The River 105.9 live

The River 105.9 is Hartford's classic hits station. It broadcasts as WHCN on 105.9 FM, is licensed to Hartford, Connecticut, and serves Hartford, Waterbury and New Haven with the slogan "Hartford's Variety from the 80s & More". The station is owned by iHeartMedia, and on this page you can listen to The River live online, free.

80s and more

The River plays classic hits, with the 1980s at the heart of the playlist. Its name refers to the Connecticut River.

Studios

The studios and offices are on Columbus Boulevard in Hartford.

An FM pioneer

105.9 dates to 1939, when it began as experimental station W1XPW — one of the earliest FM stations anywhere. It was W65H, WDRC-FM from 1943 to 1955 and WFMQ before becoming WHCN, for the Hartford Concert Network.

Sister stations

In Connecticut, iHeartMedia also owns WKSS, WPOP, WUCS and WWYZ.

The River, anywhere

Press play and The River starts in seconds — on I-91, at work or anywhere you are. The stream on this page carries the same music you hear on 105.9 FM.

For Central Connecticut

From Hartford to Waterbury and New Haven, The River is a familiar companion for the workday and the drive home.

How to listen

You can hear The River on the radio on 105.9 FM across Greater Hartford, but you do not need a radio at all: this page plays the live stream in any browser, on a phone, tablet or computer. Press the play button at the top, wait a second or two for the stream to connect, and keep browsing while it plays — the player stays on as you move between pages. It is ideal for a workday or the drive home, and it costs nothing: no account, no subscription and no app to install.

Below the player you will find The River's frequency and home city, the genres it plays, answers to common questions and a list of similar stations, so when you want a change you can jump to another station in the same format or the same area with one click.

• 100% free, no sign-up
• Live stream, 24 hours a day
• Listen from anywhere
• Works on phone and computer