WJHD
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WJHD is the radio station of Portsmouth Abbey School in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. Broadcasting from a studio located in the school's science building, WJHD provides Aquidneck Island with 24 hour, commercial-free radio.
It first went into service on October 16, 1972 under the direction of Dom Geoffrey Chase. Father Geoffrey applied for the radio call letters WJHD in memory of the school's founder, Dom John Hugh Diman. Father Geoffrey served as the station trustee during the 1970s , 1980s, and 1990s. During most of those years the station was only operational nights and weekends, playing classical music. In 1999 Father Edmund took over the station and began to regulate the staff and the operating hours far more regularly. Debuting "The Blue Monk", Edmund's show was a hit with the local community, often playing requests for faculty, parents, and members of the Rhode Island State Police who were listening on patrol. The station showed increased interest amongst the student body in 2000 and 2001. Ken Kraper, Adam Coleman, and John Kraper debuted the well listened to "Kraper-Coleman-Kraper Show" which garnered high call volume, as well as the "Digital Hour" with Brian Doyle and assorted guests in 1999. Also debuting was the "Breakfast with the Blizzard Hour" hosted by Tom Winter, now employed at NBC News. Winter went on to be the student manager of the station and began to gather funds for new transmitting equipment, processing, and equipment that led to the station having its best sounding signal in its history. Local radio engineer Duffy Egan was instrumental in helping the station modernize. Egan and Winter who first met at Providence stations WPRO and WSKO "The Score" helped realize a better vision for the station which received tremendous support from school Headmaster Dr. Jim DeVecchi and Paul Jestings. Just before license renewal a religious broadcaster expressed interest in the station, the faculty of the school allowed the station the funds to become fully operational, with a 24-hour broadcast interspersed with live shows.
In 2005, a new teacher was given the reins of the station, Mrs. Tara O'Brien, who instituted four students as senior and junior managers, Zack McCune and Rebecca Findlay, and Jay Popham and Maximilian Klietmann, respectively.
The station broadcasts with a power of 360 watts ERP from atop the school's science building.
[edit] External links
- Query the FCC's FM station database for WJHD
- Radio Locator information on WJHD
- Query Arbitron's FM station database for WJHD
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