WJLB

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WJLB, is a Clear Channel-owned mainstream urban radio station in Detroit that broadcasts on 97.9 megahertz (MHz) frequency. The station is known on-air as FM98 WJLB. This is the station that began the career of Urban radio legend and video jock, Donnie Simpson in 1975 and was the home of radio legend John Mason for nearly 20 years.

WJLB's transmitter is located in Highland Park near the intersection of Hamilton Ave. and Midland St. and transmits its signal from an antenna 489 feet in height with an effective radiated power of 50,000 watts.

[edit] History

[edit] Early History

The station that became WJLB began operation in around May 7, 1941, as a testing station with 1,000 watts of power at 44.9 megahertz frequency. On May 24, it officially begans broadcasting as W49D, Michigan's second FM radio station. It was owned by John Lord Booth.

[edit] WLOU/WMZK Years

On September 12, 1945, W49D is finally assigned a full-powered frequency at 96.5 megahertz and renamed with the calls WLOU. In June 1948, the station moved up to the 97.9 freqnency with the new calls, WMZK, which was a play on the word music, "MuZiK" with a format of automated beautiful music. In later years, WMZK alternated between beautiful music and foreign-language programming for various ethnic groups.

[edit] FM98 WJLB

In 1980, the WJLB calls migrated back to the FM dial along with an Urban contemporary format from the 1400 kHz AM frequency. WJLB-AM, which went on the air as WMBC in 1926 and adopted the WJLB calls in 1939, had been providing programming geared toward Detroit's black community for nearly four decades. Now, the stereo FM station became "FM 98 WJLB, Detroit's Strongest Songs". WJLB-AM 1400 continued to program to the African American community in Detroit for nearly a quarter-century afterward as WQBH ("Welcome Queen Back Home," named for longtime air personality Martha Jean "The Queen" Steinberg), and is now WDTK, owned by Salem Communications with a conservative news/talk format. Within a few years, WJLB-FM had soared into the upper reaches of the Detroit Arbitron ratings and has been there ever since, despite picking up competition in 1996 at the 105.9 frequency, the former jazz-formatted WJZZ which became WCHB-FM "The Beat" and later WDTJ "105.9 Jamz" (now urban AC-formatted WDMK "105.9 Kiss-FM").

In April 1994, Booth American Company merges with Broadcast Alchemy to become Secret communications. Later in the year in the month of August, Chancellor Media acquires station from Secret Communications. In the later 1990s, Chancellor Media and Evergreen later merge to form AMFM, Inc. In November 1999, AMFM, Inc. was purchased by Clear Channel Communications. WJLB and sister station WMXD "Mix 92.3" have been under the Clear Channel banner ever since.

Spring 2008 Phase I Arbitron Rating: #2 (5.4)

[edit] Airstaff

The current lineup (as of April 2008) is as follows

• Mornings: CoCo, Foolish & Mr. Chase In The Morning - CoCo, Foolish,
  Mr Chase & Charles Pugh
• Mid-Days: Cheron
• Afternoon Drive: Bushman
• Evenings: Dr. Darrius
• Nighttime: Sunshyne
• Overnights: Up All Night Show - DJ Kim James (Mon & Tues only)
• Weekenders: Serena D., DJ DDT, DJ Kim James, Deborah Smith Pollard, Jazzy T. & Ya Bigg Dogg Blast

[edit] Sources

• Michiguide.com - WJLB History

[edit] External links

• Query the FCC's FM station database for WJLB
• Radio Locator information on WJLB

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