WSTL

WSTL (1220 AM, "La Mega 94.9") is a radio station licensed to serve Providence, Rhode Island. The station is owned by Nelson Diaz's Diaz Holdings, LLC, and broadcasts a Spanish tropical format programmed by Radio Sharon Foundation. Its programming is also heard on translator station W235CN (94.9 FM).

WSTL

Providence, Rhode Island United States
Broadcast area	Providence metropolitan area
Frequency	1220 kHz
Branding	La Mega 94.9
Programming
Format	Spanish tropical
Ownership
Owner	Nelson Diaz (Diaz Holdings, LLC)
Operator	Radio Sharon Foundation
History
First air date	1947
Former call signs	WRIB (1947–2006)[1]
Call sign meaning	We Shine The Light
Technical information[2]
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	9183
Class	D
Power	1,000 watts (day) 166 watts (night)
Transmitter coordinates	41°49′15.36″N 71°23′5.2″W
Translator(s)	94.9 W235CN (Providence)
Links
Public license information	Public file LMS
Webcast	Listen live
Website	www.lamega949fm.com

Known as WRIB from 1947 to July 7, 2006, the station changed its call sign to WSTL on July 7, 2006.^[1]

History

The station was started in 1947 as a 250-watt daytimer, WRIB with studios at the old Narragansett Hotel.^[3] In 1952, WRIB increased its daytime power to the current 1 kilowatt.

For many years, WRIB had aired mostly brokered programming, serving as an outlet for primarily ethnic broadcasters. Faith Christian Center, an evangelical megachurch in nearby Seekonk, Massachusetts, bought WRIB in 2005. While the station's time brokers had expected to be forced to find new homes for their programming, Faith Christian took WRIB off the air at 12:30 on July 7, 2006, with no advance warning, angering many of WRIB's former time brokers. The church only gave the time brokers a few hours to get their equipment out of the studios or face charges for trespassing.^[4][5] Some shows continue on other stations (e.g.: the Armenian Radio Hour is now on WARA) but others disappeared.

On the morning of Friday, June 23, 2017, the station reported to be going off the air soon; it then went silent.^[6][7][8][9] On November 29, 2017, WSTL returned to the air with Spanish tropical, branded as "Mega 94.9" (simulcast on FM translator W235CN 94.9 FM Providence).^[10]

Translators

Broadcast translator for WSTL

Call sign	Frequency	City of license	FID	ERP (W)	Class	Transmitter coordinates	FCC info
W235CN	94.9 FM	Providence, Rhode Island	41191	250	D	41°49′40″N 71°22′7″W	LMS

WSTL previously operated a second translator, W229AN (93.7), which began carrying the station's programming in December 2008.^[11] While still owned by Diaz Holdings, in January 2025 W229AN began simulcasting the second HD Radio channel of WVEI-FM, which is programmed by The Juice Broadcasting Network.^[12]