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WGY kicked off its centennial year with a podcast series called “Wireless: 100 Years of WGY”. It is hosted by WGY news anchor Mike Patrick and features interviews with familiar WGY voices with new episodes released weekly.
The 100th anniversary of WGY will be observed by two local amateur radio clubs — the East Greenbush and the Schenectady Museum amateur radio associations — on Feb. 19 and 20 using a special event amateur station that will reach other “hams” all over the world. The station will use the call sign W7Y, with the 7 representing “G” — the 7th letter of the alphabet. Amateur radio operators — also known as “hams” — who contact the Special Event station will be able to request a reception report “QSL” card designed especially for the occasion. WGY’s legacy is also tied to shortwave broadcasting. From the 1920s until the early 1960s, parent company General Electric operated two powerful shortwave stations from Schenectady — WGEO and WGEA. Members of the public who would like to see the special event station in operation will also be able to visit the Schenectady Museum facility between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday.