WBHJ
Encyclopedia
WBHJ is a urban-leaning
rhythmic
-formatted radio station that serves Birmingham, Alabama
. In 2005, it also began broadcasting in IBOC digital radio
, using the HD Radio
system from iBiquity
. It is owned by Cox Radio Holdings along with six other stations in the market. Its transmitter is located atop Red Mountain in Birmingham
.
It then moved into the Birmingham market in the 1990s, and was during that period the transmitter moved to a taller tower near Vance
. On July 15, 1996, the calls were changed to WBHJ and the format of the station to "95.7 Jamz", an Urban
-formatted radio station that disguises as a rhythmic
.
In November 2004, after years of being plagued by an inadequate signal into its primary listening area of Birmingham, the station applied for a construction permit to the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) to move its transmitter from Vance to Red Mountain. In June 2005 the station completed a move to boost its signal in the Birmingham market by getting relicensed to the Birmingham suburb of Midfield
and moving its transmitter site from rural Bibb County
(near Vance) to Red Mountain, where the other high-power Birmingham stations are located. Although the move required a reduction in power from 100 kilowatts to just 12.2 kilowatts, the move has provided a strong signal to listeners in the immediate market area.
WBHJ is a rhythmic contemporary
reporter on Mediabase
and an urban
reporter per Nielsen BDS. Despite their urban-heavy playlist, it remains listed as a rhythmic on Mediabase to go up against contemporary hit radio
station WQEN
.
Mainstream Urban
Mainstream Urban is a term used to describe a radio format similar to an Urban Contemporary format. The format differentiates itself due to two factors: playlist composition and target demographic...
rhythmic
Rhythmic Contemporary
Rhythmic contemporary, also known as rhythmic top 40, rhythmic contemporary hit radio or rhythmic crossover, is a music radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip-hop and R&B hits. Rhythmic contemporary rarely uses rock music or country music in its airplay, but it may...
-formatted radio station that serves Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
. In 2005, it also began broadcasting in IBOC digital radio
Digital radio
Digital radio has several meanings:1. Today the most common meaning is digital radio broadcasting technologies, such as the digital audio broadcasting system, also known as Eureka 147. In these systems, the analog audio signal is digitized into zeros and ones, compressed using formats such as...
, using the HD Radio
HD Radio
HD Radio, which originally stood for "Hybrid Digital", is the trademark for iBiquity's in-band on-channel digital radio technology used by AM and FM radio stations to transmit audio and data via a digital signal in conjunction with their analog signals...
system from iBiquity
IBiquity
iBiquity Digital Corporation is a company formed by the merger of USA Digital Radio and Lucent Digital Radio, with the goal of creating an in-band on-channel digital radio system for the United States and around the world...
. It is owned by Cox Radio Holdings along with six other stations in the market. Its transmitter is located atop Red Mountain in Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
.
History
95.7 originally came on the air in 1958 as WTBC-FM, a Tuscaloosa station that was a companion to WTBC (AM) "News/Talk 1230" with transmitter on 15th Street. As WTBC-FM, the station was just a placeholder for the AM station, playing a stack of MOR format LP's on a turntable. A contributor who worked at WTBC-AM notes that when the stack of records was finished, it just started playing over! Station IDs weren't done regularly because they were done by the often-forgetful AM jocks. The program director would go live for a few hours each night and was probably the only live person on the air daily. It later became WUOA (University of Alabama), an adult contemporary-formatted college radio station. Another change occurred in 1984 with the calls switching to WFFX, "95.7 the Fox", and the addition of modern rock.It then moved into the Birmingham market in the 1990s, and was during that period the transmitter moved to a taller tower near Vance
Vance, Alabama
Vance is a town in Bibb and Tuscaloosa Counties in the U.S. state of Alabama, just outside of the city of Tuscaloosa. It is most famous for the Mercedes-Benz plant, currently the only one in North America...
. On July 15, 1996, the calls were changed to WBHJ and the format of the station to "95.7 Jamz", an Urban
Mainstream Urban
Mainstream Urban is a term used to describe a radio format similar to an Urban Contemporary format. The format differentiates itself due to two factors: playlist composition and target demographic...
-formatted radio station that disguises as a rhythmic
Rhythmic Contemporary
Rhythmic contemporary, also known as rhythmic top 40, rhythmic contemporary hit radio or rhythmic crossover, is a music radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip-hop and R&B hits. Rhythmic contemporary rarely uses rock music or country music in its airplay, but it may...
.
In November 2004, after years of being plagued by an inadequate signal into its primary listening area of Birmingham, the station applied for a construction permit to the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC) to move its transmitter from Vance to Red Mountain. In June 2005 the station completed a move to boost its signal in the Birmingham market by getting relicensed to the Birmingham suburb of Midfield
Midfield, Alabama
Midfield is a town in Jefferson County, Alabama. It is south of Fairfield and part of the Birmingham–Hoover–Cullman Combined Statistical Area. At time of the 2000 U.S. Census, it had a population of about 5,625 people.-Geography:...
and moving its transmitter site from rural Bibb County
Bibb County, Alabama
Bibb County is a county in the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of William W. Bibb, the first Governor of Alabama. As of 2010 the population was 22,915. The county seat is Centreville...
(near Vance) to Red Mountain, where the other high-power Birmingham stations are located. Although the move required a reduction in power from 100 kilowatts to just 12.2 kilowatts, the move has provided a strong signal to listeners in the immediate market area.
WBHJ is a rhythmic contemporary
Rhythmic Contemporary
Rhythmic contemporary, also known as rhythmic top 40, rhythmic contemporary hit radio or rhythmic crossover, is a music radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip-hop and R&B hits. Rhythmic contemporary rarely uses rock music or country music in its airplay, but it may...
reporter on Mediabase
Mediabase
Mediabase is a music industry service that monitors radio station airplay in 180 US and Canadian markets. Mediabase publishes music charts and data based on the most played songs on terrestrial and satellite radio, and provides in-depth analytical tools for radio and record industry professionals...
and an urban
Mainstream Urban
Mainstream Urban is a term used to describe a radio format similar to an Urban Contemporary format. The format differentiates itself due to two factors: playlist composition and target demographic...
reporter per Nielsen BDS. Despite their urban-heavy playlist, it remains listed as a rhythmic on Mediabase to go up against contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
station WQEN
WQEN
WQEN is a radio station licensed to serve Trussville, Alabama, USA. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications...
.
Station management
- General Manager: David DuBose
- Program Director: Mary K
- Music Director: Homie