WDHA-FM

Last updated

WDHA-FM
WDHA.png
Broadcast area Morristown, New Jersey
Frequency 105.5 MHz (HD Radio)
BrandingWDHA 105.5
Programming
Format Mainstream rock
Ownership
Owner
WMTR, WCTC, WMGQ, WJRZ-FM, WRAT
History
First air date
February 22, 1961;62 years ago (1961-02-22)
Call sign meaning
Drexel Hill Associates (original owner)
Technical information [1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID 49587
Class A
ERP 1,000 watts
HAAT 175 meters (574 ft)
Links
Public license information
Webcast Listen live
Website wdhafm.com

WDHA-FM (105.5 MHz) is a commercial radio station licensed to Dover, New Jersey, and serving the Morris County area of North Jersey. [2] WDHA is owned and operated by Beasley Broadcast Group and airs a mainstream rock radio format.

Contents

The station's studios and offices are at 55 Horsehill Road in Cedar Knolls. [3] The transmitter is off Casterline Road in Denville. [4]

Format

The station's playlist is made of up of classic rock of the 1970s and 1980s as well as active rock from the 1990s, 2000s, and today. The station calls itself "The Rock Of New Jersey." Core artists include the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Mötley Crüe, Queen, Pearl Jam, Metallica, Nirvana, The Doors, Foreigner, Aerosmith, Van Halen, Ozzy Osbourne and Rush. The station is local and live full-time.

In terms of ratings, the station is consistently the top local station in the Nielsen ratings for the Morristown radio market. WDHA has always scored good ratings in North Jersey, even when New York City had as many as three full-time rock stations.

History [5]

Early years

WDHA Studios, circa 1961 WDHA - Exterior1.jpg
WDHA Studios, circa 1961

WDHA first signed on the air on February 22, 1961. [6] It ran with 3,000 watts of effective radiated power from atop Shongum Mountain, one of the highest peaks in Northern New Jersey. WDHA-FM was one of the first stereo stations in the United States, beginning stereo broadcasting within a year of sign-on. The owners actually built their first stereo generator.

While the studios were being constructed at 410 Route 10 in Randolph Township near Millbrook Avenue, temporary studios were established on the second floor of the old Goodale Drug Store building at 8 West Blackwell Street in downtown Dover.

Ground was broken for the new studios and offices on Monday December 12, 1960, during a snow storm that left high snow drifts and blowing wind. D. Ridgely Bolgiano, general manager, announced that construction of the new site would begin "next week with the station scheduled to go on the air by mid-February." Peter L. Arnow of Convent Station was president of the firm, and Walter C. Blaser of Wharton was named director of music.

WDHA Broadcast Booth, Circa 1961.  D. Ridgely Bolgiano (seated) and unknown person. WDHA - Booth.jpg
WDHA Broadcast Booth, Circa 1961.  D. Ridgely Bolgiano (seated) and unknown person.

The studios and transmitter building were still under construction when the station went on the air with non-stop classical music, 18 hours a day, seven days a week. A 100-foot tower was erected next to the transmitter building on Route 10, and a small intercom system was installed to communicate between those at the transmitter site and those at the studios in downtown Dover. 1510 WRAN, also licensed to Dover, did not go on the air until 1963. There was concern that the WDHA tower was affecting WRAN's directional antenna so WDHA's transmitter was relocated on one of WRAN's towers. (AM 1510 is now WRNJ in Hackettstown.)

The WDHA call sign stands for "Drexel Hill Associates," the original owner of the station. Drexel Hill was headed by Peter Arnow who moved to Morris County from Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, and along with his associates took the name of "Drexel Hill Associates" for the name of their newly established company. It was often said the radio station was a college graduation gift from Mr. Arnow's father.

WDHA was licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to the city of Dover, one of the few towns in New Jersey which the FCC allocated both an AM and FM frequency. The AM frequency of 1510 kHz became WRAN. That station operated its studios and transmitter directly behind WDHA. With WRAN's four huge red-blinking towers, for many years passing motorists thought they belonged to WDHA since WDHA's building was located in view of the highway, while WRAN's building sat in the middle of a field, out of sight. In reality, only directional AM stations need more than one tower.

Peter Arnow and his associate Robert Linder operated the station together for many years. Eventually, they bought AM 1250 WMTR in Morristown and operated both an AM and FM radio station with one facility being at 10 Park Place in Morristown and the other on Route 10. Even though the music formats were always different, the newscasts were simulcast on both stations for many years.

Pop Music

Lobby of WDHA, circa 1961. WDHA - Lobby.jpg
Lobby of WDHA, circa 1961.

WDHA later played adult pop hits during the day but still had classical music as well as jazz block programming at night. The station began broadcasting in stereo in 1972. WDHA studios had been located in Randolph Township while WMTR was located in Cedar Knolls. WDHA and WMTR also simulcast a one-hour lunchtime news/talk show.

Over the years, WDHA's music format evolved, and the station began airing contemporary music at night with the classical format during the day. Soon, WDHA dropped its classical format altogether and went with strictly contemporary pop, later adding rock. From 1972 to 1974, WDHA gradually moved away from pop hits and evolved into a soft rock/adult contemporary format. Initially, the station avoided hard rock. By 1975, WDHA played the available album versions of hit songs, instead of the shorter single versions of the hits.

For a time in the 1970s, WDHA was capable of broadcasting in quadraphonic sound, one of only a handful of stations so equipped. By 1977, WDHA evolved into a hybrid Top 40/Album Rock format, blending both types of music. Harder rock was gradually mixed in while pop hits were being phased out. By 1978, WDHA became known as "The Jersey Giant."

Switch to Rock

By 1980, WDHA had evolved into a full time album rock station, competing with WPLJ and WNEW-FM, New York's two rock stations. In 1984, WDHA was the world's first radio station to play compact discs, a new invention that would replace vinyl records.[ citation needed ] By the late 1980s, more heavy metal bands were heard while the station still kept a balance between classic rock and new rock.

In 1990, WDHA moved out of its Randolph facilities and into new Cedar Knolls studios, along with sister station 1250 WMTR. In 1991, WDHA and WMTR were sold by Drexel Hill Associates to Signal Communications. The formats were unaffected, and WDHA continued as a rock station.

In the mid 1990s, Signal Communications restructured and became known as New Jersey Broadcast Partners. The station began referring to itself as "Classic Rock/New Rock." By the late 1990s, WDHA was positioned between "K-Rock 92.3" WXRK (now WINS-FM) which played hard rock and alternative music, and "Q 104.3" WAXQ, which played classic rock.

Ownership Changes

In 2001, WDHA was sold to Greater Media. [7] Included in the deal were co-owned 1250 WMTR Morristown and 95.9 WRAT in Point Pleasant. Greater Media already owned 98.3 WMGQ and 1450 WCTC in New Brunswick. In the early 2000s, WDHA began broadcasting in the HD Radio format. WDHA HD-1 rebroadcasts WDHA's main analog signal. There has been some consideration paid to adding WMTR's oldies format to WDHA HD-2, but no decision has been made on this yet.

On July 19, 2016, the Beasley Media Group announced it would acquire Greater Media and its 21 stations, including WDHA, for $240 million. [8] The FCC approved the sale on October 6, and the sale closed on November 1. [9]

Past Personalities

Among the prominent radio and TV people employed over the years at WDHA have been: Curtis Kay, Eddie Trunk, Rob Moorhead, Ralph Sutton, Kevin Cotrell, Tony Paige, CMoore Evil, Lenny Bloch, Rich Phoenix, Tony Russomanno, Jeff Ofgang, Lindsay Klein, Dave Holmlund, Bert Baron, Bill Hall, Pat Blowers, Scott Evil, and Ron Maher. Notable female DJ and current Program Director Terrie Carr has been with the station for over 25 years.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WZLX</span> Classic rock radio station in Boston

WZLX is a classic rock radio station in Boston, Massachusetts. This station is owned and operated by iHeartMedia. WZLX was one of America's first classic rock FM stations. Its studios are in Medford, and its transmitter is atop the Prudential Tower.

Greater Media, Inc., known as Greater Media, was an American media company that specialized in radio stations. The markets where they owned radio stations included Boston, Detroit, Philadelphia, Charlotte, and the state of New Jersey. The company was formed in 1956 in Southbridge, Massachusetts, and its headquarters were located in Braintree, Massachusetts.

WMGK is a commercial FM radio station licensed to serve Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The station is owned by Beasley Broadcast Group and broadcasts a classic rock radio format. The broadcast tower used by the station is located in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia at, while studios are in Bala Cynwyd. The station features popular Philadelphia radio personalities Andre Gardner, Matt Cord, Steve Vassalotti, Eric Johnson and Tony Harris.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WPEN (FM)</span> Sports radio station in Burlington, New Jersey, serving Philadelphia

WPEN is a commercial FM radio station licensed to serve Burlington, New Jersey, in the Philadelphia radio market. The station is owned by the Beasley Broadcast Group through licensee Beasley Media Group, LLC and broadcasts a sports radio format.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WROR-FM</span> Classic hits radio station in Framingham–Boston, Massachusetts

WROR-FM – branded as 105.7 WROR – is a commercial classic hits radio station licensed to Framingham, Massachusetts. Owned by the Beasley Broadcast Group, the station serves Greater Boston and much of surrounding New England, including portions of the Portsmouth and Providence radio markets. The WROR studios are located in the Boston suburb of Waltham, while the station's transmitter is located at the Prudential Tower in Downtown Boston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WMJX</span> Adult contemporary radio station in Boston

WMJX – branded Magic 106.7 – is a commercial adult contemporary radio station licensed to Boston, Massachusetts. Owned by Audacy, Inc., the station serves Greater Boston and much of surrounding New England. The WMJX studios are located in Boston's Allston–Brighton neighborhood, while the station transmitter resides on the Prudential Tower in Downtown Boston. Besides a standard analog transmission, WMJX broadcasts using HD Radio technology, and is available online via Audacy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WRAT</span> Rock radio station in Point Pleasant, New Jersey

WRAT is a commercial radio station licensed to serve Point Pleasant, New Jersey. The station is owned by Beasley Broadcast Group through licensee Beasley Media Group Licenses, LLC. It airs a mainstream rock radio format. The studios, offices and transmitter are located on Main Street at 18th Avenue in the Borough of Lake Como, New Jersey at.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WRVE</span> Radio station in Schenectady, New York, United States

WRVE is a commercial radio station licensed in Schenectady and serving the Capital District and Upper Hudson Valley New York. It broadcasts a hot adult contemporary radio format and calls itself "99.5 The River", referring to the Hudson River. The station is owned by iHeartMedia as one of seven radio stations owned by the company in the Albany-Schenectady-Troy radio market.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WHCN</span> Radio station in Hartford, Connecticut

WHCN is a commercial radio station licensed to Hartford, Connecticut. It broadcasts a classic hits radio format for the Hartford, Waterbury and New Haven areas, and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. It is called "The River 105.9," a reference to the Connecticut River. The studios and offices are located on Columbus Boulevard in Hartford.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KATT-FM</span> Radio station in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

KATT-FM is a commercial radio station in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It is owned by Cumulus Media and airs a mainstream rock radio format. The playlist leans toward hard-edged classic rock with some current and recent titles included.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WMTR (AM)</span> Oldies radio station in Morristown, New Jersey, United States

WMTR is an American AM radio station owned by Beasley Broadcast Group. It is licensed to Morristown, New Jersey and serves Morris County and surrounding areas. The station features "The Morning Team" featuring Alan David Stein, Ginny Otte for middays, and Rich DeSisto for afternoon drive. From July through December 2008, WMTR employed a satellite oldies format, playing music from mostly 1964 to 1979. The Classic Oldies format was reinstated after Christmas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WWSK</span> Radio station in New York, United States

WWSK is a mainstream rock formatted radio station, licensed to Smithtown, New York and owned by Connoisseur Media. The station's studios are located at Airport Plaza in Farmingdale, New York and its transmitter is located in Brentwood, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WJRZ-FM</span> Radio station in Manahawkin, New Jersey

WJRZ-FM is a commercial radio station licensed to serve Manahawkin, New Jersey. The station is owned by Beasley Broadcast Group through licensee Beasley Media Group, LLC, and broadcasts a classic hits format. The station's studios are located on Beach Avenue in Stafford Township and its broadcast tower is located in Waretown, New Jersey at.

WCTC 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. 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WMGM (FM)</span> Rock radio station in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States

WMGM is a radio station licensed to Atlantic City, New Jersey, playing active rock. WMGM serves most of southern New Jersey from Toms River to Cape May. Its studios are in Linwood, New Jersey, and its transmitter is in Pleasantville, New Jersey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WMTR-FM</span> Radio station in Archbold, Ohio

WMTR-FM is a radio station that broadcasts at 96.1 MHz on the FM dial in Archbold, Ohio. Airing a classic hits format, it is the primary local station for the Archbold/Fulton County area, and its 3,800-watt signal can be heard NW Ohio in the north to Michigan state line. The station is also listenable in the western suburbs of Toledo and is frequently rated in the Toledo Arbitron ratings reports. Its studios are in Archbold and the transmitter is located northeast of the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WMGQ</span> Radio station in New Brunswick, New Jersey

WMGQ is a commercial FM radio station licensed to New Brunswick and serving Central Jersey. It is owned by the Beasley Broadcast Group, along with sister station WCTC 1450 AM. It broadcasts an adult contemporary radio format, switching to Christmas music for much of November and December. The slogan is "Today's Hits, Yesterday's Favorites".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KFNN</span> Radio station in Mesa, Arizona, United States

KFNN is a commercial radio station licensed to Mesa, Arizona, and serving the Phoenix metropolitan area. It airs a financial news and talk radio format, broadcasting from studios in North Scottsdale. KFNN is owned by CRC Broadcasting Company, Inc., headed by Ronald Cohen and Brian DuBose. The company also owns sports radio 1580 KQFN, as well as KPSF and KXPS in the Palm Springs area, and a financial expo company called Financial Fest. KFNN has a lineup of local and national money related programs, with some nationally syndicated conservative talk show hosts. KFNN says it had the first full-time financial format of its kind in the U.S., starting in 1988.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KDVV</span> Radio station in Topeka, Kansas

KDVV is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Topeka, Kansas. It is owned by Cumulus Media. It airs a classic rock radio format that leans toward harder-edged songs from the 1960s, 70s and 80s. It carries the nationally syndicated Bob & Tom Show in morning drive time.

WBCN, branded as "ESPN Southwest Florida", is a commercial AM radio station broadcasting a sports radio format. Licensed to North Fort Myers, Florida, the station is owned by Beasley Broadcast Group, Inc., through licensee Beasley Media Group, LLC.

References

  1. "Facility Technical Data for WDHA-FM". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. "Login to All Access - Breaking Radio News and Free New Music". Allsccess.com. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
  3. WDHAFM.com/contact
  4. Radio-Locator.com/WDHA
  5. Some material sourced from the George Laurie Dover Area Historical Society
  6. Broadcasting Yearbook 1963 page B-114
  7. Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2005 page D-340
  8. "Beasley Acquires Greater Media". Radioinsight.com. August 3, 2016. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
  9. "Beasley Closes On Greater Media Purchase; Makes Multiple Staff Moves". Radioinsight.com. November 1, 2016. Retrieved December 26, 2018.

40°51′18″N74°30′40″W / 40.855°N 74.511°W / 40.855; -74.511