WJMH
Encyclopedia
WJMH is an Entercom-owned mainstream urban
FM
radio station
serving the Piedmont Triad
region. It broadcast
s at 102.1 MHz with 100,000 watt
s of power and is licensed
to serve Reidsville, North Carolina
.
of sister station WREV (1220 AM
). In 1947, William Manton Oliver, Sr., at that time owner of the local newspaper (The Reidsville Review
), applied to the FCC
for a permit to construct an FM radio station under the AM's corporate name, Reidsville Broadcasting Company, Inc. After operating for a time under a Construction Permit, the station's license was granted September 6, 1948. At that time, FM was still new and somewhat experimental. Almost all radio listening was shared among the AM radio stations. Mr. Oliver's primary purpose for constructing the station was a desire to provide high school football
coverage to Reidsville listeners, as WREV (AM) was not allowed to remain on the air after sunset. For almost twenty years, the same programming was carried on both WREV-AM and WREV-FM. The simulcast ended in 1966, when Oliver's son, William Manton Oliver, Jr. began to handle day to day operations and WREV-FM became a Christian radio
station and assumed new call letters WWMO. On September 10, 1977, by chance the day of William Manton Oliver Sr.'s funeral, WREV-FM was sold to new owner George Beasley
, a former high school principal.
Late in 1986, Beasley began construction of a new taller tower
, near the Guilford
/Rockingham
county line and moved the facility to new studio
s in Greensboro, NC. The new "BIG 102" took the WBIG call letters, recently abandoned by Greensboro
's oldest radio station, (an AM facility that "went dark" [voluntarily turning in its broadcasting license to the FCC and leaving the air permanently]). The new FM hired some of WBIG-AM's personalities and debuted as a country music
station, late in March, 1987. It was at this point that the former Reidsville-only station first actively attempted to reach the Greensboro
-Winston Salem
-High Point
metropolitan area
.
The debut of "BIG 102" was preceded by a computerized countdown created by Dan Robins, who in 1994 was corporate product manager of Smart Computers and Software in Fayetteville, North Carolina
.
WBIG's initial Arbitron
ratings
were fairly strong, but settled back over time. Through the four ratings "books" in 1988, the 12+ "shares" (a measure of the percentage of listeners aged 12 and older) were 4.9, 5.0, 4.4 and 3.8. Through that same time, competitor WTQR
achieved shares of 18.6, 17.5, 18.1 and 16.8. Billy Buck, a former WTQR DJ who later moved to WLVK
and then WFMX, was nominated for Country Music Association
Broadcast Personality of the Year in 1988.
to "Churban" and changing the station's call letters and name. WJMH "102 JAMZ" was consulted by Jerry Clifton, who specialized in multi-ethnic programming (in Miami, Detroit, Orlando, Dallas, Philadelphia and other markets). Under original Program Director
Chris Bailey, 102 JAMZ showed a 12+ Arbitron
share of 7.7 in their first ratings book, as compared to rival Power 97
's 4.1.
Under Bailey, and 102 JAMZ' second PD, Brian Douglas, 102 JAMZ continued to outrank Power 97 in the 12+ ratings, but especially with Men and Women aged 18 to 34 and with teenaged listeners (Douglas joined 102 JAMZ in September, 1990 and remains Program Director to the present time). 102 JAMZ and Power 97 continued to compete head-on until September, 1996. At that time, new owner Max Media moved WQMG in a much more adult direction, as Black-targeted Urban Adult Contemporary 97.1 QMG
and 102 JAMZ began working with Steve Smith Radio and Ratings Consultants (Smith had guided Hot 97 WQHT New York's
transition from dance
to a more Hip Hop
and R&B
mix as Hot 97's Program Director in 1993 and 1994).
From its inception, 102 JAMZ featured a strong percentage of Rap and, by 1992, was perhaps the first radio station to be targeted toward 18-24 year old African-Americans. "Urban
", or Black-targeted stations of the time, typically attempted to reach a broader demographic, concentrating focus on the lucrative 25 to 54 year old market. Therefore, rap music was typically relegated to weekend mix shows, limited to airplay during the evenings only or, in many cases, not played at all.
The station achieved success with younger listeners across the spectrum (White, Hispanic, etc.), building on music for college-aged listeners, foreground "personalities
", regular hip hop-oriented Mix Shows, interactive cash contests and activity "on the streets". Breaking lifestyle news and events in hip hop music are mentioned regularly, as well.
By 2009
, after several years as a rhythmic contemporary
(per Mediabase
reports), the station finally moved to urban contemporary
, while WMKS at the time moved to rhythmic-leaning contemporary hit radio
.
I, took place Friday night, June 20, 1997, at Greensboro Coliseum
with an audience of 20,000 and featured Bone Thugs-n-Harmony
, Junior M.A.F.I.A.
, Lil' Kim
, OutKast
, Lost Boyz, SWV
, Freak Nasty
and others. Successive annual SuperJams have included artists such as Jay-Z
, Ludacris
, Diddy
, T.I.
, T-Pain
, Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz, Fat Joe
, Young Jeezy
, Ja Rule
, Three 6 Mafia
, Busta Rhymes
, Bow Wow, Ying Yang Twins
, LL Cool J
, Nas
, Crime Mob
, Big Pun
, Cam'Ron
, Slick Rick
and Doug E. Fresh
, Yung Joc
, Dru Hill
, Trick Daddy
, Jermaine Dupree, Dem Franchize Boyz
, Redman, Petey Pablo
, 112
, DJ Unk, Elephant Man, Trina
, Lloyd
, DJ Kool
, Trillville
, N.O.R.E.
, Chingy
, Jagged Edge
, Rich Boy
, Da Brat
, Ashanti, J-Kwon
, Remy Ma
and Omarion
. SuperJam
and the 102 JAMZ Birthday Bash, held each Jam-Uary, are hosted by the 102 JAMZ airstaff, with music provided by the 102 JAMZ Mix Squad.
over the years have included Busta Brown and Shilynne Cole, now with 97.1 QMG (WQMG
). The Bushman, afternoons at FM 98 (WJLB
) in Detroit. George "Apollo" Fetherbay, Owner - Apollo Productions. The Late,Tre Black. Sammy Mack, Mornings, WBHJ in Birmingham. Kendall B, morning co-host at Denver's KS 107.5 (KQKS
). Mary K, Program Director and Mid Days of 95.7 JAMZ (WBHJ
) in Birmingham. Big Lip Bandit, mornings at 99 JAMZ (WEDR
), Miami. Other alumni have included The Jammer, Mic Foxx, Dr. Michael Lynn and former morning show co-host Amos Quick, now a Guilford County
school board
member, and host of 102 JAMZ' Sunday morning talk show.
The 102 JAMZ Mix Squad is regularly out in front. J-Flex is on the turntables for the 5:00 ReMix, weekdays at 5 p.m. and on Hip Hop 102, Saturday nights from 10 to 2. DJ Deluxe does the 10:00 Banger, weekday evenings at 10, DJ Polo handles the 20 Minute Workout, featuring Old School Hip Hop, weekdays at noon, DJ MC does the Breakfast Mix, Friday mornings at 8 while DJ SoundMachine is on Smash City, Friday Nights from 10 to 2. DJ Cease Fire mixes on the Sunday Night Heat at 10:00, and DJ Swift fills in on all shows. Amos Quick, former co-host of the 102 JAMZ morning show, hosts a live, interactive two-hour community affairs show, called Straight Talk, Sunday mornings at 6. Sunday nights at 11:00, Reggae Jamz features Geronimo and mixer Statixx.
, in 1996 by Max Media, in 1998 by Sinclair Broadcasting and, from late 1999 to the present, by Entercom Communications Corp.
Mainstream Urban
Mainstream Urban is a term used to describe a radio format similar to an Urban Contemporary format. The format differentiates itself due to two factors: playlist composition and target demographic...
FM
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
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...
serving the Piedmont Triad
Piedmont Triad
The Piedmont Triad, or Triad, is a north-central region of the U.S. state of North Carolina that consists of the area within and surrounding the three major cities of Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and High Point. This close group or "triad" of cities lies in the Piedmont geographical region of the...
region. It broadcast
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...
s at 102.1 MHz with 100,000 watt
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
s of power and is licensed
City of license
A city of license or community of license, in American and Canadian broadcasting, is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator....
to serve Reidsville, North Carolina
Reidsville, North Carolina
Reidsville is a city located in Rockingham County, North Carolina. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 14,485.Originally established in the early 19th century as an outpost and stop on the stage line that ran between Salisbury, NC and Danville, VA called Wrights Crossroads,...
.
Early history (1947-1988)
The radio station now known as 102 JAMZ was originally located in Reidsville, North Carolina, a simulcastSimulcast
Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
of sister station WREV (1220 AM
AM broadcasting
AM broadcasting is the process of radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation. AM was the first method of impressing sound on a radio signal and is still widely used today. Commercial and public AM broadcasting is carried out in the medium wave band world wide, and on long wave and short wave...
). In 1947, William Manton Oliver, Sr., at that time owner of the local newspaper (The Reidsville Review
The Reidsville Review
The Reidsville Review is a newspaper based in Reidsville, North Carolina. It is published in association with Eden Daily News....
), applied to the FCC
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
for a permit to construct an FM radio station under the AM's corporate name, Reidsville Broadcasting Company, Inc. After operating for a time under a Construction Permit, the station's license was granted September 6, 1948. At that time, FM was still new and somewhat experimental. Almost all radio listening was shared among the AM radio stations. Mr. Oliver's primary purpose for constructing the station was a desire to provide high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
coverage to Reidsville listeners, as WREV (AM) was not allowed to remain on the air after sunset. For almost twenty years, the same programming was carried on both WREV-AM and WREV-FM. The simulcast ended in 1966, when Oliver's son, William Manton Oliver, Jr. began to handle day to day operations and WREV-FM became a Christian radio
Christian radio
Christian radio is a category of radio formats that focus on transmitting programming with a Christian message. In the United States, where it is more established, many such broadcasters play popular music of Christian influence, though many programs have talk or news programming covering...
station and assumed new call letters WWMO. On September 10, 1977, by chance the day of William Manton Oliver Sr.'s funeral, WREV-FM was sold to new owner George Beasley
Beasley Broadcast Group
Beasley Broadcast Group, Inc. , based in Naples, Florida, is an owner/operator of radio stations in the United States. As of January 2011, the company owned 17 AM stations and 28 FM stations. -History:...
, a former high school principal.
Late in 1986, Beasley began construction of a new taller tower
Tower
A tower is a tall structure, usually taller than it is wide, often by a significant margin. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires....
, near the Guilford
Guilford County, North Carolina
Guilford County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. In 2010, the Census Bureau estimated the county's population to be 491,230. Its seat is Greensboro. Since 1938, an additional county court has been located in High Point, North Carolina, making Guilford one of only a handful...
/Rockingham
Rockingham County, North Carolina
Rockingham County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2010, the population was 93,643. Its county seat is Wentworth.- History :The county was formed in 1785 from Guilford County...
county line and moved the facility to new studio
Studio
A studio is an artist's or worker's workroom, or the catchall term for an artist and his or her employees who work within that studio. This can be for the purpose of architecture, painting, pottery , sculpture, scrapbooking, photography, graphic design, filmmaking, animation, radio or television...
s in Greensboro, NC. The new "BIG 102" took the WBIG call letters, recently abandoned by Greensboro
Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...
's oldest radio station, (an AM facility that "went dark" [voluntarily turning in its broadcasting license to the FCC and leaving the air permanently]). The new FM hired some of WBIG-AM's personalities and debuted as a country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
station, late in March, 1987. It was at this point that the former Reidsville-only station first actively attempted to reach the Greensboro
Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...
-Winston Salem
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina, with a 2010 population of 229,617. Winston-Salem is the county seat and largest city of Forsyth County and the fourth-largest city in the state. Winston-Salem is the second largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region and is home to...
-High Point
High Point, North Carolina
High Point is a city located in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina. As of 2010 the city had a total population of 104,371, according to the US Census Bureau. High Point is currently the eighth-largest municipality in North Carolina....
metropolitan area
Metropolitan area
The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...
.
The debut of "BIG 102" was preceded by a computerized countdown created by Dan Robins, who in 1994 was corporate product manager of Smart Computers and Software in Fayetteville, North Carolina
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Fayetteville is a city located in Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States. It is the county seat of Cumberland County, and is best known as the home of Fort Bragg, a U.S. Army post located northwest of the city....
.
WBIG's initial Arbitron
Arbitron
Arbitron is a consumer research company in the United States that collects listener data on radio audiences. It was founded as American Research Bureau by Jim Seiler in 1949 and became national by merging with L.A. based Coffin, Cooper and Clay in the early 1950s...
ratings
Ratings (broadcast)
Ratings is a term used to describe the methods used by radio, cable and terrestrial television programming measure their performance. Ratings are collated using audience measurement.-Mechanisms for Calculating Ratings :...
were fairly strong, but settled back over time. Through the four ratings "books" in 1988, the 12+ "shares" (a measure of the percentage of listeners aged 12 and older) were 4.9, 5.0, 4.4 and 3.8. Through that same time, competitor WTQR
WTQR
WTQR is a country music station licensed to Winston-Salem, North Carolina and serves the Piedmont Triad region, including Greensboro and High Point. The Clear Channel Communications outlet broadcasts at 104.1 MHz with an ERP of 100 kW...
achieved shares of 18.6, 17.5, 18.1 and 16.8. Billy Buck, a former WTQR DJ who later moved to WLVK
WKKT
-History:The station on 96.9 FM in Statesville, North Carolina began in 1967 as WDBM-FM, and was largely the simulcast partner to co-owned daytime station WDBM-AM . The station's original owner was Walter B. Duke, and the call letters supposedly stood for "Walter Duke's Beautiful Music" station...
and then WFMX, was nominated for Country Music Association
Country Music Association
The Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre...
Broadcast Personality of the Year in 1988.
History as 102 JAMZ
On January 1, 1989, Beasley abandoned the Country battle, flipping the formatRadio format
A radio format or programming format not to be confused with broadcast programming describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. Radio formats are frequently employed as a marketing tool, and constantly evolve...
to "Churban" and changing the station's call letters and name. WJMH "102 JAMZ" was consulted by Jerry Clifton, who specialized in multi-ethnic programming (in Miami, Detroit, Orlando, Dallas, Philadelphia and other markets). Under original Program Director
Program director
In service industries, such as education, a program director or programme director researches, plans, develops and implements one or more of the firm's professional services...
Chris Bailey, 102 JAMZ showed a 12+ Arbitron
Arbitron
Arbitron is a consumer research company in the United States that collects listener data on radio audiences. It was founded as American Research Bureau by Jim Seiler in 1949 and became national by merging with L.A. based Coffin, Cooper and Clay in the early 1950s...
share of 7.7 in their first ratings book, as compared to rival Power 97
WQMG
WQMG is an Urban Adult Contemporary station licensed to Greensboro, North Carolina and serves the Piedmont Triad region, which also includes High Point and Winston-Salem...
's 4.1.
Under Bailey, and 102 JAMZ' second PD, Brian Douglas, 102 JAMZ continued to outrank Power 97 in the 12+ ratings, but especially with Men and Women aged 18 to 34 and with teenaged listeners (Douglas joined 102 JAMZ in September, 1990 and remains Program Director to the present time). 102 JAMZ and Power 97 continued to compete head-on until September, 1996. At that time, new owner Max Media moved WQMG in a much more adult direction, as Black-targeted Urban Adult Contemporary 97.1 QMG
WQMG
WQMG is an Urban Adult Contemporary station licensed to Greensboro, North Carolina and serves the Piedmont Triad region, which also includes High Point and Winston-Salem...
and 102 JAMZ began working with Steve Smith Radio and Ratings Consultants (Smith had guided Hot 97 WQHT New York's
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
transition from dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
to a more Hip Hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
and R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
mix as Hot 97's Program Director in 1993 and 1994).
From its inception, 102 JAMZ featured a strong percentage of Rap and, by 1992, was perhaps the first radio station to be targeted toward 18-24 year old African-Americans. "Urban
Urban contemporary
Urban contemporary is a music radio format. The term was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s. Urban contemporary radio stations feature a playlist made up entirely of hip hop/rap, contemporary R&B, pop, electronica such as dubstep and drum and bass and Caribbean music...
", or Black-targeted stations of the time, typically attempted to reach a broader demographic, concentrating focus on the lucrative 25 to 54 year old market. Therefore, rap music was typically relegated to weekend mix shows, limited to airplay during the evenings only or, in many cases, not played at all.
The station achieved success with younger listeners across the spectrum (White, Hispanic, etc.), building on music for college-aged listeners, foreground "personalities
Radio personality
A radio personality is a person with an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality can be someone who introduces and discusses various genres of music, hosts a talk radio show that may take calls from listeners, or someone whose primary responsibility is to give news, weather,...
", regular hip hop-oriented Mix Shows, interactive cash contests and activity "on the streets". Breaking lifestyle news and events in hip hop music are mentioned regularly, as well.
By 2009
2009 in radio
The following events occurred in radio in 2009.- Events :* January 1: Kurdish TV starts broadcasting in Turkey.* January: Michael Smerconish, morning host at talk radio WPHT Philadelphia, begins syndication of his morning show to WHFS in Washington and WOR in New York City.* January 17: Two well...
, after several years as a rhythmic contemporary
Rhythmic Contemporary
Rhythmic contemporary, also known as rhythmic top 40, rhythmic contemporary hit radio or rhythmic crossover, is a music radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip-hop and R&B hits. Rhythmic contemporary rarely uses rock music or country music in its airplay, but it may...
(per Mediabase
Mediabase
Mediabase is a music industry service that monitors radio station airplay in 180 US and Canadian markets. Mediabase publishes music charts and data based on the most played songs on terrestrial and satellite radio, and provides in-depth analytical tools for radio and record industry professionals...
reports), the station finally moved to urban contemporary
Urban contemporary
Urban contemporary is a music radio format. The term was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s. Urban contemporary radio stations feature a playlist made up entirely of hip hop/rap, contemporary R&B, pop, electronica such as dubstep and drum and bass and Caribbean music...
, while WMKS at the time moved to rhythmic-leaning 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...
.
102 JAMZ' SuperJam
102 JAMZ' annual summer concert happens each year in late June, featuring primarily hip hop artists. The station's debut summer show, SuperJam102 JAMZ SuperJam
102 JAMZ' SuperJam is an annual summer concert starring some of the hottest artists in hip hop, hosted by Urban Contemporary radio station WJMH /Greensboro, North Carolina. The show has been held at the 20,000+ seat Greensboro Coliseum each year...
I, took place Friday night, June 20, 1997, at Greensboro Coliseum
Greensboro Coliseum
The Greensboro Coliseum Complex is an entertainment complex located in College Hill neighborhood of Greensboro, North Carolina. Opening in 1959, the arena was one of the largest venues in the South, with a seating capacity of over 7,000...
with an audience of 20,000 and featured Bone Thugs-n-Harmony
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony is an American Hip-Hop/R'n'B band from Cleveland, Ohio formed in 1991. It originally consisted of rappers Layzie Bone, Flesh-n-Bone, Bizzy Bone, Krayzie Bone, and Wish Bone. Rapper Eazy-E of the group N.W.A signed Bone Thugs-N-Harmony to Ruthless Records in 1994, when Bone...
, Junior M.A.F.I.A.
Junior M.A.F.I.A.
Junior M.A.F.I.A. is an American hip hop group from Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York. The acronym M.A.F.I.A. stands for Masters At Finding Intelligent Attitudes. They were formed and mentored by New York rapper, The Notorious B.I.G., in the early 1990s and released their debut album,...
, Lil' Kim
Lil' Kim
Kimberly Denise Jones , better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper and actress who was a member of the group Junior M.A.F.I.A.....
, OutKast
OutKast
Outkast is an American hip hop duo based in East Point, Georgia, consisting of Atlanta native André "André 3000" Benjamin and Savannah, Georgia-born Antwan "Big Boi" Patton. They were originally known as Two Shades Deep but later changed the group's name to OutKast...
, Lost Boyz, SWV
SWV
Sisters with Voices, better known as SWV, is an American female R&B trio from New York. Formed in 1990 as a gospel group, SWV became one of the most successful R&B groups of the 1990s. They had a series of hits, including "Weak", "Right Here/Human Nature", "I'm So Into You", and "You're the One"....
, Freak Nasty
Freak Nasty
Eric Timmons, better known by his stage name Freak Nasty is a hip-hop music recording artist....
and others. Successive annual SuperJams have included artists such as Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
, Ludacris
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
, Diddy
Sean Combs
Sean John Combs , also known by his stage names Diddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and his clothing line earned a Council of Fashion Designers of America award. He was originally...
, T.I.
T.I.
Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr. , better known by his stage name T.I., is an American rap artist, film and music producer, actor and author. He is also the founder and co-chief executive officer of Grand Hustle Records....
, T-Pain
T-Pain
Faheem Rasheed Najm , better known by his stage name T-Pain, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actor, currently signed to Young Money Entertainment. His debut album, Rappa Ternt Sanga, was released in 2005. In 2007, T-Pain released his second studio album Epiphany,...
, Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz, Fat Joe
Fat Joe
Joseph Antonio Cartagena , better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper, CEO of Terror Squad Entertainment, and member of musical groups D.I.T.C. and Terror Squad....
, Young Jeezy
Young Jeezy
Jay Wayne Jenkins , better known by his stage name Young Jeezy, is an American rapper. He is the member of the hip hop group United Streets Dopeboyz of America and a former member of BMF...
, Ja Rule
Ja Rule
Jeffrey Atkins , better known by his stage name Ja Rule, is an American rapper, singer, and actor.Born in Hollis, Queens, he began his career in the group Cash Money Click and debuted in 1999 with Venni Vetti Vecci and its single "Holla Holla"...
, Three 6 Mafia
Three 6 Mafia
Three 6 Mafia are an Academy Award-winning, American rap group originating from Memphis, Tennessee. Formed in 1991 as Triple 6 Mafia, by DJ Paul, Juicy J, & Lord Infamous, the group at its most featured six members including; Crunchy Black, Gangsta Boo and Koopsta Knicca...
, Busta Rhymes
Busta Rhymes
Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes...
, Bow Wow, Ying Yang Twins
Ying Yang Twins
The Ying Yang Twins is an Atlanta-based American crunk rap duo consisting of Kaine and D-Roc . The group debuted in 2000 and rose to mainstream popularity in 2003 collaborating with Lil Jon in his single "Get Low"...
, LL Cool J
LL Cool J
James Todd Smith , better known as LL Cool J , is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and actor...
, Nas
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
, Crime Mob
Crime Mob
Crime Mob was a hip hop/crunk group consisting of six members, M.I.G., Cyco Black, Princess, Lil' Jay, Diamond, and Killa C....
, Big Pun
Big Pun
Christopher Lee Rios , better known by his stage name Big Pun , was an American rapper who emerged from the underground rap scene in The Bronx in the late 1990s...
, Cam'Ron
Cam'ron
Cameron Giles , better known by his stage name Cam'ron or "Killa Cam", is a Grammy-nominated American actor. He is the founder of the hip-hop group The Diplomats , and also of The U.N. group....
, Slick Rick
Slick Rick
Richard Walters , better known by his stage name Slick Rick is a Grammy-nominated English-American rapper...
and Doug E. Fresh
Doug E. Fresh
Douglas E. Davis , better known by the stage name Doug E. Fresh, is an American rapper, record producer, and beat boxer, also known as the Human Beat Box...
, Yung Joc
Yung Joc
YaMar Jon Robinson , better known by his stage name Yung Joc, is an American rapper.-Early life:Robinson's father, Vivian Young, ran a hair-care products company and helped him write a jingle for Revlon; Robinson founded his own label to release his music.-New Joc City :After Teaming with producer...
, Dru Hill
Dru Hill
Dru Hill is an American singing group, most popular during the late 1990s, whose repertoire included R&B, soul, and gospel music. Founded in Baltimore, Maryland, and active since 1992, Dru Hill recorded seven Top 40 hits, and is best known for the R&B #1 hits "In My Bed", "Never Make a Promise", ...
, Trick Daddy
Trick Daddy
Maurice Young , better known by his stage name Trick Daddy, is a certified platinum American rapper and producer from Miami, Florida.-Music career:...
, Jermaine Dupree, Dem Franchize Boyz
Dem Franchize Boyz
Dem Franchize Boyz was a Southern Rap group from Atlanta signed to E1 Music. The group comprises four members: Parlae , Pimpin' , Jizzal Man , and Buddie .-History:...
, Redman, Petey Pablo
Petey Pablo
Moses Mortimer Barrett III , known by the stage name Petey Pablo, is an American rapper from Greenville, North Carolina.-Biography:...
, 112
112 (band)
112 is an American R&B quartet from Atlanta, Georgia. Formerly artists on Diddy's Bad Boy Records, the group signed to the Def Soul roster in 2002. They had great success in the late 1990s and early 2000s with hits such as "Only You", "Anywhere" and "Peaches & Cream"...
, DJ Unk, Elephant Man, Trina
Trina
Katrina Laverne Taylor , better known by her stage name Trina, is an American rapper, songwriter and model from Miami, Florida. Trina first gained notoriety in 1998 with her appearance on Trick Daddy's second studio album www.thug.com to the single "Nann Nigga"...
, Lloyd
Lloyd (singer)
Lloyd Polite, Jr. , who performs under the mononym Lloyd, is an American R&B recording artist, who experienced as a member of the group N-Toon before embarking on a solo career in 2004....
, DJ Kool
DJ Kool
John W. Bowman, Jr., better known by his stage name DJ Kool is a rapper who, in the late 1990s, produced several popular rap singles. Born in 1959 in Washington, D.C., his influence from his years of working the go-go and rap circuits became apparent in his music...
, Trillville
Trillville
Trillville is a rap group from the U.S. city of Atlanta. In 1997, when its members were still in the ninth grade in high school, the group formed with the stated intention to become "Gods of Crunk." Dirty Mouth was leader of the school's snare drum line and was already writing his own rhymes...
, N.O.R.E.
N.O.R.E.
Victor Santiago, Jr., best known by his stage name N.O.R.E. or Noreaga , is an American rapper of Puerto Rican descent...
, Chingy
Chingy
Howard Bailey, Jr. , better known by his stage name Chingy, is an American rapper.Chingy grew up in the Walnut Park section of St. Louis and began rapping in earnest in his late teens...
, Jagged Edge
Jagged Edge (band)
Jagged Edge is an American R&B group, with the lead singers, Brandon & Brian, born in Hartford, CT on October 13, 1975, Kyle Norman of Decatur, GA born on February 26,1976 and Richard Wingo of College Park, GA born on September 3, 1975. Wingo was a late addition to the group, added after Kandi...
, Rich Boy
Rich Boy
Marece Richards , better known by his stage name Rich Boy, is an American rapper from Mobile, Alabama. He is best known for the hit single "Throw Some D's". His self-titled debut album was released in early 2007.- Early career :...
, Da Brat
Da Brat
Shawntae Harris , better known as Da Brat, is an American rapper and actress. Her debut album, Funkdafied, sold one million copies, making her the first female rapper to have a platinum-selling album.-Early life:...
, Ashanti, J-Kwon
J-Kwon
Jerrell Jones, better known by his stage name J-Kwon, is an American rapper from St. Louis best known for his 2004 hit single "Tipsy".-Biography:...
, Remy Ma
Remy Ma
Reminisce Smith , better known by her stage name Remy Ma, formerly known as Remy Martin, is a Grammy nominated American rapper and former member of Fat Joe's rap crew, Terror Squad...
and Omarion
Omarion
Omari Ishmael Grandberry better known as Omarion, is an American R&B singer, actor, songwriter, record producer, dancer, and former lead singer of the R&B group, B2K. Omarion was spotted at a young age by a manager, Christopher B. Stokes, who took a liking to his vocal abilities...
. SuperJam
102 JAMZ SuperJam
102 JAMZ' SuperJam is an annual summer concert starring some of the hottest artists in hip hop, hosted by Urban Contemporary radio station WJMH /Greensboro, North Carolina. The show has been held at the 20,000+ seat Greensboro Coliseum each year...
and the 102 JAMZ Birthday Bash, held each Jam-Uary, are hosted by the 102 JAMZ airstaff, with music provided by the 102 JAMZ Mix Squad.
Former 102 JAMZ personalities
PersonalitiesRadio personality
A radio personality is a person with an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality can be someone who introduces and discusses various genres of music, hosts a talk radio show that may take calls from listeners, or someone whose primary responsibility is to give news, weather,...
over the years have included Busta Brown and Shilynne Cole, now with 97.1 QMG (WQMG
WQMG
WQMG is an Urban Adult Contemporary station licensed to Greensboro, North Carolina and serves the Piedmont Triad region, which also includes High Point and Winston-Salem...
). The Bushman, afternoons at FM 98 (WJLB
WJLB
WJLB, is a Clear Channel-owned Urban Contemporary radio station in Detroit that broadcasts on 97.9 megahertz frequency. The station is known on-air as FM98 WJLB. This is the station that began the career of Urban radio legend and video jock, Donnie Simpson...
) in Detroit. George "Apollo" Fetherbay, Owner - Apollo Productions. The Late,Tre Black. Sammy Mack, Mornings, WBHJ in Birmingham. Kendall B, morning co-host at Denver's KS 107.5 (KQKS
KQKS
KQKS, also known as KS107.5, is a very successful Mainstream Urban radio station with a couple pop songs mixed into the playlist. It is owned by Lincoln Financial Group serving the Denver-Boulder metropolitan area. The station, which broadcasts at 107.5 megahertz with an ERP of 91 kilowatts , is...
). Mary K, Program Director and Mid Days of 95.7 JAMZ (WBHJ
WBHJ
WBHJ is a urban-leaning rhythmic-formatted radio station that serves Birmingham, Alabama. In 2005, it also began broadcasting in IBOC digital radio, using the HD Radio system from iBiquity. It is owned by Cox Radio Holdings along with six other stations in the market...
) in Birmingham. Big Lip Bandit, mornings at 99 JAMZ (WEDR
WEDR
WEDR is an urban-formatted radio station serving the South Florida region and licensed to Miami, Florida. WEDR has an unusually wide music selection for a mainstream urban-formatted radio station that ranges from typical hip-hop and R&B to reggaeton. This is because South Florida is a very...
), Miami. Other alumni have included The Jammer, Mic Foxx, Dr. Michael Lynn and former morning show co-host Amos Quick, now a Guilford County
Guilford County, North Carolina
Guilford County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. In 2010, the Census Bureau estimated the county's population to be 491,230. Its seat is Greensboro. Since 1938, an additional county court has been located in High Point, North Carolina, making Guilford one of only a handful...
school board
Board of education
A board of education or a school board or school committee is the title of the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or higher administrative level....
member, and host of 102 JAMZ' Sunday morning talk show.
Present personality lineup
Today, 102 JAMZ features the Wild Out Wakeup Show, starring Kyle Santillian, Tosha Makia, and B-Daht in the mornings, 6 to 10 a.m., followed by Delyte from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (featuring the 20 Minute Workout), Big Tap Money from 3 to 7 p.m. (with the 5:00 ReMix), Waleed Coyote from 7 p.m. to midnight (featuring the 10:00 Banger), and Big Mo, midnight to 6 a.m. Weekends include Showdown, Roxie, Sho Smoove, Do It All Willis, Big Bull, and Brian B.Special programming
102 JAMZ does regular Mix Squad Weekends (with all music mixed), Throwback Weekends (featuring older hip hop), Twin Spin Weekends (with sets of music from particular artists), etc. The station also does tributes to major artists on their birthdays, presents occasional retrospectives on fallen artists such as Notorious B.I.G. and 2Pac, etc.The 102 JAMZ Mix Squad is regularly out in front. J-Flex is on the turntables for the 5:00 ReMix, weekdays at 5 p.m. and on Hip Hop 102, Saturday nights from 10 to 2. DJ Deluxe does the 10:00 Banger, weekday evenings at 10, DJ Polo handles the 20 Minute Workout, featuring Old School Hip Hop, weekdays at noon, DJ MC does the Breakfast Mix, Friday mornings at 8 while DJ SoundMachine is on Smash City, Friday Nights from 10 to 2. DJ Cease Fire mixes on the Sunday Night Heat at 10:00, and DJ Swift fills in on all shows. Amos Quick, former co-host of the 102 JAMZ morning show, hosts a live, interactive two-hour community affairs show, called Straight Talk, Sunday mornings at 6. Sunday nights at 11:00, Reggae Jamz features Geronimo and mixer Statixx.
Ownership history
WJMH has been operated by five different owners through the years, originally (1947) by Reidsville Broadcasting Company, Inc., in 1977 as the first station in the company now known as Beasley BroadcastingBeasley Broadcast Group
Beasley Broadcast Group, Inc. , based in Naples, Florida, is an owner/operator of radio stations in the United States. As of January 2011, the company owned 17 AM stations and 28 FM stations. -History:...
, in 1996 by Max Media, in 1998 by Sinclair Broadcasting and, from late 1999 to the present, by Entercom Communications Corp.