WJDM
Encyclopedia
WJDM AM
(1530 kHz Elizabeth
, New Jersey
) is a local AM radio station serving Elizabeth, New Jersey (the seat of Union County
) and the surrounding municipalities with Spanish language programming. The station's transmitter
is located in nearby Union Township, Union County, New Jersey
. The original calls of WELA were changed in January 1971 to avoid any confusion with WERA Plainfield, NJ (1590 kHz) which left the air years later in 1997 after being acquired by WWRL
1600 kHz New York, New York
and shut down to extend that station's coverage area to the west.
Bayway Refinery
just after 11 PM Saturday December 5, 1970, which had area residents fearing for their lives much of the next day.
In January 1971, the station changed its call letters to WJDM, with the letters J, D and M standing for the first names of the original owners (see infobox above for detailed information on this topic).
Later in its history, the station adopted an ethnic format to better cater to the city's changing demographics, expanding from Sundays only to every day by the 1990s. Later that decade, the station became the first in the United States to acquire a license to operate in the expanded AM
radio broadcast band at 1660 kHz, carrying AAHS World Radio network children's format until 1997. Initially, the station carried the same WJDM call letters as its parent station, but later adopted WWRU
and changed its city of license to Jersey City, New Jersey
.
AM broadcasting
AM broadcasting is the process of radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation. AM was the first method of impressing sound on a radio signal and is still widely used today. Commercial and public AM broadcasting is carried out in the medium wave band world wide, and on long wave and short wave...
(1530 kHz Elizabeth
Elizabeth, New Jersey
Elizabeth is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 124,969, retaining its ranking as New Jersey's fourth largest city with an increase of 4,401 residents from its 2000 Census population of 120,568...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
) is a local AM radio station serving Elizabeth, New Jersey (the seat of Union County
Union County, New Jersey
Union County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 536,499. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Elizabeth. Union County ranks 93rd among the highest-income counties in the United States. It also ranks 74th in...
) and the surrounding municipalities with Spanish language programming. The station's transmitter
Transmitter
In electronics and telecommunications a transmitter or radio transmitter is an electronic device which, with the aid of an antenna, produces radio waves. The transmitter itself generates a radio frequency alternating current, which is applied to the antenna. When excited by this alternating...
is located in nearby Union Township, Union County, New Jersey
Union Township, Union County, New Jersey
Union is a Township in Union County, New Jersey, United States. In the 18th century, the area that is now Union was then called Connecticut Farms...
. The original calls of WELA were changed in January 1971 to avoid any confusion with WERA Plainfield, NJ (1590 kHz) which left the air years later in 1997 after being acquired by WWRL
WWRL
WWRL is a radio station in New York City, broadcasting at 1600 kHz AM owned by Access.1 Communications. Since September 1, 2006, its format has been progressive talk radio...
1600 kHz New York, New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and shut down to extend that station's coverage area to the west.
History
WELA signed on the air on March 11, 1970 with the following jingle: (Drumroll) - Announcer: "You've listened to the rest, now listen to the best!" (Chorus - "W-E-L-A, You never heard it so good!") The original format consisted of music, mainly middle-of-the-road (MOR), adult contemporary and rock 'n roll oldies selections, with local news and information. The station made a name for itself with its coverage of an explosion at the Linden, NJLinden, New Jersey
- Local government :, the Mayor of Linden is . The former longtime Mayor of Linden is 82-year-old John T. Gregorio, who served as mayor of Linden for 30, nonconsecutive years and was repeatedly tagged with scandal during his mayoral career, including one felony conviction, later pardoned, which...
Bayway Refinery
Bayway Refinery
Bayway Refinery is a refining facility in the Port of New York and New Jersey, owned by ConocoPhillips. Located in Linden and Elizabeth, New Jersey, it is the northernmost refinery on the East Coast of the United States. The oil refinery converts crude oil into gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, and...
just after 11 PM Saturday December 5, 1970, which had area residents fearing for their lives much of the next day.
In January 1971, the station changed its call letters to WJDM, with the letters J, D and M standing for the first names of the original owners (see infobox above for detailed information on this topic).
Later in its history, the station adopted an ethnic format to better cater to the city's changing demographics, expanding from Sundays only to every day by the 1990s. Later that decade, the station became the first in the United States to acquire a license to operate in the expanded AM
AM broadcasting
AM broadcasting is the process of radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation. AM was the first method of impressing sound on a radio signal and is still widely used today. Commercial and public AM broadcasting is carried out in the medium wave band world wide, and on long wave and short wave...
radio broadcast band at 1660 kHz, carrying AAHS World Radio network children's format until 1997. Initially, the station carried the same WJDM call letters as its parent station, but later adopted WWRU
WWRU
WWRU is a Korean language AM radio station licensed to Jersey City, New Jersey, broadcasting to the New York metropolitan area on 1660 kHz AM. The station's studios are located in Manhattan....
and changed its city of license to Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
.
Past air personalities
- Charles Leonard
- Ed Klein
- Bill Schaefer
- Laura Scott
- Frank Settipani
- Jack Franks
- Skip Painton
- Dean Hunter
- Gary Cubberly
- Jerry Carroll
- Rich Phoenix
- Fred Fishkin
- Bob Salter
- Dave DeLore
- Jim Bosh
- Frank CipollaFrank CipollaFrank Cipolla is an award winning American television and radio news broadcaster and author.-Early life:Frank Cipolla grew up in Queens, NY where he graduated from Saint John's University...
- Bernie WagenblastBernie WagenblastBernhard Robert Wagenblast is the founder and editor of the Transportation Communications Newsletter , an e-mail publication with over 7,000 subscribers as of January 2008 which is distributed via Yahoo Groups and Google Groups Monday through Friday...
- Rich Rapiti
- Jan Ochs
- Cathy Oliver
- Jeff Rafter
- Gary Guida
- David Allen Pratt
- Carlton "C Love" Lovett
- Lauren Pressley
- Cosmo Rose
- Bob Aronson
- Tommy Dean
- Bobby Ryan
- Frank Thomas
- Vinny Marino
- Fran Harris
- Roger Foote
- Robert J. Wright
- Mike Curci
- Chuck Blitzer
- Rob Taylor
- Art (Looney Skip) Rooney
- Dave Frankel
- Jean Bayrock
- Mary Barbieri Young
- Robert Bober
- Claudia Davis
- Bob Recchia
- Dan Coben
- Tom Dwyer
- Joe Caroselli
- Captain Jack
- Ron Maher
- Charles Blanding
- Charlie Bengle
- Pete Tauriello
- Mike Seldin
- Ed Dzienis
- Wayne Avery