WEXT FM 106.1

A listener-supported, public FM radio station operating at 97.7 MHz, licensed to Amsterdam, New York, and serving the Capital District and Mohawk Valley region. The station is owned by WMHT Educational Telecommunications and broadcasts an adult album alternative format under the Exit 97.7 brand, featuring programming from American Public Media, National Public Radio, and Public Radio Exchange. The station carries an effective radiated power of 1,600 watts from a transmitter located off New York State Route 30 in Perth, New York, with programming also available on an FM translator at 106.1 MHz in Albany and on the HD Radio digital subchannel of co-owned WMHT-FM. The station traces its origins to 1975, when it first signed on as WCSS-FM with a top 40 and oldies format. Over the following decades it operated under multiple identities and formats, including middle of the road, soft adult contemporary, oldies, and adult contemporary. In 1994 it transitioned to classical music under the name W-Bach. After WMHT Educational Telecommunications acquired the station in 2005 for $1.5 million, it briefly simulcast WMHT-FM before separating with a distinct classical format. On July 7, 2007, WMHT dropped classical programming on the outlet and launched the current adult album alternative format, branded as Exit 97.7, with a focus on independent, local, and emerging artists. The station supports local music through programming such as The Local 518 Show and hosts periodic on-air fundraising drives.