WPST

Infobox Radio station
name = WPST


city = Trenton, New Jersey
area = Philadelphia, Middlesex-Somerset-Union
slogan = "#1 For Variety, #1 For Hit Music"
branding =
frequency = 94.5 MHz
repeater =
airdate =
share = 1.6
share as of = 08 P6
share source = R&Rcite news |title=Philadelphia Market Ratings |url=http://www.radioandrecords.com/RRRatings/DefaultSearch.aspx?MarketName=Philadelphia&MarketRank=%20 |work=Radio & Records]
format = Hot Adult Contemporary
erp = 50,000 watts
haat = 150.0 meters
class = B
facility_id = 25013
coordinates = coord|40|11|22.00|N| 74|50|47.00|W|region:US_type:city
callsign_meaning = Passport Stereo Trenton [cite web |title=Call Letter Origins |url=http://www.oldradio.com/archives/nelson/origins.call-list.html |work=Radio History on the Web]
former_callsigns = WCHR (1965-1998) WNJO (1998-2002) WTHK (2002-2005)
owner = Nassau Broadcasting Ii, LLC
licensee =
sister_stations =
webcast = [http://www.wpst.com Listen Live]
website = http://www.wpst.com
affiliations = Westwood One

WPST (94.5 FM) is a radio station broadcasting a Hot Adult Contemporary format. Licensed to Trenton, New Jersey, USA, the station serves the Philadelphia, Middlesex-Somerset-Union area. The station is currently owned by Nassau Broadcasting Ii, LLC and features programing from Westwood One. [ cite web|url=http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?call=WPST |title=WPST Facility Record |work=United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division ] [cite web|url=http://www1.arbitron.com/sip/displaySip.do?surveyID=SU08&band=fm&callLetter=WPST|title=WPST Station Information Profile|publisher=Arbitron] The transmitter is located in Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania, on US-1.

History

94.5 in Trenton began on August 7, 1965 as WCHR with a religious format. But after 33 years, that all changed when Nassau Broadcasting bought the station. November 10, 1997 saw the beginning of things to come when WCHR began to simulcast on 920 AM in Trenton (see NJ AM Page 4) in preparation for a format change. On February 27, 1998, WCHR started stunting with construction sound effects and on March 2, 1998 94.5 became "New Jersey's Oldies Station." The WNJO calls were assigned on March 26, 1998. On November 1, 2001, WNJO switched to a classic hits format as "94.5 The Hawk." Calls changed to WTHK on August 1, 2002 - and slowly evolved into a classic rock station. On February 14, 2005, at 5pm, 94.5 "switched" frequencies and formats with 97.5 WPST. Forming 94.5 "PST" "number one for today's hit music". Matt Sneed (current MD) was the first voice on 94.5 WPST, while Chris Puorro was music director and Dave McKay was program director at the time.

97.5 started life, initially on January 10, 1949, then officially on April 19, 1949, as WTOA. It was owned by the Mercer Broadcasting Company, which was a wholly-owned subsidiary of the "Trenton Times" newspaper. WTOA started out broadcasting from 3pm to 11pm, with an ERP of 14,500 watts. Its original coverage area reached as far north as Brooklyn, New York and as far west as Reading, Pennsylvania. 97.5 became WPST on September 13, 1971. The WPST calls originally stood for "Passport Stereo Trenton," a slogan of the station at the time. WPST is known for its mainstream CHR format, which they've had for many years. Tom Taylor was the PD who launched the format in the mid 1970s, and did mornings on the station until 1987. In August 1975, owner Herb Hobler hired Phil Gieger as the General Manager. Along with Tom Taylor, they revamped the station and coined the phrase, "From The Shore To The Poconos, The Best Music Is On The FM 97.5 WPST." They initially established an Adult Rock format, and by the Fall of 1975, the station took off and eventually became the number one station in the market. Some WPST DJs over the years included Lee Tobin, John Mellon (aka Walt Ballard), Ed Johnson, Doug James, John Brown, Eddie Davis, Trish Merelo, David Cooper, Andy Gury, Brian Douglas, Mel Toxic, Kris Gamble, Jay Sorensen, Dave Hoeffel, Tom Cunningham, Dave Moss, Michelle Stevens, Pat Gillen, Eric Johnson, Mark Sheppard, Andre Gardner, Phil Simon, Mike Kaplan, Steve Trevelise, Joel Katz, Rich DeSisto, Jason Barsky, Scott Lowe, Joe LeCompte, Jeff Ryan, Mark Van Ness, Gabrielle Vaughn and Chris Puorro. Caricatures of the WPST DJs, circa 1977, can be found here. On February 14, 2005, at 5pm, 97.5 "switched" frequencies and formats with 94.5 WTHK. In August 2005, 97.5's city of license was changed from Trenton to Burlington. The 97.5 transmitter is located in downtown Trenton, New Jersey. The tower from which 97.5 broadcasts is the tallest structure in the City of TrentonFact|date=June 2008.

Recently, 97.5 announced that it had plans to move its transmitter to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and also that it was switching over to the smooth jazz format, broadcasting as the second incarnation of WJJZ. The original WJJZ (106.1 FM), owned and operated by Clear Channel Communications, was one of Philadelphia's most popular radio stations until August 2006, when it was flipped to Rhythmic AC, adopted the call letters WISX, and renamed "Philly's 106.1." (Later on, WISX adopted its current Hot AC format and became "My 106.1.")

The "New" WJJZ began broadcasting on November 17, 2006. Seven members of the former 106.1 airstaff would return to its 97.5 replacement, and Michael Tozzi, the program director at the first WJJZ, was hired by the new version for the same position he had held before. The other six were Gerald Veasley, Teri Webb, Greg Purcell, Bill Simpson, Frank Childs and Desirae McCrae. This WJJZ was on the air until September 5, 2008, when it was flipped to Hot AC and renamed WNUW, "Now 97.5."

References

External links

*FM station data|WPST