WHAJ
Encyclopedia
WHAJ is a Hot Adult Contemporary formatted broadcast
radio station
licensed to Bluefield, West Virginia
, serving Southern West Virginia
and Southwestern Virginia
. WHAJ is owned and operated by Triad Broadcasting
Company, LLC.
-AM. http://members.aol.com/jeff560/whis1.html The radio station was not successful, and broadcasting had permanently ceased by 1950. The management of WHIS
-AM decided to relaunch the station in 1963, this time with an Effective Radiated Power of 5.8 kW. In 1977 power was increased to 100 kW and the call sign was changed from WHIS-FM to WHAJ-FM to emphasize separate programming from WHIS
-AM.
When the radio station was relaunched in 1963, the studios were co-located with WHIS-AM-TV in what was then the Bluefield WV
City Hall. In December 1967, WHIS-AM-FM-TV moved to a new, state-of-the-art facility on East Cumberland Road. The facility was known as Broadcast Center. WHIS-TV was sold to Quincy Newspapers
in 1980, and remained in Broadcast Center. WHIS
-AM and WHAJ-FM moved to 900 Bluefield Avenue, where they remain today.
WVVA's transmitter site is unique because the TV transmitter building is in the state of Virginia, but the TV tower and antenna are in West Virginia. This was a problem in 1977 when the management of the station wished to begin operations at 100 kW. In accordance with FCC rules FM radio stations in West Virginia may not have an Effective Radiated Power greater than 50 kW. This problem was solved by constructing a new tower 80 feet to the east-southeast of the TV tower. This tower was in Virginia, enabling 100 kW operation. A Harris
FM-20K transmitter and ERI 12 Bay antenna was installed and 100 kW operation began in 1977.
In the late 1990s it became desirable to relocate the station's transmitter to a new location for two reasons. Firstly, the TV station had been sold, and the FM station was paying rent to the TV station for use of the transmitter site. Secondly, the site was undesirable from a technical perspective. The 1977 tower was too short and the rocky terrain would make a new, tall tower impractical. A new tower was therefore constructed approximately 1 mile to the west-southwest of the TV tower. WHAJ-FM moved to this site in 2000, using a Broadcast Electronics 25K transmitter. Co-owned WKOY and WHKX
also moved to this site. (The old WHAJ-FM tower at the WVVA site is now used from WVVA-DT.)
format and the station's on-air moniker was "Stereo 104". In August 1981, WHIS
-AM's Contemporary Hit Radio
format was moved to WHAJ, and J104 was born. J104 was an instant success both in terms of ratings and advertiser acceptance. For most of the 1980s, J104 was the most listened-to radio station in West Virginia
. Today, J104.5 (as it is now known) continues to be one of West Virginia
's most successful radio stations, winning the West Virginia Broadcasters Association "Station of the Year" Award in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2010. WHAJ was also named "Legendary Station of the Year" by the WVBA in 2010.
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
licensed to Bluefield, West Virginia
Bluefield, West Virginia
Bluefield is a city in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 10,447 at the 2010 census. It is also the core city of the Bluefield WV-VA micropolitan area which has a population of 107,342.-Geography & Climate:...
, serving Southern West Virginia
Southern West Virginia
Southern West Virginia is a culturally and geographically distinct region in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Generally considered the heart of Appalachia, Southern West Virginia is known for its coal mining heritage and southern affinity...
and Southwestern Virginia
Southwest Virginia
Southwest Virginia, often abbreviated as SWVA, is a mountainous region of Virginia in the westernmost part of the commonwealth. Southwest Virginia has been defined alternatively as all Virginia counties on the Appalachian Plateau, all Virginia counties west of the Eastern Continental Divide, or...
. WHAJ is owned and operated by Triad Broadcasting
Triad Broadcasting
Triad Broadcasting Company, LLC is a large owner of radio stations in small and medium markets in the United States with over 40 radio stations. Based in Monterey, California, the company is one of the largest radio station owners after Clear Channel Communications, CBS Radio, Cox Radio, and...
Company, LLC.
History
WHAJ began as WHIS-FM in 1948, as the strongest FM station in the world at the time, with an effective radiated power of 186,000 watts. It was the sister station of WHISWHIS
WHIS is a Talk formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Bluefield, West Virginia, serving Bluefield in West Virginia and Bluefield in Virginia...
-AM. http://members.aol.com/jeff560/whis1.html The radio station was not successful, and broadcasting had permanently ceased by 1950. The management of WHIS
WHIS
WHIS is a Talk formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Bluefield, West Virginia, serving Bluefield in West Virginia and Bluefield in Virginia...
-AM decided to relaunch the station in 1963, this time with an Effective Radiated Power of 5.8 kW. In 1977 power was increased to 100 kW and the call sign was changed from WHIS-FM to WHAJ-FM to emphasize separate programming from WHIS
WHIS
WHIS is a Talk formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Bluefield, West Virginia, serving Bluefield in West Virginia and Bluefield in Virginia...
-AM.
When the radio station was relaunched in 1963, the studios were co-located with WHIS-AM-TV in what was then the Bluefield WV
Bluefield, West Virginia
Bluefield is a city in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 10,447 at the 2010 census. It is also the core city of the Bluefield WV-VA micropolitan area which has a population of 107,342.-Geography & Climate:...
City Hall. In December 1967, WHIS-AM-FM-TV moved to a new, state-of-the-art facility on East Cumberland Road. The facility was known as Broadcast Center. WHIS-TV was sold to Quincy Newspapers
Quincy Newspapers
Quincy Newspapers, Inc. is a family-owned media company that originated in the newspapers of Quincy, Illinois. The company's history can be traced back to 1835, when the Bounty Land Register was one of only four newspapers in all of Illinois. Over the next century, a number of mergers followed...
in 1980, and remained in Broadcast Center. WHIS
WHIS
WHIS is a Talk formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Bluefield, West Virginia, serving Bluefield in West Virginia and Bluefield in Virginia...
-AM and WHAJ-FM moved to 900 Bluefield Avenue, where they remain today.
Automation
From the 1970s until 1987, WHAJ used a Shaffer 903 automation system. From 1987 to 1990, WHAJ did not employ radio automation. On March 6, 1990, WHAJ became the world's first radio station to use Computer Concepts' Digital Commercial System (DCS) automation, considered the first commercially successful digital radio automation systems. In 1996, the DCS system was replaced by a first-generation system from Scott Studios. The older Scott Studios system was upgraded to Scott Studios SS32 in 2003.Transmitter Sites
WHAJ's transmitter is located on East River Mountain, overlooking the city of Bluefield. When the station returned to the air in 1963, the transmitter was co-located with WVVA-TV (then WHIS-TV). The antenna was side-mounted on the TV tower. The transmitter was an RCA BTF-5D.WVVA's transmitter site is unique because the TV transmitter building is in the state of Virginia, but the TV tower and antenna are in West Virginia. This was a problem in 1977 when the management of the station wished to begin operations at 100 kW. In accordance with FCC rules FM radio stations in West Virginia may not have an Effective Radiated Power greater than 50 kW. This problem was solved by constructing a new tower 80 feet to the east-southeast of the TV tower. This tower was in Virginia, enabling 100 kW operation. A Harris
Harris Corporation
Harris Corporation is a Florida-based international communications equipment company that produces wireless equipment, electronic systems, and both terrestrial and spaceborne antennas for use in the government, defense, and commercial sectors. It is also the largest private-sector employer in...
FM-20K transmitter and ERI 12 Bay antenna was installed and 100 kW operation began in 1977.
In the late 1990s it became desirable to relocate the station's transmitter to a new location for two reasons. Firstly, the TV station had been sold, and the FM station was paying rent to the TV station for use of the transmitter site. Secondly, the site was undesirable from a technical perspective. The 1977 tower was too short and the rocky terrain would make a new, tall tower impractical. A new tower was therefore constructed approximately 1 mile to the west-southwest of the TV tower. WHAJ-FM moved to this site in 2000, using a Broadcast Electronics 25K transmitter. Co-owned WKOY and WHKX
WHKX
WHKX is a radio station licensed to serve Bluefield, Virginia, USA. The station is owned and operated by Triad Broadcasting Company, LLC....
also moved to this site. (The old WHAJ-FM tower at the WVVA site is now used from WVVA-DT.)
Programming
In the 1960s and 1970s, WHAJ had a Beautiful MusicBeautiful music
Beautiful music is a mostly instrumental music format that was prominent in American radio from the 1960s through the 1980s...
format and the station's on-air moniker was "Stereo 104". In August 1981, WHIS
WHIS
WHIS is a Talk formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Bluefield, West Virginia, serving Bluefield in West Virginia and Bluefield in Virginia...
-AM's Contemporary Hit Radio
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
format was moved to WHAJ, and J104 was born. J104 was an instant success both in terms of ratings and advertiser acceptance. For most of the 1980s, J104 was the most listened-to radio station in West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
. Today, J104.5 (as it is now known) continues to be one of West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
's most successful radio stations, winning the West Virginia Broadcasters Association "Station of the Year" Award in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2010. WHAJ was also named "Legendary Station of the Year" by the WVBA in 2010.