WNNJ (FM)

Infobox Radio station
name = WNNJ


city = Newton, New Jersey
area = Sussex County, New Jersey Skylands
branding = 103-7 WNNJ
slogan = The Tri-States' Rock Station
airdate = 1961
format = Classic rock
erp = 2,300 watts
haat = 272 meters
class = B1
facility_id = 25413
callsign_meaning = Newton, New Jersey
owner = Clear Channel Communications
webcast = [http://www.wnnj.com/pages/listenlive.html Listen Live]
website = [http://www.wnnj.com/ www.wnnj.com]
|

WNNJ is a Class B FM radio station licensed to Newton, New Jersey broadcasting on 103.7 FM. They serve the Sussex County, New Jersey radio market while also reaching northeastern Pennsylvania and Orange County, New York. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications. WNNJ offers a Classic Rock format focusing on 1970s and 1980s rock. They also mix in some 1960s and 1990s rock as well. The station is known as "103-7 WNNJ The Tri States' Rock Station". The station achieves high ratings as well. The legal call letters of this station were WNNJ-FM from the Summer of 1988 until JUne 30, 2008. The FM was dropped that day because their AM sister station on 1360 changed its call letters from WNNJ (which they had since 1953) to WTOC

History

The station was originally known as WNNJ-FM and signed on in 1961 and was locally owned along with 1360 WNNJ (now WTOC Radio. Initially WNNJ FM simulcast the Middle of the Road format on 1360 WNNJ during the day. Then after the former WNNJ (AM) signed off for the night (They were then a daytimer) WNNJ FM played Classical Music like most FM radio stations. In the mid-1960s as the FCC was requiring WNNJ FM separated from WNNJ 1360. The station was renamed WIXL and they offered a "Beautiful Music" format. The station played mostly easy listening instrumental versions of pop tunes along with a couple soft vocalists per hour.

The format did not do very well because similarly formatted stations from the Lehigh Valley and New York City reached Sussex County. The owners did a format study in the Summer of 1976. The conclusion was that Country Music fans were underserved in Sussex County. WHN out of New York City was on AM plus they played pop tunes mixed in. A few miles away in Franklin, New Jersey WSUS played a format of 50% Top 40 Hits and 50% Country Music. So it was decided that WIXL would go Country full-time. In November 1976 WIXL 103.7 became the "Home Of Great American Music".

As a Country station they played deep cuts by well known Country music artists. Some Crossover material was heard but it was the hard core country sound that drove this station. Core artists included Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Tanya Tucker, Sonny James, Charlie Pride, Dolly Parton, and many others. The station also played an occasional bluegrass song as well. They even had a Bluegrass show on Sunday evenings. Additionally the station had New York Mets Baseball and New York Giants Football as well as Autoracing at some points.

In 1979 WIXL along with WNNJ was sold to Marvin Strauzer and Michael Levine under the name Group M Communications. The country music format would continue on WIXL. In 1982 though the format evolved to include more crossover material. Early in 1983 the bluegrass show was canceled. After that WIXL began mixing in a lot of non country songs with a slight twang into the format. Songs such as Turn Turn Turn by the Byrds, You Were On My Mind by We Five, and Classical Gas by Mason Williams were mixed into the format. Also not only were well known crossover country artists like Kenny Rogers, John Denver, Eagles, and Eddie Rabbit played more but cuts by artists like Neil Young, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Rita Coolidge, The Carpenters, and others were mixed in moderation.

WIXL continued with a Country format through most of the 1980s. But as demographics began to change, a format study was done late in 1986. The conclusion was that there was a need for another contemporary music station in the market. Plans for a format change were made early in 1988 for Labor Day weekend. But competition heard these rumors and out of fear they would flip first WIXL dropped the Country music format May 28, 1988 at Noon.

This format change faced a lot of controversy. Now Country Music fans could only get their music on NBC's 97.1 WYNY in New York City which had a spotty signal but still could be received standing still. Later that year though Westwood one would acquire the WYNY Country Unit and move it to 103.5. Because of 103.5 FM's proximity to 103.7 WYNY could no longer be received in the WIXL listening area. As a result Sussex County residents could not get country music on the radio. Finally four years later 106.3 WFMV became "Hot Country WHCY", bringing Country music back to the area. (WHCY would drop the format in 2000.)

The station became a straight ahead Contemporary Hit Radio station. the entire airstaff stayed on. WIXL became known as "Power 103". The music was a blend of rock, dance, heavy metal, R & B, and Pop Adult Contemporary crossovers. The station would be deeper than most CHR stations however. Later that year the station dropped the WIXL call letters and reverted to WNNJ FM.

This Top 40 format did well but in 1992 the station dropped the Power 103 name to simply be known as 103.7 WNNJ FM. Jimmy Howes brought the Classic Rock Format to WNNJ on a part-time several hour a week basis in 1992, by slipping in a show on Saturday Nights called "The Classic Rock Shop". The format did so well, Howes and Larry Bear modified the whole station format toHot AC but mixing in moderate amounts of Classic rock. The station continued on this course until 1997, with much success. In the fall of 1996 WNNJ FM along with 1360 WNNJ were sold to Nassau Broadcasting. During this time management changes were made.

In January 1997 half the airstaff exited and new airstaffers were mixed in. The station cut back the news department as well. The Adult Top 40 format was also dropped. WNNJ FM then flipped to a Pop based Rock format focusing on 70's Pop rock. The station became known as "Classic Hits 103-7". Also except for the legal ID the airstaff no longer said the WNNJ FM call letters on the air. Musically Classic Hits 103-7 played rock oriented songs from 1964 to 1989. The focus was 70's rock hits. Mixed in were hard rock hits as well as pop hits from the 70's that were not too far out of the realm of rock. Also big 80's rock hits and some big hits from the late 1960s were also played. The station earned high ratings with this format. Disc Jockeys during this era included Pat Butler, Christa Robinson, Chip Miller, Mike Malone, Vince Thomas, Brett Alan, Frank Bruno, and others.

In the Winter of 2001 Nassau sold WNNJ-FM along with WNNJ 1360, WSUS, WHCY, and local marketing agreements for WDLC and WTSX to Clear Channel Communications in exchange for cash, WEEX, and WODE located in the Lehigh valley. Those Lehigh Valley stations would become Nassau stations.

Classic Hits 103-7 only made a few slight changes initially. But musically over the next few years the station moved to more of a regular classic rock format. In the fall of 2003 the station dropped the name "Classic Hits 103-7" and became "103.7 WNNJ The Tri State's Classic Rock Station". The airstaff changed gradually and by 2004 was totally different from what it had been under Nassau. Also it added the syndicated Alice Cooper show in the evenings. Eventually, the Alice Cooper Show was dropped.

On July 1, WNNJ-FM officially changed the call letters to WNNJ. The reason was because 1360 WNNJ modified its format and changed its call letters to WTOC. Because the FM no longer be shares calls with an AM station, FM will no longer be part of the call letters for 103.7.

Facilities

WNNJ FM 103.7's transmitter is located in Frankford Township and they transmit 20,000 Watts as a Class B FM station. The other FM stations are Class A with weaker signals. Originally the transmitter was located in Andover Township in Springdale (a couple miles from where WNNJ 1360's transmitter still is). The transmitter in that area was only allowed to put out 5,000 watts but the station as a Class B was by FCC laws allowed more power. The station wanted to relocate the tower in Fredon but faced a lot of opposition. Finally in 1986 they began transmitting at their present location. The station was located in Andover Township outside of Newton for many years as well. Finally in September 2004 they moved into state of the art facilities in Franklin on Mitchell Avenue along with other Clear Channel stations in the Sussex cluster.

Airstaff

5:30 to 10:00 a.m. - Rob Moorhead "Moorhead In The Morning"

10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. - Kris Bruno

3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. - Ken O'Brien

7:00 p.m. to 12 Midnight - James Greene

12:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. - continuous classic rock

Weekends- Bill Logan, Rob Ryan, Dee Snider's The House of Hair, Scott Stanchak

External links

* [http://www.wnnj.com/ Classic Rock 103.7 Website]
*FMQ|WNNJ
*FML|WNNJ
*FMARB|WNNJ