WJMN (FM)
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WJMN | |
Broadcast area | Greater Boston |
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Branding | "Jam'n 94.5" |
Slogan | Official #1 for Blazin' Hip Hop and R&B! |
Frequency | 94.5 (MHz) 94.5 HD-2 for Classic Hip-Hop |
Format | Rhythmic Contemporary Hit Radio |
ERP | 9,200 watts |
Callsign meaning | W JaM ' N |
Owner | Clear Channel Communications |
Website | http://www.jamn945.com/ |
WJMN is a successful Rhythmic Contemporary Hit Radio station licensed to Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Its current slogan is " #1 For Blazin' Hip Hop And Today's Hottest Music!" The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications.
[edit] History
WJMN was originally WHDH-FM, a sister station to and simulcast of WHDH-AM. In the mid 1960s, to comply with an FCC regulation limiting simulcasting between commonly-owned AM and FM stations in the same city, WHDH-FM began separate programming. In the late 1960s, WHDH-FM briefly tried a rock format, but by the end of the decade had become "beautiful music". Although this format remained until 1975, it was not particularly successful, despite a 1972 attempt to establish a separate identity by changing the call letters to WCOZ.
Originally owned by the Boston Herald-Traveller newspaper, the station was sold to Blair Radio in 1972, and in the 1980s to Sconnix. Several ownership changes followed which eventually resulted in Clear Channel acquiring WJMN.
In the summer of 1975, WCOZ announced that it would change its format to album-oriented rock, which it did on August 15th of that year. Although automated at first, a team of live announcers was hired, led by Ken Shelton and program director Clark Smidt. By the end of 1975, WCOZ had live announcers around the clock and had become successful.
In 1980, new program director John Sebastian arrived and made some changes. WCOZ was still a rock station, but its focus had tightened to loud, hard rock (or "Kick-Ass Rock 'N Roll", according to the station's slogan) with minimal announcer talk. It was extremely successful, but with the changes in rock music during the 1980s, the station's success did not last; its rival WBCN moved past it in the ratings.
In 1984, the station's call letters were changed to WZOU. P.D. Harry Nelson had success with a top 40 format including personalities J.J.McKay, Tom Jeffries, Karen Blake, Brian Pierce & Bob Campbell. Z-94 continued in that format until adopting its current Rhythmic Contemporary Hits format on May 11th 1993.
Jam'n 94.5 is one of Boston's most successful radio stations. The station's morning show was hosted for several years by Balthazar and Pebbles. Balthazar has since moved on, giving way to the current Ramiro and Pebbles morning show. The station plays a variety of music along the lines of Urban Contemporary Hits, heavy on the hip-hop to the extent of not playing non rap rhythmic tracks. However, several music trades (like R&R and Mediabase) and Arbitron has listed WJMN as a Rhythmic because the audience they target is racially-mixed and the region's African-American population is not that large. On top of that, there are some in the African-American community who don't consider WJMN a 'True' Urban despite their hip-hop lean. If that is the case, then Boston is the largest market without an Urban Radio formatted station; Hip Hop station WBOT turned R&B station WILD has been defunct since summer 2006 when Radio One sold it.
WJMN also has an HD2 digital feed specializing in old-school hip-hop music; it is available as an Internet broadcast as well and went on the air 27 January 2006.
WJMN radio is not related to the CBS-owned WJMN-TV in Escanaba, Michigan.
[edit] Current Line-Up
Monday - Friday
- The Ramiro and Pebbles Morning Show with Ramiro and Pebbles - 6AM-10AM
- Suzy Tavarez [voicetracked from KIIS Los Angeles] - 10AM-2PM
- The Back In The Day Buffet - 12PM-12:30PM
- Bobby Blaze - 2PM-7PM
- The 5 O'Clock Traffic Jam - 5PM-5:30PM
- Gee-Spin - 7PM-12AM
- The Sexy Seven at Seven - 7PM
- The Takeover - 10PM-12AM
- voicetracked overnight - 12AM-6AM
Fridays
- The Friday Throwdown - 5PM-2AM
Saturdays
- The Saturday Night Bomb - 6PM-2AM
- LBD - 11PM-6AM
Sundays
- The Baka Boyz Hip Hop Mastermix - 5PM-8PM
- The Backspin with DJ Spinderella - 8PM-10PM
- The Launchpad with Gee-Spin - 10PM-12AM
- Reggaeton Jams with DJ Pup Dawg - 12AM-2AM
[edit] External links
FM radio stations in the Boston, Massachusetts region (Arbitron #11) | |
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(Arbitron #11) |
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(Arbitron #?) |
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Satellite Radio Local Traffic/Weather: XM Channel 210 | Sirius Channel 149 ¹-Simulcasts as of August 2006. |
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Clear Channel Communications, Inc. |
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Corporate officers: Lowry Mays | Mark Mays | Randall Mays | Tom Hicks |
Radio / Television stations:
Other major assets: Clear Channel Outdoor | Clear Channel UK | Premiere Radio Networks | FOX Sports Radio Network |