WRAN (defunct)

The original station, known as WRAN had an unusual signal day and night. During the day the station transmitted 10,000 watts. This was a very directional signal resembling an hourglass. The station reached AbOUT 10 miles east and west but about 70 miles north and south. About 15 miles north of the transmitter point the station had about a 30 mile reach each way. About 35 miles north, the station had about a 50 mile reach each way. So some places 50 miles away WRAN had a better signal than some points only 10 miles away. At night the station only put out 500 watts and reached about 10 miles all around.

The original station, WRAN, began operation on 1510 on August 19, 1964. They employed a full service contemporary music format. By the 1970s, the station employed a hybrid format of adult contemporary, Top 40, and oldies. Musically the format resembled the early '70s WOR-FM or the late '70s WCBS-FM. They even called themselves "Solid Gold WRAN" at one point. They were locally owned until 1980 when Sillerman and Morrow Broadcasting (owned by Cousin Brucie Morrow) purchased it, along with several other AM and FM radio stations in the New York City metropolitan area.

WRAN was upgraded with new equipment and the music was adjusted. But the solid gold Top 40/AC/Oldies hybrid format continued. Sillerman and Morrow sold WRAN along with their other stat stations to Bell Broadcasting in 1982. In 1984 WRAN was sold to Saddle River Holdings. The station was profitable under Cousin Brucie, but once he was no longer associated with WRAN, many advertisers pulled their ads. WRAN continued on with an adult contemporary format until the spring of 1987. At that point the station switched to an oldies format using satellite programming most of the time. The station at that point became WMHQ. Saddle River Holdings eventually put WMHQ up for sale in 1988, but no one was interested in the station. As a result, they would shut down WMHQ and turn the license over to the FCC. A website 1 devoted to the history of the Dover station, which includes jingles, photos, and memorabilia, was created by a former employee.