| City of license | Trenton, New Jersey |
|---|---|
| Branding | New Jersey 101.5 |
| Frequency | 101.5 MHz |
| First air date | August 27, 1962 |
| Format | Talk/Classic Hits/News |
| ERP | 15,500 watts |
| HAAT | 275 m (902 ft) |
| Class | B |
| Facility ID | 53458 |
| Owner | Townsquare Media |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | nj1015.com |
WKXW (101.5 FM, "New Jersey 101.5") is a radio station based just outside of Trenton, New Jersey. The station is licensed to serve the Trenton area on 101.5 MHz FM and is also streamed on the station's website. It is owned by Townsquare Media. Its transmitter is located near the Quaker Bridge Mall in Lawrence Township in Mercer County, New Jersey.
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The station went on the air on August 27, 1962, as WBUD-FM and was owned by Dick Hardin. 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 "Kix 101 and a half" and later "Kix 101.5" before the change to its current talk format, which came in 1990 when it was sold to Press Communications. The sale to Millennium Radio Group took place in 2001.
Since March 1, 1990, the station has a talk and news format during the week, with oldies music 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). For a time in the 1990s, music was also played weekday overnights.
The station has, at times, provided a simulcast on various AM and FM stations in the Atlantic City area, beyond the reach of its main transmitter. The most recent simulcast ceased in June 2009 when then-WXKW changed formats to ESPN Sports Radio.
In 2011, California-based Oaktree Capital signed a deal to buy Millennium Radio Group; after taking over, Oaktree transferred the Millenium stations to Townsquare Media.[1]
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!", as well as its branded New Jersey Fast Traffic and New Jersey Instant Weather. The New Jersey-centric nature of the station is emphasized in the traffic reports, in that they refer to traffic direction on bridges and tunnels as "entering New Jersey" or "leaving New Jersey" instead of the more traditional designations of "into the city" or "out of the city". As well, current temperatures of different samples of towns in New Jersey are given after the weather reports.
New Jersey 101.5's ratings success can be attributed to several factors, including:
The station is the flagship broadcasting arm of the Millennium Radio News Network as heard on twelve radio stations throughout New Jersey. The network consists of WOBM-FM in Toms River, WOBM-AM in Lakewood, WCHR-FM in Manahawkin, WJLK-FM in Asbury Park, WADB-AM in Tinton Falls, WFPG-FM in Atlantic City, WSJO-FM in Egg Harbor City, WPUR-FM in Atlantic City, and WENJ-FM in Atlantic City. Various bureaus throughout the state share stories with the Ewing headquarters. Eric Scott is the current news director.
In 2011, California-based Oaktree Capital has signed a deal to buy Millennium Radio New Jersey. Millennium is the parent company of New Jersey 101.5 and 10 other radio stations, as well as the Millennium Radio News Network.
The station's unique format was created in 1990. It was programmed by Jay Sorensen and Perry Michael Simon, Press Broadcasting chief Bob McAllan, and then-GM John Dziuba. Radio consultant Walter Sabo also had a major part in the station's creation and continues to consult them today. Subsequent program directors include Leigh Jacobs (now at NuVooDoo Media Services) and Eric Johnson.
Sorensen moved to concentrate on on-air duties and later left to do talk shows in Philadelphia and Dallas (and now does weekend on WCBS-FM in New York); 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; after Jacobs left, Eric Johnson took over and is the current PD.
Supporting personalities include Eric Scott on news (among others), Alan Kasper on weather, Bob Williams, Jill Myra, "Tom Rivers" (aka Matt Ward from 1010 WINS), and Bernie Wagenblast for traffic (among others). Ward's on-air pseudonym is the last vestige of a failed experiment where the station's traffic reporters were given names that suggested New Jersey towns; in Ward's case, "Tom Rivers" is meant to evoke Toms River.
Prominent radio personalities who have worked at the station include:
Two incarnations of the Jersey Guys, first with Craig Carton and Ray Rossi (in summer 2002) and second (in summer 2007) with Casey Bartholomew and Ray Rossi:
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