WXBK
| Broadcast area | New York metropolitan area |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 94.7 MHz |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Cumulus Media |
| WABC, WPLJ | |
| History | |
First air date | 1947 |
Former call signs | WAAT-FM (1947–1958) WNTA-FM (1958–1962) WJRZ-FM (1962–1965) |
Call sign meaning | Where Faith Means Everything (previous format) |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 28204 |
| Class | B |
| ERP | 23,500 watts |
| HAAT | 207 meters |
Transmitter coordinates | 40°47′17″N 74°15′19″W / 40.78806°N 74.25528°W |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | wplj.com |
WFME is a radio station on 94.7 FM licensed to Newark, New Jersey. WFME is owned by Cumulus Media, which completed its acquisition of the station from Family Stations in January 2013. The station is currently simulcasting sister station WPLJ New York. Cumulus has said they will announce a new format for the station, but no timetable for this has been publicly stated.
History
The 94.7 FM frequency signed on in 1947 as WAAT-FM, and was owned by the Bremer Broadcasting Company along with sister station WAAT (970 AM, now WNYM). The following year Bremer launched a television station, WATV on channel 13, New Jersey's first TV outlet. In 1958 the three stations were sold by Bremer to National Telefilm Associates, who changed the operation's call letters to WNTA-FM. During this period, the station had diversified programming such as jazz, classical music, and easy listening music.
National Telefilm split up its holdings in 1962, with WNTA-TV (now WNET) being sold to a New York City-based nonprofit educational group, and the WNTA radio stations going to Communications Industries Broadcasting. The new owners changed the calls to WJRZ-FM and initially retained the station's previous format.
In 1964 Family Radio began leasing airtime from WJRZ-FM. In 1965, the station was renamed to its current WFME, and on March 10, 1966, Family Radio bought 94.7 FM outright and began airing its religious programming around-the-clock. WFME's local programming consisted of community announcements; weekend public affairs; and weather and traffic inserts during Family Radio's Rise and Rejoice morning show. WFME originated a portion of the network's overnight program Nightwatch, hosted by station manager/chief engineer Charlie Menut. The rest of the station's schedule originated from Family Radio headquarters in Oakland, California.[1]
WFME's programming was also heard on two translator stations: W213AC (90.5 FM) in Hyde Park, New York; and W247AE (97.3 FM) in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. As a result of the station's license being changed from noncommercial to commercial in 2012, the translators could no longer legally rebroadcast WFME's broadcast signal and as a result both translator stations stopped broadcasting the 94.7 FM signal as of February 2012.
On October 16, 2012, it was announced that Family Stations would sell WFME to Atlanta-based Cumulus Media. The sale price was confirmed to be $40 million, which will be incremented should Cumulus successfully move the transmitting antenna to New York City. In addition, Family Stations acquired WDVY (106.3 FM) in Mount Kisco, New York from Cumulus.[2] The FCC approved the sale on January 4, 2013, making 94.7 FM a sister station to Cumulus' two existing New York market stations, WABC (770 AM) and WPLJ (95.5 FM). On January 7, 2013 Radio License Holding X, LLC., the subsidiary of Cumulus Media which now holds the license for WFME, applied to the FCC requesting the call-sign WRXP. The WRXP call-sign was formerly used on 101.9 FM under two different owners. Two days later Cumulus completed the purchase of WFME.[3]
The Family Radio format abruptly ended at 3:40PM on January 11, 2013. Upon signing off at 94.7 FM, Family Radio stated said it would work toward acquiring an AM frequency which would cover the New York City area; this is similar to a message posted on Family Radio's website.[4] Family Radio's programming and WFME call sign will be transferred to 106.3 FM.[5]
References
- ^ WFME Program Guide
- ^ "BALH - 20121019ACU". Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved 7 December 2012.
- ^ Cumulus Closes on WFME in New York City. (Radio Ink) (Retriv. on 01-09-2013)
- ^ http://www.familyradio.com/announcement_11_11.html
- ^ http://www.familyradio.com/announcement_11_11.html
External links
- Cumulus Media, Inc.
- Facility details for Facility ID WFME ({{{2}}}) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- {{{2}}} in Nielsen Audio's FM station database