WKXW
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This is the article about NJ 101.5 in Trenton. For the NJ 101.5 in Atlantic City, please refer to WXKW.
| WKXW | |
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| City of license | Trenton, New Jersey |
|---|---|
| Branding | New Jersey 101.5 |
| Frequency | 101.5 MHz (FM) |
| Format | talk/oldies/news |
| Power | 15,500 watts |
| HAAT | 275 m (900 ft) |
| Class | B |
| Transmitter Coordinates | facility_id = 53458 |
| Owner | Millennium Central New Jersey License Holdco, LLC |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | www.nj1015.com |
WKXW (101.5 FM, "New Jersey 101.5") is a radio station in New Jersey. Recent Arbitron ratings suggest it is second and even third in some key New Jersey markets.[citation needed] Licensed to serve the Trenton area on 101.5 MHz FM, it is also simulcast on WXKW (formerly known as WIXM) 97.3 MHz FM in southern New Jersey and can be heard live online on the station's website. It is owned by Millennium Radio Group. Its transmitter is located near the Quaker Bridge Mall in Lawrence Township (Mercer County).
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[edit] History
The station went on the air on August 27, 1962 as WBUD-FM and was owned by Dick Hardin[citation needed]. Its call letters subsequently changed to WBJH, which stood for Bill and Joy Hardin, the son and daughter-in-law of the owner. About 1977, the station changed calls to WTRT and called itself "T-101." In 1980, the station became WKXW, under its new owner Fidelity Communications. It was playing an adult contemporary format as "Kicks 101 and a half" before the change to its current talk format. The sale to Millennium Radio Group took place in 2001.
Prominent radio personalities who have worked at the station include Philadelphia radio Hall of Famer Hy Lit[1] and his son Sam Lit, who anchored the air staff in the early 80s, John and Ken (now at KFI Los Angeles), Scott and Casey (Scott currently at WMVN/WARH St. Louis, and Casey returned to NJ101.5), Craig Carton (former Jersey Guys co-host now at WFAN in New York, Deminski and Doyle (now at WXYT-FM Detroit), Brooke and Roberta (who left for greener pastures but never recaptured their 101.5 magic), Michelle Jerson (now at WJFK-FM, Washington, D.C., and Mary Walter.
Since March 1, 1990, the station has a talk and news format during the week, with oldies on the weekend (as of mid September 2007, "60s" has been removed from the "60s, 70s, and 80s" week end music programming ID, and nearly all "60s" music has been removed from the play list). The station has strongly branded its New Jersey-ness, with its announcers frequently self-identifying "New Jersey 101.5" and with its bumper message intoning “Not New York … Not Philadelphia … Proud to be New Jersey!” In addition it's known for "New Jersey Fast Traffic every fifteen minutes around the clock as well as New Jersey Instant Weather every 10 minutes
[edit] Ratings
New Jersey 101.5's ratings success can be attributed to several factors, including:
- Radio stations in New York City and Philadelphia tend to avoid New Jersey issues, news, politics, etc.
- New Jersey has only one VHF network television affiliate, WMGM-TV, Atlantic City.
- New Jersey has no other centrally located high power radio station
- New Jersey 101.5's advocacy for smaller government and government spending cuts
This leaves New Jersey 101.5 with a virtual monopoly of New Jersey listeners who are not served by any other broadcast outlet. No other radio station, neither any in New York City nor any in Philadelphia, is listened-to by more people in New Jersey than New Jersey 101.5[citation needed].
[edit] Millennium Radio News Network
The station is the flagship broadcasting arm of the Millennium Radio News Network as heard on twelve different radio stations throughout New Jersey. The network consists of WOBM-FM in Toms River, WOBM-AM in Lakewood, WCHR-FM in southern Ocean County, WJLK-FM in Monmouth County, WADB-AM in Monmouth County, WFPG-FM in South Jersey, WSJO-FM in South Jersey, WXKW-FM in South Jersey, WPUR-FM in Atlantic City, WBUD-AM in Trenton and WENJ-FM in Atlantic City. Various bureaus throughout the state share stories with the Ewing headquarters. Eric Scott is the current news director.
[edit] Format
The station's unique format was created in 1990 and programmed by Jay Sorensen and Perry Michael Simon, Press Broadcasting chief Bob McAllan, and then-GM John Dziuba. Subsequent program directors include Leigh Jacobs (now an executive at Clear Channel Communications' research operation) and Eric Johnson.
Sorensen moved to concentrate on on-air duties and later left to do talk shows in Philadelphia and Dallas; Simon (later at KLSX and Y-107 Los Angeles, now a consultant, writer, and editor at AllAccess.com) moved into the PD slot from his corporate position, then left in 1994, replaced as program director by Leigh Jacobs (now with Critical Mass Media); after Jacobs left, Eric Johnson took over and is the current PD.
[edit] Current on-air personalities
- Jim Gearhart - 6am - 10am, Monday - Friday
This morning drive show is hosted by deep-voiced populist Jim Gearhart. The show has reverb added and was simulcast on Comcast's CN8 cable television network from 1996 to 2004. The show's web page describes Gearhart as "Watchdog for the people of New Jersey. Jim is a veteran broadcaster that is never afraid to rattle some cages. Whether it's politics, taxes, or SUV's...Jim tells it like it is, desperately attempting to rationalize why New Jersey is in a hand basket and where it's going!"[1]
- "Dennis and Judi" - 10am - 2pm, Monday - Friday
The hosts’ full radio names are "Dennis Malloy" and "Judi Franco" and they have been working together since August 5, 1997. Judi Franco is from Long Branch, NJ, is married and has four children. She is a practicing Orthodox Sephardic Jew. Franco started in radio as a disc jockey with Oldies 107.1 in Long Branch. She then went on to stints at WPLJ and 105.1 FM, “The Buzz,” in New York City. In 1997, she moved into the Talk Radio arena at 101.5.[2] Dennis Malloy is from Marlton, NJ, and is divorced with three children. He started in radio at the age of 18 at a small station in Hammonton, NJ. He is a veteran of numerous radio programs in the Philadelphia radio market and worked at NJ101.5 before Franco joined him.[3] Malloy is an avid striped bass fisherman who talks about fishing, his South Philadelphia Italian-American upbringing, and food, from eating, to cooking, to restaurants.
The Dennis and Judi show mixes a variety of topics, from New Jersey state government and political issues to more mundane issues such as sending your children to summer camp or “Have you ever had to call poison control?” Their own web page describes the show as, “An ounce of conservative, mixed with a pound of insanity. Sometimes they're nuts, sometimes they're not...but most times they're nuts. Diner Tours, Favorite Songs and lots more!”[4]Dennis and Judi go on a “diner tour” each spring where they do their show live from a New Jersey diner every Friday for approximately six weeks.
- "The Jersey Guys" - 2pm - 7pm, Monday - Friday
An afternoon drive show that ranges from political discussions and activism to "guy talk" and shock jock humor.
- "After Hours with Michele Pilenza" - 7pm - 11pm Monday - Thursday
A lifestyle and relationship talk show with mostly adult themes.
- "Jersey Late Nights with Tommy G" - 11pm - 3 am Sunday - Thursday
A late night talk show focusing on a variety of topics. The show's web page describes is as "Tommy G. shares his trials and tribulations of everyday life in New Jersey. Sprinkle in a common sense approach to topics with passion and humor and that's what Jersey Late Night's with Tommy G. is all about!"!”[5] By day Tommy G is a movie producer currently working on RoboDoc which is being distributed by National Lampoon starring Allen Thicke, David Faustino, and Micheal Winslow. [6]
- Big Joe Henry - 7pm - 12am Fridays & 10am - 3pm Weekends
Big Joe Henry is an Oldies music retro disc jockey with reverb, corny jokes and sound effects. Big Joe Henry is a very large man and his motto is "Livin' large and lovin' life."
The most prominent supporting personalities are Eric Scott on news, Alan Kasper on weather, Bob Williams/Jill Myra, Jeff McKay and Bernie Wagenblast for traffic.
[edit] Controversy
- Craig Carton earned controversy in 2005 when the New Jersey Acting Governor Richard Codey physically confronted Carton for disparaging remarks that Carton had made about Codey's wife suffering from postpartum depression, a hormonal disorder that causes women to become moody and irritable. The governor never apologized for this incident, although many believe he clearly should have. Many felt that Codey should have acted more responsibly, not letting his emotions get the better of him, especially being a man in his position of leadership. At the same time, Craig Carton refused to apologize for his comments regarding women suffering from post partum depression.[original research?]
- Carton and Rossi were criticized later in the same year for derogatory remarks in regards to Jun Choi, the 2005 Democratic candidate for Mayor of Edison Township.[citation needed]
- Hispanic political leaders are currently (March 2007) protesting the station's campaign to incite listeners to find and turn in illegal immigrants. They claim the campaign, called "La Cucha Gotcha," which ends on Cinco de Mayo (May 5) a Mexican holiday – is anti-Hispanic. The station claims it is not anti-Hispanic, but anti-illegal alien, although Mexican music is played during the spots, and despite the coordination with the celebrated date.[original research?]
- The station offered former New Jersey Governor James McGreevey his own show. The offer was made when McGreevey was in the middle of his divorce trial. McGreevey had said during testimony at the trial that he's unemployable. McGreevey turned down the station's offer.[7]
[edit] External links
- Official website
- New Jersey FM Radio History
- Query the FCC's FM station database for WKXW
- Radio Locator information on WKXW
- Query Arbitron's FM station database for WKXW
[edit] References
- ^ New Jersey 101.5 FM Radio
- ^ Edison/Metuchen Sentinel - Menorah lighting to feature radio host
- ^ http://www.nj1015.com/personalities/dennis-judi/radio_ga-ga.pdf
- ^ New Jersey 101.5 FM Radio
- ^ New Jersey 101.5 FM Radio
- ^ http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2008/05/27/2008-05-27_from_new_york_radio_to_robodoc.html New York Daily News
- ^ McGreevey declines radio job offer. NJ.Com. AP.
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