jets, and New York Giants on other stations. WOR's journalism has intersected with metropolitan reporting standards championed by organizations such as the Associated Press, Reuters, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal bureaus. Coverage of major events has paralleled media responses seen during the September 11 attacks, Hurricane Sandy, and high-profile trials covered by CourtTV and local television stations like WABC-TV and WCBS-TV.

Technical Facilities and Coverage

WOR operates as a high-power clear-channel class A station on 710 kHz, sharing technical landscape with other heritage stations such as KVOO (former), WBZ (AM), and KDKA (AM). Its transmitter and antenna plants have been engineered alongside industry standards from manufacturers like RCA Corporation and Gates Radio, and the station's signal contours have been subject to coordination with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and international agreements comparable to the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement. Studios have been located in broadcasting hubs proximate to landmarks like Times Square and corporate complexes similar to those housing iHeartRadio and Entercom Communications properties. The station's audio processing and streaming infrastructure reflect technologies used by NPR member stations and commercial operations such as Sirius XM Radio for digital distribution.

Ownership and Corporate Structure

Over its history WOR has been owned or operated by a succession of media companies, reflecting consolidation trends involving RCA, General Tire, ITT Corporation, Viacom, Clear Channel Communications, and iHeartMedia. Corporate governance and licensing interactions have invoked regulatory review by the Federal Communications Commission and have paralleled mergers involving companies like Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Capitol Broadcasting Company, Audacy, Inc. (formerly CBS Radio), and Cumulus Media. Strategic partnerships and syndication agreements connected WOR with networks and syndicators such as Premiere Networks, Westwood One, Dial Global, and CBS Radio Network.

Notable Personalities and Alumni

WOR's on-air alumni and hosts have included talk show hosts, news anchors, and commentators whose careers are comparable to figures like Rush Limbaugh, Don Imus, Curtis Sliwa, Mark Levin, Larry King, and Imus in the Morning contributors. The station's roster has intersected with journalists from outlets including The New York Post, New York Daily News, Newsday, and broadcasters who moved to or from stations like WABC (AM), WFAN (AM), WCBS (AM), WNYC (AM), and WOR-FM (former). Producers, engineers, and personalities affiliated with WOR have also worked for networks and programs such as Mutual Broadcasting System, ABC Radio Network, NBC News Radio, and later iHeartRadio platforms.

Category:Radio stations in New York City