Great Barrington — Motorists and devotees of AM radio might have noticed that part of Great Barrington’s only commercial radio station is in the dark.
WSBS-AM 860 has been off the air now for more than three weeks. Four separate parts related to the transmitter at the station’s studios on Stockbridge Road have failed. The parts were placed on order while the station itself remains on-air on FM and via streaming.
“Three of the four have arrived,” station manager and sales director Dave Isby said in an Edge interview. “We’re just waiting on that fourth one.”
Isby said the station was originally told by vendors the parts would take seven days to arrive—perhaps 10 at the most. But, as is the case with many valuable goods during the COVID-19 pandemic, shipping takes longer than normal, and supply chain problems have gummed up the works.
“We’ve even thought about just buying a new transmitter at this point,” Isby added. “It’s crazy.”
Meanwhile, listeners can pick up the signal at 94.1 FM and online. The signal can also be live-streamed over the internet by clicking on the “listen now” icon at the top right of the station’s home page.
In addition, WSBS has a streamable app for mobile devices and the signal can also be streamed through Alexa-enabled Amazon and Google Home devices. There are instructions on the WSBS website for enabling Alexa and Google Home devices to play the station.
“It’s frustrating for sure, but thank goodness we have the FM and the ability of all of our online options to keep people tuned in,” Isby said. “We didn’t have that 10 years ago.”
WSBS first went on the air as a commercial AM radio station on Christmas Eve in 1956. The call letters stand for “Southern Berkshire Station.” Because of a high-power French-language CBC station located in Toronto that also broadcasts at 860, WSBS-AM must reduce its power at night, when AM signals travel much farther. For most of its history, WSBS-AM had to go off the air from dusk to dawn.
Since 2017, WSBS has been owned by TownSquare Media. Sister stations in Berkshire County include WNAW in North Adams and WUPE and WBEC, both in Pittsfield. Isby was not sure precisely when the part would arrive but he expects the AM signal to be up and running again soon.
