Anyone who commutes to work in the Capital Region has a battery of local radio stations to enjoy: everything from Albany’s PYX 106.5 to Manchester‘s WEQX 102.7 and Amsterdam’s WEXT 97.7. But one area that hasn’t had its own signal in awhile? Saratoga Springs. All that has changed, as Saratoga’s Star Radio (WSSV) is now broadcasting to local listeners from 1160AM and streaming playlists on its website and app. And this August, just in time for the Saratoga Race Course crowds, the station plans to also be available at 93.3FM.
Saratoga’s new station, formerly WAIX, was taken off the air when Empire Broadcasting Co. shut down its stations in May of 2018. Dormant for a year, the station was then purchased by Saratoga Radio LLC last month and relaunched as Star Radio, a station dedicated to classic hits from the 1970s to 1990s, including music by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, Madonna and Elton John, as well as contemporary music and local news. A survey is still available on Star Radio’s site for listeners to help shape the sound of the station.
“The motivation behind this purchase was the desire to bring local radio back to Saratoga Springs,” says Ricki Lee, owner of Star Radio. “I’ve lived in this area with my wife, Hanna, since last year and we absolutely love it. We felt strongly that this vibrant community deserves a station that super-serves listeners in the area.”
Star Radio will also bring on board General Manager Fran Dingeman, who served in the same role for Star 101.3, a local station that broadcast from 1998 to 2012. Dingeman is a 16-year radio veteran and a 26-year Saratoga resident. “I believe that Saratoga listeners have missed having a signal to call their own,” Dingeman says. “We’re happy to fill that void with great music, information and familiar voices that locals can look forward to waking up to and hearing on the air.”