WSAJ-FM

Last updated
WSAJ-FM
WSAJ logo.png
Broadcast area Grove City, Pennsylvania
Frequency 91.1 MHz
Branding91.1 The One
Programming
Format Freeform
Ownership
Owner Grove City College
History
First air date
 1968
Call sign meaning
Carried from WSAJ
Technical information
Facility ID 25463
Class A
ERP 2,700 watts
HAAT 153 meters (502 ft)
Links
Website wsaj.com

WSAJ-FM (91.1 MHz) is a non-commercial college radio station located in Grove City, Pennsylvania. The station is owned and operated by Grove City College and carries syndicated classical and jazz music, as well as student programming and local sports coverage. The station is managed by an employee of the college, and its day-to-day operations are overseen by a staff of student volunteers when school is in session.

Contents

History

Beginnings

Physics Professor Dr. Herbert W. Harmon conducted radio experimentation at Grove City College beginning in 1914, first over amateur radio station 8CO, and later Technical and Training School station 8YV. All civilian radio stations were shut down during World War One, however 8YV was restarted after the war. In late March 1920, Dr. Harmon began broadcasting a series of entertainment broadcasts. [1] [2] On April 26, 1920, college president Weir C. Ketler transmitted a speech from the college to the New Castle Rotary Club, [3] and this has traditionally been recognized as the anniversary date for the beginning of organized broadcasting by Grove City College. However, the College did not officially hold a broadcasting license until November 29, 1922, when it was granted one for a new AM station, which was given the sequentially assigned callsign WSAJ.

WSAJ-FM

The original WSAJ AM station was low-powered and was only permitted to broadcast a few hours per week. Thus, in 1968 an FM sister, WSAJ-FM, was established, initially on 89.5 MHz, and later moving to 91.1 MHz during the 1990s. Student programming was a mainstay on WSAJ from its inception, with off-site satellite-delivered programming during non-student programs, until a power increase in 1995 resulted in the FM station's coverage area being significantly enlarged. At that time, student broadcasting on the FM station ceased and was moved to a current-carrier AM station on 530 kHz, which could only be heard in the immediate vicinity of the college campus.

Student programming subsequently moved to a carrier-current station and later to an intranet streaming format, calling itself WGCC, even though this was not a legitimately-issued call sign. In 2004, newly installed college president Richard G. Jewell and chairman of the board David Rathburn, himself a WSAJ alumnus, instituted policy changes which allowed student broadcasting to return to the more powerful FM station. At that time the student programming rebranded itself as 91.1 The One and adopted a primarily indie rock format. With the AM station limited to just three hours of operation per week, and merely rebroadcasting the FM station's programming during that time, the College allowed the original WSAJ's license to expire in early 2006.

Addition of HD radio and signal increase

In 2007 WSAJ-FM applied for a construction permit [4] to increase its signal across more of western Pennsylvania through a move to a new tower and a power increase from 1,600 to 2,700 watts. WSAJ-FM moved to its new tower in the southwest corner of Venango County and filed its license to cover in March 2011. The new transmitter broadcasts in HD Radio, and its analog signal area has greatly improved to the north and east especially, including areas such as Franklin, Pennsylvania, Oil City, Pennsylvania and portions of Clarion County.

Programming

In March 2007 WSAJ-FM made significant changes to its syndicated programming lineup. For years, the station had carried classical music programming during the daytime from the Beethoven Satellite Network, originating at WFMT in Chicago. It was decided to switch to classical music offerings from Public Radio International, which also enabled the station to add news programming from the British Broadcasting Corporation. The station also added a variety of specialty classical, jazz, bluegrass, and folk music shows throughout the week. The WFMT syndicated program "Jazz with Bob Parlocha" continues to air as well.

During the school year, students from a recognized campus organization fill each evening of the week with programming under the moniker "91-1 The One", featuring a main format of independent/alternative rock. Under this format, the station reports its spin counts to the College Media Journal. Some students also air specialty shows during the week. The organization appoints its executive staff that governs the student programming. The students also do regular remote broadcasts at the college's Homecoming and Parents' Weekend events.

WSAJ-FM also airs Grove City College football and road basketball games and some area high school football games.

WSAJ-FM has future plans to add more local programming and news coverage to benefit the citizens of Grove City and the surrounding areas. Already, WSAJ-FM has aired brief reports from Grove City Borough Council meetings.

Related Research Articles

WUNC is a listener-supported public radio station, serving the Research Triangle area of North Carolina. It is licensed to Chapel Hill and is operated by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. On weekdays, WUNC carries National Public Radio, American Public Media, Public Radio Exchange, and BBC programming in an "all-news-and-information" format, including shows such as All Things Considered, Morning Edition and Fresh Air. On weekends, in addition to NPR weekend shows, WUNC broadcasts locally produced folk music programming. The longest-running continuously produced program offered by the station is Back Porch Music, a weekly folk and traditional music program. WUNC holds periodic on-air fundraisers seeking listener contributions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WRTI</span> Classical/jazz public radio station in Philadelphia

WRTI is a non-commercial, public radio station licensed to serve Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is a service of Temple University. The Temple University Board of Trustees holds the station's license. The broadcast tower used by the station is located in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia at.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michigan Radio</span> Public radio network of the University of Michigan

Michigan Radio is a network of five FM public radio stations operated by the University of Michigan through its broadcasting arm, Michigan Public Media. The network is a founding member of National Public Radio and an affiliate of Public Radio International, American Public Media, and BBC World Service. Its main studio is located in Ann Arbor, with satellite studios in Flint and offices in Grand Rapids. It currently airs news and talk, which it has since July 1, 1996. The combined footprint of the five stations covers most of the southern Lower Peninsula of Michigan, from Muskegon to Detroit.

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

WRVE is a commercial FM 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">WBHM</span> Public radio station in Birmingham, Alabama, United States

WBHM is a non-commercial public FM radio station in Birmingham, Alabama. The station is licensed to the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where it maintains its radio studios on 11th Street South. WBHM features programming from National Public Radio, American Public Media and Public Radio Exchange. On weekdays, it carries news and information programming, with classical music heard late nights, seven days a week. Weekend programming includes public radio shows such as Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, On The Media, The Moth Radio Hour and Travel with Rick Steves, as well as Bluegrass music and New Age music.

WVCR-FM(88.3 The Saint) is a variety hits radio station located in Loudonville, New York, owned by Siena College, and primarily staffed by students from the college. The station broadcasts on 88.3 MHz at an effective radiated power of 2,800 watts from the Heldeberg Mountains in the Town of New Scotland. In addition to simulcast programming at www.wvcr.com, WVCR is perhaps the only non-commercial licensee to emulate the variety hits format made popular by the Jack FM approach in the Capital Region. The format is very popular in the region with a very diverse selection from classic 1960s hits to current hits of today—something of a 2,800 Watt iPod for Baby Boomers.

KVCR is an FM non-commercial public radio station in located San Bernardino, California, broadcasting to the Riverside-San Bernardino-Inland Empire area. It is owned by the San Bernardino Community College District, along with channel 24 KVCR-DT. KVCR asks for donations from its listeners, especially during fundraisers, usually held for a week, several times per year.

KVOD is a public radio station broadcasting a classical music format. Licensed to Lakewood, Colorado, it serves the Denver metropolitan area. The station is owned by Public Broadcasting Of Colorado. Its programming is broadcast on other stations around Colorado including 91.9 KCFP in Pueblo, 103.3 KPRU in Delta, and 90.5 KVOV in Glenwood Springs.

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

WRUC is an independent educational college radio station, owned and operated by Union College in Schenectady, New York. The station transmits with an effective radiated power of 100 watts, providing coverage over an approximate 15-mile radius. WRUC also streams its programming on Internet radio. The station's offices and studios are located in the Reamer Campus Center on the Union College campus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WFDD</span> Radio station in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

WFDD is an FM public radio station licensed to Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It is the National Public Radio (NPR) affiliate for the Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point media market, also called the Piedmont Triad. Owned by Wake Forest University, WFDD serves 32 counties in Central North Carolina and South-Central Virginia. It also operates a translator, W261CK on 100.1 FM in Boone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WGMF (AM)</span> Radio station in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania

WGMF is an AM broadcasting radio station licensed to the city of Nanticoke, Pennsylvania and serves the Wilkes-Barre, Scranton, and Hazleton radio markets with a Classic Hits format, switching from Adult Standards and Tropical and Spanish language adult contemporary format in December 2008. The station simulcasts sister WGMM located in Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania. WGMF broadcasts at a frequency of 730 kHz with 1,000 Watts of power during the daytime with a non-directional antenna. During the nighttime hours, the station must reduce its power substantially to just 12 Watts which limits its listen able area to just the local Nanticoke area. The power reduction at nighttime is required by rules set by the Federal Communications Commission in order to avoid interference from CKAC, a Canadian Class A radio station also on 730 kHz. WGMF also broadcasts at a frequency of 104.5 MHz with 27 Watts of power from a site atop Dewey/West Mtn near Keyser Valley/Scranton, Pennsylvania which covers Scranton, Old Forge, Avoca, Dickson City, Pittston, and Jessup, Pennsylvania. WGMF also broadcasts at a frequency of 92.5 MHz with 250 Watts of power from a site atop Penobscot Mountain near Mountain Top, Pennsylvania which covers Wilkes-Barre, Mountain Top, Wyoming, Nanticoke, Hazleton, Dallas, West Pittston, and Kingston, Pennsylvania.

WJKV is a non-profit FM radio station in Jacksonville, Florida. It is owned by the Educational Media Foundation (EMF) and airs the national "K-Love" Christian contemporary music radio format.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WQSU</span> Radio station in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania

WQSU is a non-commercial college FM radio station licensed to serve Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. The station is owned and operated by Susquehanna University and is staffed by students and faculty of the university as well as community volunteers. The station is run under the supervision of the university's Department of Communications, having been developed as an educational facility. At 10,500 watts, WQSU is the most powerful student-run college FM radio station in Pennsylvania, and as such it serves approximately one-third of the state with a variety of music, news, information, public affairs, and sports programming 365 days a year. Its broadcast tower is located east of Lewisburg at.

WPRK 91.5 FM is a non-commercial college radio station located in Winter Park, Florida, United States. It is owned and operated by Rollins College. Its signal is audible in most of the Orlando metropolitan area. WPRK features programming from nearly every mainstream and non-mainstream music genre.

WOYL was an American radio station, licensed to the community of Oil City, Pennsylvania. WOYL operated at the assigned frequency of 1340 kHz and a full-time output power of a thousand watts. WOYL signed off December 27, 2009, due to major technical difficulties; though the station acquired a special temporary extension that allowed the station to remain silent until June 2010, it was ultimately decided to return the WOYL license to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WNJR (FM)</span> Noncommercial educational radio station

WNJR is a non-commercial FM radio station broadcasting a freeform radio format. Licensed to Washington, Pennsylvania, it serves Greater Pittsburgh's Southwest suburbs. The station is owned by Washington & Jefferson College.

WHEN is a commercial AM radio station in Syracuse, New York. WHEN airs an urban adult contemporary radio format and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. The station carries "The Steve Harvey Morning Show" and the "Keith Sweat Hotel," which are syndicated by iHeart subsidiary Premiere Networks. The offices and studios are on Plum Street in Syracuse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WFMT</span> Classical music radio station in Chicago

WFMT is an FM radio station in Chicago, Illinois, featuring a format of fine arts, classical music programming, and shows exploring such genres as folk. The station is managed by Window to the World Communications, Inc., owner of WTTW, Chicago's Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) Public television station. WFMT is also the primary station of the WFMT Radio Network, and the Beethoven and Jazz Networks. WFMT transmits from the Willis (Sears) Tower. Several classical music stations on the FM dial in Chicago was WEFM 99.5, WSEL, WJJD at 104.3 and WNIB 97.1 have changed formats for decades.

KHVU is a non-commercial radio station in Houston, Texas. It is owned by Hope Media Group, which owns Christian AC-formatted KSBJ, and airs a Spanish-language Christian adult contemporary radio format. The studios and offices are on Treble Drive in Humble, Texas, near Bush Intercontinental Airport, and the transmitter is located off Sorters McClellan Road in Porter.

WSAJ was one of the earliest AM educational radio stations, licensed November 29, 1922 – January 30, 2006 to Grove City College in Grove City, Pennsylvania. The station traced its founding to broadcasts made over "Technical and Training School" station 8YV, which began in March 1920.

References

  1. ↑ "Music By Wireless Features Gathering At Rex Patch Home", The (Greenville, Pennsylvania) Evening Record, March 23, 1920, page 1.
  2. ↑ "Grove City", The (Greenville, Pennsylvania) Evening Record, March 25, 1920, page 1.
  3. ↑ "Wireless Telephone Demonstration At Meeting of Rotary", New Castle (Pennsylvania) News, April 26, 1920, page 6.
  4. ↑ "WSAJ-FM". REC Networks. Retrieved 2015-06-27.

Coordinates: 41°14′49″N79°54′00″W / 41.247°N 79.900°W / 41.247; -79.900

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.