Wikipedia
WATR (1320 AM) is a radio station licensed to serve Waterbury, Connecticut. The station is owned by WATR, Inc. It airs a full-service News/ Talk plus Oldies music format. It is the oldest privately owned station in the state of Connecticut, never having been sold outside the family of its founder, Harold Thomas (1902–1968).
The station is host to the long-running "Tom Chute & You," the weekday morning drive program hosted by general manager and program director Thomas J. Chute (6-9:30 a.m.) Barbara Davitt, who marked 50 years at WATR in November 2013, hosts "Coffee Break" from 9:30 to 10 a.m. Monday through Thursday. Having debuted in the mid-1960s, it is one of the longest-running shows in radio. Regional broadcasting veteran Larry Rifkin hosts "Talk of the Town," WATR's flagship talk program focusing on local and national issues, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Weekend programming includes the traditional and contemporary sounds of Polish music on "The Zembruski Family Polka Show." The show's predecessor, "The Polish Eagle Show," originated in 1934 on WATR by bandleader Victor Zembruski (1912–1976). His widow, Sophie Zembruski (1918–2010), hosted the show from 1976 to 2008, at which time the couple's daughter, Loretta Hoxie, took over hosting duties. Nathan Zembruski's show succeeded Hoxie in 2013. Other weekend programming highlights include the Saturday night "Music Museum," hosted by Jay Crawford; Sunday morning's "Carosello Italiano," a program hosted by Joe Costa featuring music and news from the Italian community; and the Sunday night "Solid Gold Rock & Roll Party," hosted by John Bunnell. The station also carries local high school sports.
WATR once had sister FM and television stations: WATR-FM, which is now Country 92.5 WWYZ, and WATR-TV, now WCCT-TV, formerly WTXX TV 20.
The station has been assigned the WATR call letters by the Federal Communications Commission since it was initially licensed in 1934.