WJVL
Encyclopedia
WJVL is a radio station
licensed to Janesville, Wisconsin
, and serving the areas of Madison, Wisconsin
, to the Rockford, Illinois
, area. The station is owned by Bliss Communications and plays "Pure Country." Top 40 country mixed in with country golds.
Former Wisconsin Gov. Walter Kohler headed the list of guest speakers appearing on the inaugural program. Broadcasts from The Gazette building studios were supplemented by many remote control broadcasts that reached listeners throughout Southern Wisconsin from the first transmitting station with its twin towers on County A, four miles east of Janesville. The current transmitting station is on South Oakhill Avenue.
In the days of early radio, it was possible for a broadcast station to be moved from one city to another. WCLO was originally licensed in 1925 to broadcast at Camp Lake, west of Kenosha. Its owners at that time were in the business of promoting a real estate development. From the name of their project, Camp Lake Oaks, came the call letters assigned by the Federal Radio Commission to the small 50-watt station, WCLO.
After three years of operating at Camp Lake, WCLO was moved by its licensees to Kenosha. Then in 1929, a group of Kenosha men organized the WCLO Radio Corp., acquiring its rights to the station and receiving permission to increase its power to 100 watts. The WCLO Radio Corp. operated the station in Kenosha for a year.
On Feb. 25, 1930, an agreement was reached transferring WCLO's license and equipment to Harry H. BLISS of Janesville. Studios were then constructed on the third floor of The Gazette building, a staff assembled and finally the Aug. 1 broadcast kickoff.
For the first 11 years of its life here, it operated as a daytime station, signing on at local sunrise and signing off at sunset. In 1947, WCLO-FM went on the air as Wisconsin's first network FM station. That later became WJVL-FM. WJVL's call letters (if you didn't already figure it out), stand for Janesville. WJVL's tower is located on N. Roherty Road between Janesville & Evansville, WI.
After some years as "Music of your Life", WJVL went country in 1982. WJVL & WCLO are still on the 3rd floor of the Janesville Gazette Building today. Many renovations have taken place since then, and today both stations operate using the latest state of the art broadcast equipment.
WJVL & WCLO are owned and operated by Bliss Communications, Inc.and President & Board Chairman, Sidney "Skip" H. BLISS.
Bliss Communications, Inc. also owns WBKV & WBWI in West Bend, WI; WRJN & WEZY in Racine, WI; as well as numerous newspapers in Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan including the Janesville Gazette.
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 Janesville, Wisconsin
Janesville, Wisconsin
Janesville is a city in southern Wisconsin, United States. It is the county seat of Rock County and the principal municipality of the Janesville, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 62,998.-History:...
, and serving the areas of Madison, Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
, to the Rockford, Illinois
Rockford, Illinois
Rockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Often referred to as "The Forest City", Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. As reported in the 2010 U.S. census, the city was home to 152,871 people, the third most populated...
, area. The station is owned by Bliss Communications and plays "Pure Country." Top 40 country mixed in with country golds.
History
In order to learn more about WJVL Radio, you need to start with sister station WCLO, which came to Janesville Aug. 1, 1930. The late Harry H. BLISS largely was responsible for bringing the station to Janesville. A son, Sidney H. BLISS, became president and general manager of the new venture. That date marked a new era in The Gazette Printing Co.'s growth.Former Wisconsin Gov. Walter Kohler headed the list of guest speakers appearing on the inaugural program. Broadcasts from The Gazette building studios were supplemented by many remote control broadcasts that reached listeners throughout Southern Wisconsin from the first transmitting station with its twin towers on County A, four miles east of Janesville. The current transmitting station is on South Oakhill Avenue.
In the days of early radio, it was possible for a broadcast station to be moved from one city to another. WCLO was originally licensed in 1925 to broadcast at Camp Lake, west of Kenosha. Its owners at that time were in the business of promoting a real estate development. From the name of their project, Camp Lake Oaks, came the call letters assigned by the Federal Radio Commission to the small 50-watt station, WCLO.
After three years of operating at Camp Lake, WCLO was moved by its licensees to Kenosha. Then in 1929, a group of Kenosha men organized the WCLO Radio Corp., acquiring its rights to the station and receiving permission to increase its power to 100 watts. The WCLO Radio Corp. operated the station in Kenosha for a year.
On Feb. 25, 1930, an agreement was reached transferring WCLO's license and equipment to Harry H. BLISS of Janesville. Studios were then constructed on the third floor of The Gazette building, a staff assembled and finally the Aug. 1 broadcast kickoff.
For the first 11 years of its life here, it operated as a daytime station, signing on at local sunrise and signing off at sunset. In 1947, WCLO-FM went on the air as Wisconsin's first network FM station. That later became WJVL-FM. WJVL's call letters (if you didn't already figure it out), stand for Janesville. WJVL's tower is located on N. Roherty Road between Janesville & Evansville, WI.
After some years as "Music of your Life", WJVL went country in 1982. WJVL & WCLO are still on the 3rd floor of the Janesville Gazette Building today. Many renovations have taken place since then, and today both stations operate using the latest state of the art broadcast equipment.
WJVL & WCLO are owned and operated by Bliss Communications, Inc.and President & Board Chairman, Sidney "Skip" H. BLISS.
Bliss Communications, Inc. also owns WBKV & WBWI in West Bend, WI; WRJN & WEZY in Racine, WI; as well as numerous newspapers in Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan including the Janesville Gazette.