Radio Station Information

WCAP 980 AM

City of License:
Lowell, MA

Format:
Talk

Owner:
Merrimack Valley Radio (Merrimack Valley Radio, LLC)

WCAP is an AM radio station broadcasting at 980 KHz. The station is licensed to Lowell, MA and is part of the Boston, MA radio market. The station broadcasts Talk programming. WCAP is owned by Merrimack Valley Radio.

Nearby Radio Stations

WUML 91.5 FM, WCRB 99.5 FM, WMVX 1110 AM, WNNW 800 AM, WGUA 98.1 FM, WEVS 88.3 FM, WSMN 1590 AM, WGHM 900 AM, WLLH 1400 AM, WHAB 89.1 FM

Listener Comments and Reviews

I was listening to your radio station I believe on Wednesday they were talking about a free download of a financial book. I do not remember the name of the book. Please help Thanks Marie
By: Marie on April 10, 2015

WCAP...A SHELL OF IT'S FORMER SELF. Operating at lower power and stuck in night pattern because they cant afford to fix the 5kw transmitter and antenna system. Ever since they moved the studio they send the audio to the transmitter over a dial up phone line internet connection, it sounds like an old CB radio.
By: Not Morris or Ike on April 2, 2021

@Not Morris or Ike, I was just looking for some interesting stations to brighten my day when I came across this. They actually use/are-allowed-to-use a dial-up internet connection for their audio feed, and they are in night pattern? This just slaps the head for sure. I'm thinking of that Jackie Chan meme where his hands are out to the side where he's like WTH. Hopefully, they get it fairly fixed, but since it is talk radio, you should be able to hear it fine even with unorthodox delivery. In the meantime, if the audio is too bothersome, they might have an internet feed to listen to0. From, ZBG
By: ZBG on April 7, 2021

About WCAP being stuck in night pattern - there is no record on the FCC website of their management requesting special temporary authorization to operate on night pattern full time with reduced power. So it looks like they haven't even notified the FCC of their problem, which they are required to do, even though it has been going on for years. On occasion, I've searched the net for information on this but have always come up empty until I found Marie's comment. I live between Lowell and Leominster. The daytime signal here is so weak you can barely detect anything on 980, whereas historically, the signal has been quite strong. I've been tinkering with electronics old and new for decades as a hobbyist. Although occasionally, the replacement of an expensive part is unavoidable, most of the time, the problem is something that costs pocket change or nothing but took considerable time to troubleshoot. The number one cause of transmitting problems at small stations is a long history of sloppy maintenance. Number two is poor environmental conditions. It may just be some relays in need of cleaning and lubrication.
By: Jeff on September 20, 2021