Radio station WBLQ in Westerly moves to new studios after owner dies
WESTERLY, R.I. (WJAR) — It may sound cliché to say 'The show must go on,' but that's literally what's taking place at WBLQ radio in Westerly.
The move to new studios was in the works when owner Chris DiPaola died of an apparent heart attack at the age of 49-years-old last fall.
Just a two-minute walk up Canal Street from the old studios, the station was invited by the owners of Grey Sail Brewing to occupy unused office space in its newly-purchased warehouse for its recently launched South County Distillers gin and vodka business.
"This is a step,” said Grey Sail & South County Distillers co-owner Jennifer Brinton. “This is a move that was planned with Chris. You know, we always talked about how much fun it would be to have this station here."
WBLQ prides itself on Live Local Sports Coverage year-round, news, weather, and music too. And deep roots in the community.
While WBLQ has been broadcasting from its new digs for a few weeks now, it's starting to feel like home.
Chris’s dad, Tom DiPaola has been part of the process.
"One of the sponsors this week reminded me that the phrase that Chris used, and the phrase I heard this week, 'We are family,'" he said.
The hat Chris would wear during the morning show for his cowboy character adorns the new studio.
Tom added, choking back a bout of grief, "Chris may have gotten cheated out of the number of days he had in 49 years, but he didn't get cheated on how he used the days, and that's what we're focusing on."
The move to the new studios has been cathartic for Chris's family, friends, and co-workers.
WBLQ Station Manager Lorren Kleinkauf looks at it this way: “Definitely part of the grieving process, therapeutic. We're carrying on, and Chris is with us always."
"We've hip-ened the playlist up a bit, but everything that Chris's vision, what his dream was, we're carrying on. There's no reason why we should change it," DiPonti Communications part-owner Steve Conti said.
D.J. Gadget became the morning host the day after Chris died.
"It was very much, 'I have to do this.' For Chris. I think he'll always haunt the radio station. In a good way. The show must go on!" she said