WCTC

Last updated
WCTC
Broadcast area Middlesex area
Frequency 1450 kHz
BrandingFox Sports New Jersey
Programming
Format Sports radio
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
WMGQ, WDHA-FM, WMTR, WJRZ-FM, WRAT
History
First air date
1946;78 years ago (1946)
Call sign meaning
Chanticleer Broadcasting, original [1]
Technical information [2]
Licensing authority
 FCC
Facility ID 55180
Class C
Power
  • 1,000 watts unlimited
  • 250 watts auxiliary (backup
Transmitter coordinates
Translator(s) 93.5 W228DY (New Brunswick)
Links
Public license information
Webcast Listen live
Website foxsportsradionewjersey.com

WCTC (1450 AM "Fox Sports New Jersey") is a commercial radio station broadcasting a sports radio format. Licensed to New Brunswick, New Jersey, the station serves Middlesex, Somerset, and Union counties. The station is owned by Beasley Broadcast Group (through Beasley Media Group, LLC). [3] It is the radio home for Rutgers University athletic events and Somerset Patriots Minor League Baseball games. It is the radio affiliate for New York Knicks basketball and New York Rangers hockey.

Contents

WCTC transmits with 1,000 watts, non-directional. It formerly broadcast in C-QUAM AM stereo. The transmitter is off Valentine Street at South 5th Avenue in Highland Park, New Jersey, near the Raritan River. [4] Programming is also heard on 250-watt FM translator W228DY at 93.5 MHz in New Brunswick. [5]

History

WCTC is considered New Jersey's first radio station built during the post-World War II broadcast boom. [6] It signed on in 1946. The following year, it added an FM station, 98.3 WCTC-FM (today WMGQ). WCTC derives its call sign from the Chanticleer, a flamboyant fighting rooster from the medieval fable Reynard the Fox (Le Roman de Renart). It is also used by Geoffrey Chaucer in the Canterbury Tales which was the Rutgers mascot from 1925 to 1955.

From the 1960s through the 1980s, it adopted a full service middle of the road (MOR) format featuring local news, talk, sports, and adult popular music. For most of those years, Jack Ellery was the popular wake-up host.

In 1992, WCTC gave up music programming, switching to All-Talk, featuring programming from ABC Radio and Premiere Radio Networks. As of July 2, 2008, WCTC went back to its roots by reverting to an oldies music format. [7]

On February 28, 2011, WCTC changed the format back to talk, launching the local midday show "New Jersey TODAY" from one to three in the afternoon hosted by Bert Baron. [8]

On July 19, 2016, Beasley Media Group announced it would acquire Greater Media and its 21 stations (including WCTC) for $240 million. [9] The FCC approved the sale on October 6, and the sale closed on November 1. [10]

Under Beasley ownership, WCTC was the primary source for winter school closing announcements. WCTC's former Talk format included "This Morning, America's First News with Gordon Deal", "Markley, Van Camp & Robbins," Guy Benson, and local host Tommy G. in afternoon drive time. WCTC carried hourly news from NBC News Radio. WCTC also aired special interest shows on the weekends.

In July 2021, WCTC began simulcasting on an FM translator, 93.5 W228DY. [11] On September 27, 2021, the wctcam.com web site began redirecting to Fox Sports New Jersey. This coincided with WCTC's format change to sports radio. On the same day, WCTC's Facebook page was rebranded.

Former on-air staff

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References

  1. ↑ "Call Letter Origins". Radio History on the Web.
  2. ↑ "Facility Technical Data for WCTC". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  3. ↑ "WCTC Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  4. ↑ "WCTC-AM 1450 kHz - New Brunswick, NJ". radio-locator.com.
  5. ↑ "W228DY-FM 93.5 MHz - New Brunswick, NJ". radio-locator.com.
  6. ↑ Jaker, Bill; Sulek, Frank; Kanze, Peter (2008). The Airwaves of New York: Illustrated Histories of 156 AM Stations in the Metropolitan Area, 1921–1996. Jefferson: McFarland. p. 56. ISBN   978-0-7864-3872-3.
  7. ↑ "Greater Media takes talker WCTC to "Good Time Oldies" in Central New Jersey". Radio-Info.com. July 2, 2008. Retrieved July 2, 2008.
  8. ↑ "Greater Media's WCTC, New Brunswick NJ (1450) drops oldies for talk". Radio-Info.com. February 28, 2011. Archived from the original on March 5, 2011. Retrieved March 1, 2011.
  9. ↑ "Beasley Acquires Greater Media".
  10. ↑ "Beasley Closes On Greater Media Purchase; Makes Multiple Staff Moves".
  11. ↑ "WCTC/New Brunswick, NJ Adds FM Translator Simulcast". All Access.
  12. ↑ "USA TODAY - Breaking News and Latest News Today".
  13. ↑ "After 63 years on the air, talk radio pioneer Jack Ellery hangs up his headphones". 15 July 2013.
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