WJOK

Infobox Radio Station
name = WJOK-AM


city = Kaukauna, Wisconsin
area = Green Bay, Wisconsin
branding = "Relevant Radio"
slogan =
airdate = 1993 (as WSGC)
frequency = 1050 kHz AM
format = Christian radio
power = 1000 watts daytime
500 watts nighttime
erp =
class = B
callsign_meaning = Jesus Our King (also for the former all-sports "Jock" format)
former_callsigns = WKAU-AM (pre-1984)
WQWM-AM (1984-1993)
WSGC (1993-1999)
owner = Starboard Broadcasting
sister_stations =
webcast =
website = [http://www.relevantradio.com/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?&pid=475&srcid=204 wjok.relevantradio.com]
affiliations = Relevant Radio

WJOK (1050 AM) is a radio station licensed to Kaukauna, Wisconsin and serving the Green Bay and Fox Cities areas of Wisconsin. The station is owned and operated by Green Bay-based Starboard Broadcasting and is part of Starboard's Relevant Radio Christian network.

The station originally signed on as WKAU-AM in a Top 40 format. In 1984, the station was sold to Quinn Martin of Milwaukee who changed the call letters to his initials, WQWM-AM, and made it an oldies music format. The station changed hands again in 1993 to a new ownership who changed the calls to WSGC and the format to "Positive Country" music. Another sale in 1999 resulted in the station becoming all-sports "1050 The Jock, WJOK," which carried programming from the national Sports Fan Radio Network as well as local broadcasts of Wisconsin Timber Rattlers baseball. WJOK was purchased by Starboard Broadcasting in 2000, and the station joined Starboard's Relevant Radio network on November 26 of that year.

Previous Incarnations

WJOK was also the call sign of a small radio station in Gaithersburg, MD in the early 1980s broadcasting on 1160 AM frequency. Unique at the time for having been the first radio station to broadcast comedy routines from comedy albums recorded by Bob Newhart, Bill Cosby, Eddie Murphy and older radio programs such as "The Great Gildersleeve" and "Baby Snooks". Lesser known, older artists were also aired such as Shelley Berman, Henny Youngam, Hudson and Landry and the Duck's Breath Mystery Theater. Music by "Weird Al" Yankovick was commonly played.

The disk jockeys of WJOK would provide patter in between selections and play interactive radio games with the audience for prizes such as tickets to comedy shows at comedy clubs in Washington DC such as the Comedy Cafe and Garvin's, a comedy club chain with 3 branches at its height.DJ's included Brad Krantz, "Uncle Walt", and Eddie Katz.

Some recurrent listeners (notably redneck "Jee-im (Jim) from Poolesville") were integrated into some games.

WJOK went off the air due to insufficient growth in ratings. A very weak signal (1000 watts during the day, 500 watts at night), was partially to blame and no other format lasted longer before the station was permanently shuttered.

WJOK began broadcast before comedy cable TV stations such as HA! went on the air, followed by the successful establishment of Comedy Central.

External links

* [http://www.relevantradio.com/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?&pid=475&srcid=204 WJOK website]