WNJR (FM)
 | |
| City of license | Washington, Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Slogan | "Alternative radio for Washington County" |
| Frequency | 91.7 MHz |
| Format | freeform |
| ERP | 950 watts |
| HAAT | 34.0 meters |
| Class | A |
| Facility ID | 70942 |
| Transmitter coordinates | 40°10′13.00″N 80°14′43.00″W / 40.1702778°N 80.2452778°W |
| Former callsigns |
WAJC (1961–1971) WJCR (1971–1989) WXJX (1989–2002) WNJR (2002–present) |
| Owner | Washington and Jefferson College |
| Webcast | Listen Online |
| Website | WNJR Web Site |
Station history
Washington & Jefferson's first student radio station, WAJC-AM, began broadcasting on October 8, 1961 from the second floor of the “music building.”[1] The next year, the station received $200 in funding from the Student Council and the transmitter was upgraded, but the signal could only be heard in Hays Hall, Mellon Hall, Upperclassmen Dorm, and many fraternity houses.[1] In 1971, the college secured a license to broadcast as WJCR at 88.3 FM, upgraded to a 10-watt transmitter, and moved to the Old Gym.[1] By the mid-1980s, the station's operations had deteriorated to the point where it no longer produced a transmission.[1] New Federal Communications Commission regulations forced the station to upgrade to a signal strength of at least 100 watts in order to keep a non-commercial license. Unable to convince the college administrators to upgrade the transmitter, in 1989, a newly refurbished WXJX station was broadcasting at 92.1 FM from a new on-air studio and production booth, using the same 10-watt transmitter which was substantially repaired.[1] For the first time, the signal could be heard beyond the campus, reaching as far as the Franklin Mall and the Washington Mall.[1]
In early 2000, the current studio was installed in The Commons and in 2003 a 1500-watt transmitter was installed at the Washington Trust Building, reaching roughly 30 miles in all directions.[1] A change to a new classic rock format and a Simian automated playout system enabled 24-hour broadcasting for the first time.[1] At the same time, a full-time station manager was hired and the call letters were changed to WNJR and the frequency was changed to 91.7 MHz.[1] Around 2007, ultimate control of the station was shifted to a member of the faculty, Anthony Fleury, and the role of station manager reverted to student control.[1] In 2007, new MegaSeg automation software aided a format shift to freeform music and the station joined the Pacifica Radio Network.[1]
Format and programming
WNJR is licensed as a noncommercial educational station and operates as a co-curricular program of the W&J Department of Theatre and Communication. Assisted by a faculty advisor, the student-run studio broadcasts in a freeform format with several nationally syndicated programs, including Democracy Now!, Free Speech Radio News, and CounterSpin.[1] The station also plays Pittsburgh-based independent programs including Rustbelt Radio and The Saturday Light Brigade.[1] Student on-air personalities produce radio programs including music, news, talk, and sports.[1]
The "WNJR Sports Broadcasting Crew" produces live broadcasts from the College's athletic teams.[4] During the 2008 Democratic presidential primary elections, the sports crew produced live coverage for two political events on campus: a town hall meeting with Barack Obama[5] and a rally for Hillary Clinton featuring former President Bill Clinton.[6] In 2009, students in a theater workshop course performed a series of 1940s radio dramas, including the Lux Radio Theater version of The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer.[7]
Awards and recognition
At the 2008 Pittsburgh Achievement in Radio awards, WNJR won 4 of 6 college radio awards, including the "College Radio Sports Reporting or Play-by-Play Announcer or Host," "College Radio On-Air Personality," "College Radio Editorial," "College Radio Station Website" categories.[8]
The WNJR radio program, "The American Justice System: A Day in the Life of..." won a 2009 Community and Educational Outreach Award from the National Association of Bar Executives. The interview-based program, a joint production with the Washington County Bar Association, is hosted by two local attorneys who conduct interviews with legal professionals to discuss the justice system.[9]
In 2013, senior Erikka Loper was awarded the Excellence in Broadcasting Award by the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters for her weekly radio program Friend or Fraud; no other college broadcast was even nominated.[10]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 "A recent history of radio at W&J". Washington & Jefferson College. Archived from the original on January 14, 2010.
- ↑ "Predicted coverage area for WNJR 91.7 FM, Washington, PA". radio-locator.com. Theodric Technologies LLC. 2009.
- ↑ "W&J: WNJR". Washington & Jefferson College.
- ↑ "WNJR Sports >> About Us". WNJR Sports.
- ↑ "Obama Town Hall, 15 April 2008". WNJR Sports. April 22, 2008.
- ↑ "Clinton Rally at W&J, 11 March 2008". WNJR Sports. April 22, 2008.
- ↑ Hundt, Brad (February 26, 2009). "WNJR Live radio show". Observer-Reporter (Washington, Pennsylvania: Observer Publishing Company). Archived from the original on January 14, 2010.
- ↑ McCoy, Adrian (November 19, 2008). "Radio talent honored with A.I.R. Awards". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- ↑ "2009 LexisNexis Community and Educational Outreach Award Winners Honor Five State and Local Bar Associations" (Press release). American Bar Association. 2009.
- ↑ "Senior Radio Host Recognized by Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters". Washington & Jefferson College. April 16, 2013. Retrieved April 16, 2013.
External links
- Query the FCC's FM station database for WNJR
- Radio-Locator information on WNJR
- Query Nielsen Audio's FM station database for WNJR
- WNJR Audio Archive
- 91.7 WNJR at WikiDub
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