WCOJ
Encyclopedia
WCOJ is a 5,000 watt AM radio station
licensed to Coatesville, Pennsylvania
consisting of a 4 tower array
broadcasting on 1420 kHz.
WCOJ airs religious radio programming under the control of Philadelphia-based Holy Spirit Radio Foundation. The Holy Spirit Radio Foundation also owns WISP
in Doylestown, Pennsylvania
. http://www.allaroundphilly.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20144941&BRD=1671&PAG=461&dept_id=635398&rfi=6
.
The coverage area includes almost all of Chester County, Pennsylvania
excluding only the extreme Northeast portion of the county known as The Main Line
and the extreme Southeast part of the county along the Pennsylvania
-Maryland
border. The station also reaches parts of Eastern Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
. In addition to Coatesville and West Chester, communities served include Phoenixville
, and Kennett Square
.
-themed Eternal Word Television Network
's radio feed, locally produced programs and specials, and local announcements on the hour. Holy Spirit Radio began simulcasting on WISP and WCOJ on October 7, 2008 with a live Mass broadcast from the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul marking the 5th Anniversary of Cardinal Justin Rigali's installation as Archbishop of Philadelphia.
Originally WCOJ's studios were located at the Palace Theater in downtown Coatesville, and later (in the early '50s) opened an auxiliary studio/business office above Woody Pontiac-Cadillac Inc at 809 E. Lincoln Highway. Over the years the station has also had studios at the transmitter site in West Brandywine Township, at 3721 East Lincoln Highway, Thorndale and at 17 West Gay Street, West Chester. The Seltzer and Halpern partnership which founded WCOJ also branched into cable television in late 1967, forming "Cable TV of Chester County". Over the next five years CATV of Chester County engineered and installed community CATV systems in Coatesville, Downingtown, and West Chester, and expanded into nearby municipalities as funds allowed.
WCOJ was perhaps best known for much of the time it has been in operation for the morning program hosted for over 40 years by station personality Art Douglas. By his retirement in 1995 , Douglas had become a widely recognized figure in Chester County.
in 1955, he came to Chester County and worked for WCOJ Radio in Coatesville. He was the “Voice of Chester County” for over 40 years. He became General Manager but continued to do the morning show along with his sidekick, Jolly Joe Piscoglio, and Clifford E. DeBaptiste. He also, held the Phone Forum show in the afternoon. He retired in 1996 due to failing health.
When the first flake of snow hit the ground, Chester County's children listened for Art's trip to the famed "switchover room", the squeaking chair rolling along the floor, Art's humming/singing, and finally (after coming up to full power), the much anticipated "All schools in the county are closed" announcement...
Art was also known on WCOJ for the birthday announcements, high school sports, and little league baseball. He was dedicated to the West Chester University football program, where he enjoyed doing the play by play on the radio. During his time with West Chester University Football, he had missed fewer than 5 games, also covering Chester County’s high school football and basketball games with the same consistency. He was also known for broadcasting and announcing the Immaculata Girls Basketball team “The Mighty Mac’s” where they went to the Championship Game twice under the coaching of Cathy Rush. He was a member of the Golden Rams Booster Club, and received an honorary award from the Golden Rams and he also was a member of many other organizations throughout Chester County. He was formerly on the Board of Directors of Brian House.
Art "Douglas" Marple died July 31, 2005.
While never being replaced, Art's morning show was taken over by longtime WCOJ announcer Bill Gillan in 1995. Gillan started at the station in 1980 doing the 7pm to Midnigth show. Later he move to mid-days and into the morning shift after Douglas retired. Gillan remained at WCOJ until 2003. After departing WCOJ Gillan joined the QVC Shopping network in the studio tour group. He died after a short illiness on June 6, 2002.
By the 1980s, WCOJ (which had been co-owned with Coatesville's local cable television system) became part of Lensfest Communications, which operated cable systems throughout the region before itself becoming acquired by Comcast in 1997. At that time, WCOJ was "spun off" and sold to former WPHL station manager Lloyd B. Roach. In 2003, Roach and venture capital firm acquired a group of radio stations in central and Northeast Pennsylvania and Southern New York state to form Route 81 Radio. WCOJ was absorbed into the Route 81 station group.
Bought by Philadelphia-based Holy Spirit Radio Foundation 2 October 2008 they began broadcasting on October 7, 2008 with a live Mass broadcast from the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul marking the 5th Anniversary of Cardinal Justin Rigali's installation as Archbishop of Philadelphia.
WCOJ also was the Philadelphia Phillies Radio Network
affiliate for Chester County until 2008. The last broadcast was September 28, 2008.
WCOJ alumni include:
Morton Downey Junior- national talk show host
Merrill Reese
- Philadelphia Eagles play-by-play announcer
Ralph Penza (d 2007) - TV news anchor, WNBC, New York
Kathy Gandolfo - Reporter, WPVI, Philadelphia
Chris Carl - News Director, WDEL, Wilmington, Delaware
Keith Proctor - Editor, WPVI, Philadelphia
Bob Kelly - Traffic Reporter, KYW-TV, Philadelphia
Robert Simcox - Paranormal Podcaster and Host-Creator of " The Paranormal Cafe "
Joe Thomas
- Program Director/Mornings, WCHV and WKAV Charlottesville, VA
Keith Mayo - chief engineer KCBI radio in Texas
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
licensed to Coatesville, Pennsylvania
Coatesville, Pennsylvania
Coatesville is the only city in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 13,100 at the 2010 census. Coatesville is approximately 39 miles west of Philadelphia....
consisting of a 4 tower array
Tower array
A tower array is an arrangement of multiple radio towers which are mast radiators in a phased array. Tower arrays can consist of free-standing or guyed towers or a mix of them....
broadcasting on 1420 kHz.
WCOJ airs religious radio programming under the control of Philadelphia-based Holy Spirit Radio Foundation. The Holy Spirit Radio Foundation also owns WISP
WISP (AM)
WISP is a radio station broadcasting a religious format. Licensed to Doylestown, Pennsylvania, USA. The station is currently owned by Holy Spirit Radio Foundation, Inc....
in Doylestown, Pennsylvania
Doylestown, Pennsylvania
Doylestown is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, north of Philadelphia. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 8,380. The borough is the county seat of Bucks County.- History :...
. http://www.allaroundphilly.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20144941&BRD=1671&PAG=461&dept_id=635398&rfi=6
Coverage Area
WCOJ's transmitter is located just North of Coatesville in West Brandywine Township, PennsylvaniaWest Brandywine Township, Pennsylvania
West Brandywine Township is a township in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 7,394 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which , or 0.22%, is water....
.
The coverage area includes almost all of Chester County, Pennsylvania
Chester County, Pennsylvania
-State parks:*French Creek State Park*Marsh Creek State Park*White Clay Creek Preserve-Demographics:As of the 2010 census, the county was 85.5% White, 6.1% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American or Alaskan Native, 3.9% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian, 1.8% were two or more races, and 2.4% were...
excluding only the extreme Northeast portion of the county known as The Main Line
Pennsylvania Main Line
The Main Line is an unofficial historical and socio-cultural region of suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, comprising a collection of affluent towns built along the old Main Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad which ran northwest from downtown Philadelphia parallel to Lancaster Avenue , a road...
and the extreme Southeast part of the county along the Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
-Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
border. The station also reaches parts of Eastern Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Lancaster County, known as the Garden Spot of America or Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is a county located in the southeastern part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010 the population was 519,445. Lancaster County forms the Lancaster Metropolitan Statistical Area, the...
. In addition to Coatesville and West Chester, communities served include Phoenixville
Phoenixville, Pennsylvania
Phoenixville is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States, northwest of Philadelphia, at the junction of French Creek with the Schuylkill River. The population is 16,440 as of the 2010 Census.- History :...
, and Kennett Square
Kennett Square, Pennsylvania
Kennett Square is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is known as the Mushroom Capital of the World because mushroom farming in the region produces over a million pounds of mushrooms a year...
.
Programming
WCOJ airs programming provided by The Holy Spirit Radio Foundation and mirrors the programming it provides on WISP, including satellite-fed audio programming from the CatholicCatholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
-themed Eternal Word Television Network
Eternal Word Television Network
The Eternal Word Television Network is an American cable television network which presents Catholic-themed programming. It was founded in 1980 by Mother Mary Angelica of the Annunciation, PCPA...
's radio feed, locally produced programs and specials, and local announcements on the hour. Holy Spirit Radio began simulcasting on WISP and WCOJ on October 7, 2008 with a live Mass broadcast from the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul marking the 5th Anniversary of Cardinal Justin Rigali's installation as Archbishop of Philadelphia.
History
WCOJ began operating on November 29, 1949. It originally broadcast as a daytime only station at 1,000 watts. The radio station was a day-time only facility transmitting with 1,000 watts. The station increased its power to the 5,000 watts and began full-time operation in 1952.Originally WCOJ's studios were located at the Palace Theater in downtown Coatesville, and later (in the early '50s) opened an auxiliary studio/business office above Woody Pontiac-Cadillac Inc at 809 E. Lincoln Highway. Over the years the station has also had studios at the transmitter site in West Brandywine Township, at 3721 East Lincoln Highway, Thorndale and at 17 West Gay Street, West Chester. The Seltzer and Halpern partnership which founded WCOJ also branched into cable television in late 1967, forming "Cable TV of Chester County". Over the next five years CATV of Chester County engineered and installed community CATV systems in Coatesville, Downingtown, and West Chester, and expanded into nearby municipalities as funds allowed.
WCOJ was perhaps best known for much of the time it has been in operation for the morning program hosted for over 40 years by station personality Art Douglas. By his retirement in 1995 , Douglas had become a widely recognized figure in Chester County.
in 1955, he came to Chester County and worked for WCOJ Radio in Coatesville. He was the “Voice of Chester County” for over 40 years. He became General Manager but continued to do the morning show along with his sidekick, Jolly Joe Piscoglio, and Clifford E. DeBaptiste. He also, held the Phone Forum show in the afternoon. He retired in 1996 due to failing health.
When the first flake of snow hit the ground, Chester County's children listened for Art's trip to the famed "switchover room", the squeaking chair rolling along the floor, Art's humming/singing, and finally (after coming up to full power), the much anticipated "All schools in the county are closed" announcement...
Art was also known on WCOJ for the birthday announcements, high school sports, and little league baseball. He was dedicated to the West Chester University football program, where he enjoyed doing the play by play on the radio. During his time with West Chester University Football, he had missed fewer than 5 games, also covering Chester County’s high school football and basketball games with the same consistency. He was also known for broadcasting and announcing the Immaculata Girls Basketball team “The Mighty Mac’s” where they went to the Championship Game twice under the coaching of Cathy Rush. He was a member of the Golden Rams Booster Club, and received an honorary award from the Golden Rams and he also was a member of many other organizations throughout Chester County. He was formerly on the Board of Directors of Brian House.
Art "Douglas" Marple died July 31, 2005.
While never being replaced, Art's morning show was taken over by longtime WCOJ announcer Bill Gillan in 1995. Gillan started at the station in 1980 doing the 7pm to Midnigth show. Later he move to mid-days and into the morning shift after Douglas retired. Gillan remained at WCOJ until 2003. After departing WCOJ Gillan joined the QVC Shopping network in the studio tour group. He died after a short illiness on June 6, 2002.
By the 1980s, WCOJ (which had been co-owned with Coatesville's local cable television system) became part of Lensfest Communications, which operated cable systems throughout the region before itself becoming acquired by Comcast in 1997. At that time, WCOJ was "spun off" and sold to former WPHL station manager Lloyd B. Roach. In 2003, Roach and venture capital firm acquired a group of radio stations in central and Northeast Pennsylvania and Southern New York state to form Route 81 Radio. WCOJ was absorbed into the Route 81 station group.
Bought by Philadelphia-based Holy Spirit Radio Foundation 2 October 2008 they began broadcasting on October 7, 2008 with a live Mass broadcast from the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul marking the 5th Anniversary of Cardinal Justin Rigali's installation as Archbishop of Philadelphia.
WCOJ also was the Philadelphia Phillies Radio Network
Philadelphia Phillies Radio Network
The Philadelphia Phillies Radio Network is a network of 21 radio stations in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey that air Major League Baseball games of the Philadelphia Phillies. The lead announcers are Scott Franzke with play-by-play and Larry Andersen with color commentary...
affiliate for Chester County until 2008. The last broadcast was September 28, 2008.
WCOJ alumni include:
Morton Downey Junior- national talk show host
Merrill Reese
Merrill Reese
Merrill Alan Reese is an American sports radio announcer best known for his role as the play-by-play radio announcer for the Philadelphia Eagles on SportsRadio 94.1 WIP-FM. He has been the voice of the Eagles since 1977.-Early years:...
- Philadelphia Eagles play-by-play announcer
Ralph Penza (d 2007) - TV news anchor, WNBC, New York
Kathy Gandolfo - Reporter, WPVI, Philadelphia
Chris Carl - News Director, WDEL, Wilmington, Delaware
Keith Proctor - Editor, WPVI, Philadelphia
Bob Kelly - Traffic Reporter, KYW-TV, Philadelphia
Robert Simcox - Paranormal Podcaster and Host-Creator of " The Paranormal Cafe "
Joe Thomas
Joe Thomas
-Cleveland Browns:Thomas signed a 6-year contract worth $43 million, $23 million guaranteed, including a voidable year, with the Browns. Thomas won the starting left tackle job, with previous Browns left tackle Kevin Shaffer moving to right tackle. He made his NFL debut versus the Pittsburgh...
- Program Director/Mornings, WCHV and WKAV Charlottesville, VA
Keith Mayo - chief engineer KCBI radio in Texas