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WSNJ-AM
- Thread starter buzzrock
- Start date
Re: WSNJ-AM...and remember the FM?
> > Does anyone listen to this station?
>
> It does have some local listeners. Some of its shows have
> loyal followings.
>
> It's one of the last truly local AM stations left.
I like to listen to Jonathan P Casey’s weekday afternoon music show when I can, but it’s hard to pick up where I am… it’s somewhat better in the car.
I used to listen a lot on the old 107.7 FM. You could hear it well into Maryland. It truly was one of the last stations with an old-fashioned local feel. After all, it served a rural area and had local sponsors. (I can still hear those kids singing “When you think of floors… think Orr’s). We discovered the Charlesworth restaurant in Fortescue thanks to WSNJ, and now go there several times every summer even though it’s a 90-minute drive. So, advertising does work on such stations. Our rides to our Friday night football games were always accompanied by George Moore’s high school sports reports. They even read their local school cafeteria menu on the air. In my opinion, they played some of the best music with Bob Dale at night and Jack Moore on Saturday mornings in addition to Jonathan P Casey, and a country oldies show on Saturday nights.
After the station was sold and moved to Philadelphia on 107.9, I wondered whatever happened to that FCC clause requiring stations to show they’re “serving in the community interest.”
> > Does anyone listen to this station?
>
> It does have some local listeners. Some of its shows have
> loyal followings.
>
> It's one of the last truly local AM stations left.
I like to listen to Jonathan P Casey’s weekday afternoon music show when I can, but it’s hard to pick up where I am… it’s somewhat better in the car.
I used to listen a lot on the old 107.7 FM. You could hear it well into Maryland. It truly was one of the last stations with an old-fashioned local feel. After all, it served a rural area and had local sponsors. (I can still hear those kids singing “When you think of floors… think Orr’s). We discovered the Charlesworth restaurant in Fortescue thanks to WSNJ, and now go there several times every summer even though it’s a 90-minute drive. So, advertising does work on such stations. Our rides to our Friday night football games were always accompanied by George Moore’s high school sports reports. They even read their local school cafeteria menu on the air. In my opinion, they played some of the best music with Bob Dale at night and Jack Moore on Saturday mornings in addition to Jonathan P Casey, and a country oldies show on Saturday nights.
After the station was sold and moved to Philadelphia on 107.9, I wondered whatever happened to that FCC clause requiring stations to show they’re “serving in the community interest.”
Re: WSNJ-AM...a note of interest
Although WSNJ misses many out-of-market listeners with the loss of 107.7 FM, 1240 AM is doing better than ever. Advertising is way up and 1240 still covers some out-of-market pockets in Delaware. (WSNJ 1240 and WMVB 1440 are picked up on the Cape May - Lewes ferry).
When Quinn Broadcasting took over WSNJ-AM two years ago, they decided to simulcast all WSNJ programming on their station WMVB 1440 which covers all of Cape May County as well as many parts of Atlantic County and the state of Delaware. With the addition of streaming on WSNJAM.com, they've gained listeners in Florida (Al Alberts & Stella), California (Dick Clark), New York (Cousin Brucie & Dan Ingram), Tennessee, Baltimore and Washington DC; also worldwide with listeners in Canada, England, Scotland, and Ireland. Listenership over WSNJ.com has required the addition of more lines to stream on for the increased demand. Other well-known listeners include Hy Lit, Bill Wright Sr, and Ed Hurst (who, incidentally, will be a guest on WSNJ’s Legends series on Tuesday, March 21).
Quinn Broadcasting is considering adding an FM to complement the successful WSNJ AM.
Although WSNJ misses many out-of-market listeners with the loss of 107.7 FM, 1240 AM is doing better than ever. Advertising is way up and 1240 still covers some out-of-market pockets in Delaware. (WSNJ 1240 and WMVB 1440 are picked up on the Cape May - Lewes ferry).
When Quinn Broadcasting took over WSNJ-AM two years ago, they decided to simulcast all WSNJ programming on their station WMVB 1440 which covers all of Cape May County as well as many parts of Atlantic County and the state of Delaware. With the addition of streaming on WSNJAM.com, they've gained listeners in Florida (Al Alberts & Stella), California (Dick Clark), New York (Cousin Brucie & Dan Ingram), Tennessee, Baltimore and Washington DC; also worldwide with listeners in Canada, England, Scotland, and Ireland. Listenership over WSNJ.com has required the addition of more lines to stream on for the increased demand. Other well-known listeners include Hy Lit, Bill Wright Sr, and Ed Hurst (who, incidentally, will be a guest on WSNJ’s Legends series on Tuesday, March 21).
Quinn Broadcasting is considering adding an FM to complement the successful WSNJ AM.
Re: WSNJ-AM...a note of interest
And I remember back in the early '60s when Cumberland County was well served by the original WMVB-1440 AM 97.3 FM with local news every hour with two mobile news units, prowling Millville, Vineland, and Bridgeton --- and loads of local commercials and PSAs -- too many IMNSHO. He'll if you lost your dog or cat, they would PSA it..same for found animals; and nobody could even get away with running a red light without it going out on the radio. Long for those days of mom and pop radio stations. Even the old WWBZ-1360 Vineland, had local content though they were trying to be Wibbage Wannabees. And remember the old WSNJ-FM once running the QXR Network of classical music, picked up over the air using a big yagi stuck half way up the WSNJ tower, from the old WIFI 92.5 Phila, who in turn picked up the signal of a central Jersey FMer, in turn from WQXR itself -- before it started duplicating the 1240 fare.
Cumberland County is indeed fortunate in having one last vestage of local radio --- soemthing so common throughout the USA back then. Maybe they should put WSNJ on the Historic Register or something...imagine a teapot 1240 operation nowadays putting up a tower like that beauty at Carlls Corner and a building that size -- indeed a historic landmark. It's a shame though that the "repeater" at 1440 cant serve Millville as well as the old WMVB of the 1960s did with its news and beautiful music format or even it's pre Jan 1958 operation as WMLV -- which had time-block formats from country to easy listening to top 40 -- and even the classical "Sunset Serenade" in the summer.
> Although WSNJ misses many out-of-market listeners with the
> loss of 107.7 FM, 1240 AM is doing better than ever.
> Advertising is way up and 1240 still covers some
> out-of-market pockets in Delaware. (WSNJ 1240 and WMVB 1440
> are picked up on the Cape May - Lewes ferry).
>
> When Quinn Broadcasting took over WSNJ-AM two years ago,
> they decided to simulcast all WSNJ programming on their
> station WMVB 1440 which covers all of Cape May County as
> well as many parts of Atlantic County and the state of
> Delaware. With the addition of streaming on WSNJAM.com,
> they've gained listeners in Florida (Al Alberts & Stella),
> California (Dick Clark), New York (Cousin Brucie & Dan
> Ingram), Tennessee, Baltimore and Washington DC; also
> worldwide with listeners in Canada, England, Scotland, and
> Ireland. Listenership over WSNJ.com has required the
> addition of more lines to stream on for the increased
> demand. Other well-known listeners include Hy Lit, Bill
> Wright Sr, and Ed Hurst (who, incidentally, will be a guest
> on WSNJ’s Legends series on Tuesday, March 21).
>
> Quinn Broadcasting is considering adding an FM to complement
> the successful WSNJ AM.
>
And I remember back in the early '60s when Cumberland County was well served by the original WMVB-1440 AM 97.3 FM with local news every hour with two mobile news units, prowling Millville, Vineland, and Bridgeton --- and loads of local commercials and PSAs -- too many IMNSHO. He'll if you lost your dog or cat, they would PSA it..same for found animals; and nobody could even get away with running a red light without it going out on the radio. Long for those days of mom and pop radio stations. Even the old WWBZ-1360 Vineland, had local content though they were trying to be Wibbage Wannabees. And remember the old WSNJ-FM once running the QXR Network of classical music, picked up over the air using a big yagi stuck half way up the WSNJ tower, from the old WIFI 92.5 Phila, who in turn picked up the signal of a central Jersey FMer, in turn from WQXR itself -- before it started duplicating the 1240 fare.
Cumberland County is indeed fortunate in having one last vestage of local radio --- soemthing so common throughout the USA back then. Maybe they should put WSNJ on the Historic Register or something...imagine a teapot 1240 operation nowadays putting up a tower like that beauty at Carlls Corner and a building that size -- indeed a historic landmark. It's a shame though that the "repeater" at 1440 cant serve Millville as well as the old WMVB of the 1960s did with its news and beautiful music format or even it's pre Jan 1958 operation as WMLV -- which had time-block formats from country to easy listening to top 40 -- and even the classical "Sunset Serenade" in the summer.
> Although WSNJ misses many out-of-market listeners with the
> loss of 107.7 FM, 1240 AM is doing better than ever.
> Advertising is way up and 1240 still covers some
> out-of-market pockets in Delaware. (WSNJ 1240 and WMVB 1440
> are picked up on the Cape May - Lewes ferry).
>
> When Quinn Broadcasting took over WSNJ-AM two years ago,
> they decided to simulcast all WSNJ programming on their
> station WMVB 1440 which covers all of Cape May County as
> well as many parts of Atlantic County and the state of
> Delaware. With the addition of streaming on WSNJAM.com,
> they've gained listeners in Florida (Al Alberts & Stella),
> California (Dick Clark), New York (Cousin Brucie & Dan
> Ingram), Tennessee, Baltimore and Washington DC; also
> worldwide with listeners in Canada, England, Scotland, and
> Ireland. Listenership over WSNJ.com has required the
> addition of more lines to stream on for the increased
> demand. Other well-known listeners include Hy Lit, Bill
> Wright Sr, and Ed Hurst (who, incidentally, will be a guest
> on WSNJ’s Legends series on Tuesday, March 21).
>
> Quinn Broadcasting is considering adding an FM to complement
> the successful WSNJ AM.
>
Re: WSNJ-AM...a note of interest
> And I remember back in the early '60s when Cumberland County
> was well served by the original WMVB-1440 AM 97.3 FM with
> local news every hour with two mobile news units, prowling
> Millville, Vineland, and Bridgeton --- and loads of local
> commercials and PSAs -- too many IMNSHO. He'll if you lost
> your dog or cat, they would PSA it..same for found animals;
> and nobody could even get away with running a red light
> without it going out on the radio. Long for those days of
> mom and pop radio stations. Even the old WWBZ-1360 Vineland,
> had local content though they were trying to be Wibbage
> Wannabees. And remember the old WSNJ-FM once running the
> QXR Network of classical music, picked up over the air using
> a big yagi stuck half way up the WSNJ tower, from the old
> WIFI 92.5 Phila, who in turn picked up the signal of a
> central Jersey FMer, in turn from WQXR itself -- before it
> started duplicating the 1240 fare.
>
> Cumberland County is indeed fortunate in having one last
> vestage of local radio --- soemthing so common throughout
> the USA back then. Maybe they should put WSNJ on the
> Historic Register or something...imagine a teapot 1240
> operation nowadays putting up a tower like that beauty at
> Carlls Corner and a building that size -- indeed a historic
> landmark. It's a shame though that the "repeater" at 1440
> cant serve Millville as well as the old WMVB of the 1960s
> did with its news and beautiful music format or even it's
> pre Jan 1958 operation as WMLV -- which had time-block
> formats from country to easy listening to top 40 -- and even
> the classical "Sunset Serenade" in the summer.
What an interesting post! Enjoyed the history lesson. I think they still ran those PSAs for lost pets up until very recently. I remember them on 107.7. Another holdover from true local radio which WSNJ still carries is its Country Store where callers advertise things they're selling on the air. Don't know if WSNJ or WMVB ever carried these or not, but funeral announcements used to be a daily feature on small-town stations in the South and Midwest.
> And I remember back in the early '60s when Cumberland County
> was well served by the original WMVB-1440 AM 97.3 FM with
> local news every hour with two mobile news units, prowling
> Millville, Vineland, and Bridgeton --- and loads of local
> commercials and PSAs -- too many IMNSHO. He'll if you lost
> your dog or cat, they would PSA it..same for found animals;
> and nobody could even get away with running a red light
> without it going out on the radio. Long for those days of
> mom and pop radio stations. Even the old WWBZ-1360 Vineland,
> had local content though they were trying to be Wibbage
> Wannabees. And remember the old WSNJ-FM once running the
> QXR Network of classical music, picked up over the air using
> a big yagi stuck half way up the WSNJ tower, from the old
> WIFI 92.5 Phila, who in turn picked up the signal of a
> central Jersey FMer, in turn from WQXR itself -- before it
> started duplicating the 1240 fare.
>
> Cumberland County is indeed fortunate in having one last
> vestage of local radio --- soemthing so common throughout
> the USA back then. Maybe they should put WSNJ on the
> Historic Register or something...imagine a teapot 1240
> operation nowadays putting up a tower like that beauty at
> Carlls Corner and a building that size -- indeed a historic
> landmark. It's a shame though that the "repeater" at 1440
> cant serve Millville as well as the old WMVB of the 1960s
> did with its news and beautiful music format or even it's
> pre Jan 1958 operation as WMLV -- which had time-block
> formats from country to easy listening to top 40 -- and even
> the classical "Sunset Serenade" in the summer.
What an interesting post! Enjoyed the history lesson. I think they still ran those PSAs for lost pets up until very recently. I remember them on 107.7. Another holdover from true local radio which WSNJ still carries is its Country Store where callers advertise things they're selling on the air. Don't know if WSNJ or WMVB ever carried these or not, but funeral announcements used to be a daily feature on small-town stations in the South and Midwest.
WSNJ...a history lesson
I received some interesting facts concerning WSNJ.
A section of the giant WSNJ tower is the original WFIL tower (not WIFI). 98.9 was the original frequency of WSNJ-FM. The Philadelphia Bulletin was the original owner of WCAU 1210 and WCAU-FM 98.1, which were sold to CBS in the early or mid '50s. Classical music was broadcast on WCAU-FM, but when CBS took over, they began simulcasting WCAU-AM on 98.1 and cut the classical music.
Shortly after the sale, readers and high-paying advertisers complained to the Bulletin for the loss of WCAU-FM, with many Bulletin advertisers threatening to leave unless they put an FM classical station back on the air. They met with WSNJ (on 98.9), convincing them to move its frequency to 107.7, and put classical music on 98.9, close to its old spot at 98.1. WSNJ agreed and the Bulletin paid cash, with 10 years of free advertising in the Bulletin, and a new transmitter for WSNJ to move to 107.7. With the stronger power, 98.9 then became WPBS owned by the Bulletin, playing classical music for many years.
Interestingly, WSNJ-AM signed on the air in 1937 on the 1210 frequency. During World War II, the FCC reassigned frequencies throughout the country and WSNJ was moved to 1240. 1210 became WCAU, owned by the Philadelphia Bulletin and later CBS.
I received some interesting facts concerning WSNJ.
A section of the giant WSNJ tower is the original WFIL tower (not WIFI). 98.9 was the original frequency of WSNJ-FM. The Philadelphia Bulletin was the original owner of WCAU 1210 and WCAU-FM 98.1, which were sold to CBS in the early or mid '50s. Classical music was broadcast on WCAU-FM, but when CBS took over, they began simulcasting WCAU-AM on 98.1 and cut the classical music.
Shortly after the sale, readers and high-paying advertisers complained to the Bulletin for the loss of WCAU-FM, with many Bulletin advertisers threatening to leave unless they put an FM classical station back on the air. They met with WSNJ (on 98.9), convincing them to move its frequency to 107.7, and put classical music on 98.9, close to its old spot at 98.1. WSNJ agreed and the Bulletin paid cash, with 10 years of free advertising in the Bulletin, and a new transmitter for WSNJ to move to 107.7. With the stronger power, 98.9 then became WPBS owned by the Bulletin, playing classical music for many years.
Interestingly, WSNJ-AM signed on the air in 1937 on the 1210 frequency. During World War II, the FCC reassigned frequencies throughout the country and WSNJ was moved to 1240. 1210 became WCAU, owned by the Philadelphia Bulletin and later CBS.
2
200Cigarettes
Guest
Re: WSNJ...a history lesson
They still do lost pet announcements and the country store. Not sure about the funeral announcments though. Truely one of the best local stations left.
They still do lost pet announcements and the country store. Not sure about the funeral announcments though. Truely one of the best local stations left.
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