WICH-1310 AM radio in Norwich is noting its 75th anniversary this year by expanding to the FM radio band.

While the new WICH 94.5 FM frequency offers a clearer signal than its AM counterpart, it doesn’t cover as much area.

Vice President and General Manager Andy Russell says the new station is what the Federal Communications Commission describes as an FM translator station — low-power frequencies designed to enhance an existing AM station in its city of license. The signal has to stay within the AM station’s listening area, plus not interfere with existing FMs on the same and adjacent frequencies.

The FCC limits the signal strengths of FM translators to between 8 and 250 watts. WICH-FM is 35 watts. In contrast, the AM station is 5,000 watts, aimed mostly to the south and southeast of Norwich, to protect other AM stations on the same frequency.

The new FM primarily covers Norwich, Yantic, Bozrah, and parts of Lisbon and Franklin.

An existing FM low-power station in New London broadcasting classical music prevents WICH-FM from broadcasting to the shoreline area. Vice President of Programming for Hall Communications, which owns WICH, Jim Reed, says “we knew about that station going in. The (signal coverage area) maps we had when we got FCC approval for the station pretty much match to what’s on the air.” Adds Russell regarding the New London station: “We have to accommodate it. They’re not going anywhere. It is what it is.”

Reed says there are some areas in Bozrah and Yantic that will see improved coverage on WICH-FM, especially at night, where the AM frequency doesn’t reach.

“It will cover areas along the Route 2 corridor well,” he said.

WICH-FM officially went on the air at 12:24 p.m. on Wednesday, April 21, thanks in part to Mother Nature. “We didn’t know it was actually going to sign on that day,” said Russell. “There was a pretty good storm coming in that afternoon, so we had to rush to get it on the air. You don’t know what your final coverage area’s going to be until you turn the transmitter on. But the signal has been very consistent, very stable since it went on. No glitches.”

WICH-FM, like many FM translator stations, is broadcasting in mono. There are no plans to make it stereo at this time.

“With these translator stations, the coverage is limited. We’d probably gain a little more by keeping it in mono,” said Reed.

“Better coverage, better building penetration if it’s in mono,” added Russell.

By FCC mandate, the FM station must exactly replicate what is broadcast on its AM counterpart. There can’t be any separate programming. WICH broadcasts a mix of “adult standards” music from the 1960s and ‘70s, and local talk.

The talk continues to be hosted by radio veteran Stu Bryer, who will soon be celebrating his own anniversary at WICH. He’ll note his 51st consecutive year working at the station in July.

Bryer says the addition of the FM signal is “wonderful, because there’s so much more clarity now in areas that may not have been as clear.” He says some listeners are very pleased, as they find out they can now get a better signal. The new frequency marks the first time that listeners can catch Bryer’s show on the FM band on a regular basis.

It’s unknown right now if WICH will be broadcasting Norwich Sea Unicorn baseball games this summer. WICH has been the flagship station of the city’s minor league baseball franchise for a number of years.

The team has recently announced it’ll be joining the Futures Collegiate Baseball League in 2021, after a reorganization of minor league baseball eliminated the league the Norwich team had played in. As of press time, no announcements had been made by the team as to any radio broadcasts of games.

Despite the limited signal, WICH officials are excited by the station’s new appearance on FM.

”We hope to increase listenership,” said Russell. “This is a business, so that’s the goal: to increase the audience and increase the effectiveness of advertising for our clients. We’re happy to enhance our services we provide to the 06360 zip code.”

Florida-based Hall Communications Inc. owns six radio stations in eastern Connecticut. Besides WICH, it owns WCTY-FM in Norwich, WNLC-FM in East Lyme, WKNL-FM in New London, and WILI-AM and FM in Willimantic. The company also owns stations in Providence, Rhode lsland; New Bedford, Massachusetts; Burlington, Vermont; Lancaster, Pennsylvania; and Lakeland, Florida.