WKXW-FM
Encyclopedia
WKXW is a radio station
based just outside of Trenton
, New Jersey
. The station is licensed to serve the Trenton area on 101.5 MHz FM
and is also streamed on the station's website. It is owned by Townsquare Media. Its transmitter is located near the Quaker Bridge Mall
in Lawrence Township
in Mercer County, New Jersey
.
Since March 1, 1990, the station has a talk
and news
format
during the week, with oldies
music on the weekend (as of mid September 2007, "60s" has been removed from the "60s, 70s, and 80s" week end music programming ID, and nearly all '60s music has been removed from the play list). For a time in the 1990s, music was also played weekday overnights.
The station has, at times, provided a simulcast on various AM and FM stations in the Atlantic City
area, beyond the reach of its main transmitter. The most recent simulcast ceased in June 2009 when then-WXKW changed formats to ESPN Sports Radio
.
In 2011, California-based Oaktree Capital signed a deal to buy Millennium Radio Group; after taking over, Oaktree transferred the Millenium stations to Townsquare Media.
ed its New Jersey-ness, with its announcers frequently self-identifying "New Jersey 101.5" and with its bumper message intoning "Not New York. Not Philadelphia. Proud to be New Jersey!", as well as its branded New Jersey Fast Traffic and New Jersey Instant Weather. The New Jersey-centric nature of the station is emphasized in the traffic reports, in that they refer to traffic direction on bridges and tunnels as "entering New Jersey" or "leaving New Jersey" instead of the more traditional designations of "into the city" or "out of the city". As well, current temperatures of different samples of towns in New Jersey are given after the weather reports.
in Toms River, WOBM-AM in Lakewood, WCHR-FM
in Manahawkin, WJLK
-FM in Asbury Park, WADB-AM in Tinton Falls, WFPG
-FM in Atlantic City, WSJO
-FM in Egg Harbor City, WPUR
-FM in Atlantic City, and WENJ-FM in Atlantic City. Various bureaus throughout the state share stories with the Ewing headquarters. Eric Scott is the current news director.
In 2011, California-based Oaktree Capital has signed a deal to buy Millennium Radio New Jersey. Millennium is the parent company of New Jersey 101.5 and 10 other radio stations, as well as the Millennium Radio News Network.
Sorensen moved to concentrate on on-air duties and later left to do talk shows in Philadelphia and Dallas (and now does weekend on WCBS-FM in New York); Simon (later at KLSX
and Y-107 Los Angeles, now a consultant, writer, and editor at AllAccess.com) moved into the PD slot from his corporate position, then left in 1994, replaced as program director by Leigh Jacobs; after Jacobs left, Eric Johnson took over and is the current PD.
Supporting personalities include Eric Scott on news (among others), Alan Kasper on weather, Bob Williams, Jill Myra, "Tom Rivers" (aka Matt Ward from 1010 WINS
), and Bernie Wagenblast
for traffic (among others). Ward's on-air pseudonym is the last vestige of a failed experiment where the station's traffic reporters were given names that suggested New Jersey towns; in Ward's case, "Tom Rivers" is meant to evoke Toms River
.
Two incarnations of the Jersey Guys, first with Craig Carton and Ray Rossi (in summer 2002) and second (in summer 2007) with Casey Bartholomew and Ray Rossi:
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...
based just outside of Trenton
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. The station is licensed to serve the Trenton area on 101.5 MHz 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"...
and is also streamed on the station's website. It is owned by Townsquare Media. Its transmitter is located near the Quaker Bridge Mall
Quaker Bridge Mall
Quaker Bridge Mall is a two-level, major shopping center located in Lawrence Township, New Jersey, on U.S. Route 1 near Interstate 295. The mall opened in 1975, and has over 120 retail establishments. Owned by Simon Property Group, the mall's anchor stores include J.C. Penney, Lord & Taylor,...
in Lawrence Township
Lawrence Township, Mercer County, New Jersey
Area residents often refer to all of Lawrence Township as Lawrenceville. Lawrenceville is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Lawrence Township...
in Mercer County, New Jersey
Mercer County, New Jersey
As of the census of 2000, there were 350,761 people, 125,807 households, and 86,303 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,552 people per square mile . There were 133,280 housing units at an average density of 590 per square mile...
.
History
The station went on the air on August 27, 1962, as WBUD-FM and was owned by Dick Hardin. Its call letters subsequently changed to WBJH, which stood for Bill and Joy Hardin, the son and daughter-in-law of the owner. About 1977, the station changed calls to WTRT and called itself "T-101." In 1980, the station became WKXW, under its new owner Fidelity Communications. It was playing an adult contemporary format as "Kix 101 and a half" and later "Kix 101.5" before the change to its current talk format, which came in 1990 when it was sold to Press Communications. The sale to Millennium Radio Group took place in 2001.Since March 1, 1990, the station has a talk
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
and news
News Radio
News Radio can refer to:* NewsRadio, the NBC sitcom which aired from 1995–1999.* News radio, the all-news or news/talk radio format....
format
Radio 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...
during the week, with oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
music on the weekend (as of mid September 2007, "60s" has been removed from the "60s, 70s, and 80s" week end music programming ID, and nearly all '60s music has been removed from the play list). For a time in the 1990s, music was also played weekday overnights.
The station has, at times, provided a simulcast on various AM and FM stations in the Atlantic City
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
area, beyond the reach of its main transmitter. The most recent simulcast ceased in June 2009 when then-WXKW changed formats to ESPN Sports Radio
ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
.
In 2011, California-based Oaktree Capital signed a deal to buy Millennium Radio Group; after taking over, Oaktree transferred the Millenium stations to Townsquare Media.
New Jersey-centric branding
The station has strongly brandBrand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
ed its New Jersey-ness, with its announcers frequently self-identifying "New Jersey 101.5" and with its bumper message intoning "Not New York. Not Philadelphia. Proud to be New Jersey!", as well as its branded New Jersey Fast Traffic and New Jersey Instant Weather. The New Jersey-centric nature of the station is emphasized in the traffic reports, in that they refer to traffic direction on bridges and tunnels as "entering New Jersey" or "leaving New Jersey" instead of the more traditional designations of "into the city" or "out of the city". As well, current temperatures of different samples of towns in New Jersey are given after the weather reports.
Ratings
New Jersey 101.5's ratings success can be attributed to several factors, including:- Radio stations in New York CityNew York CityNew 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...
and Philadelphia tend to avoid New Jersey issues, news, politics, etc. - New Jersey has only two commercial network television affiliates, WMGM-TVWMGM-TVWMGM-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for South Jersey that is licensed to Wildwood. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 36 from a transmitter along CR 601 in Swainton east of the Garden State Parkway. The station can also be seen on Comcast channel 4 and in...
, Atlantic City and WWOR-TVWWOR-TVWWOR-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the flagship station of the MyNetworkTV programming service, licensed to Secaucus, New Jersey and serving the Tri-State metropolitan area. WWOR is owned by Fox Television Stations, a division of the News Corporation, and is a sister station to Fox network flagship...
, Secaucus, both of which are essentially suburban affiliates for the Philadelphia and New York markets respectively - New Jersey has no other centrally located high power radio station
Millennium Radio News Network
The station is the flagship broadcasting arm of the Millennium Radio News Network as heard on twelve radio stations throughout New Jersey. The network consists of WOBM-FMWOBM-FM
WOBM-FM is an adult contemporary music formatted radio station known as "Ocean County's Hometown Station" broadcasting in Central New Jersey. Its variety of music stretches from artists such as Celine Dion to Billy Joel and Faith Hill. The station is owned by Townsquare Media, and is part of the...
in Toms River, WOBM-AM in Lakewood, WCHR-FM
WCHR-FM
WCHR-FM is a Manahawkin, New Jersey radio station broadcasting at 105.7 FM with a classic rock format...
in Manahawkin, WJLK
WJLK
WJLK is an Adult CHR radio station that plays '80s, '90s, recent, and Contemporary Hit Music. The station broadcasts on the 94.3 FM frequency. Their variety of music stretches from bands such as Green Day to Gwen Stefani or Rob Thomas. The station is owned by Millennium Radio in New Jersey...
-FM in Asbury Park, WADB-AM in Tinton Falls, WFPG
WFPG
This article is about the FM radio station. For the former WFPG AM 1450 and TV 46, see WENJ and WFPG-TV.WFPG is an adult contemporary music radio station based in Atlantic City, New Jersey....
-FM in Atlantic City, WSJO
WSJO
WSJO is a commercial radio station whose transmitter is located in Egg Harbor City, 20 miles northwest of Atlantic City. Unlike other most FM stations, they broadcast from Trenton in the same studio as WKXW-FM, broadcasting to the Atlantic City and greater southeastern New Jersey. WSJO airs a hot...
-FM in Egg Harbor City, WPUR
WPUR
WPUR is a country music formatted radio station in Atlantic City, New Jersey. WPUR is more commonly known as "Cat Country 107.3".-History:...
-FM in Atlantic City, and WENJ-FM in Atlantic City. Various bureaus throughout the state share stories with the Ewing headquarters. Eric Scott is the current news director.
In 2011, California-based Oaktree Capital has signed a deal to buy Millennium Radio New Jersey. Millennium is the parent company of New Jersey 101.5 and 10 other radio stations, as well as the Millennium Radio News Network.
Format
The station's unique format was created in 1990. It was programmed by Jay Sorensen and Perry Michael Simon, Press Broadcasting chief Bob McAllan, and then-GM John Dziuba. Radio consultant Walter Sabo also had a major part in the station's creation and continues to consult them today. Subsequent program directors include Leigh Jacobs (now at NuVooDoo Media Services) and Eric Johnson.Sorensen moved to concentrate on on-air duties and later left to do talk shows in Philadelphia and Dallas (and now does weekend on WCBS-FM in New York); Simon (later at KLSX
KLSX
KAMP-FM 97.1 FM, known on-air as 97.1 AMP Radio, is a Rhythmic Contemporary radio station in Los Angeles, California. The station is owned by CBS Radio.The station had long been known as KLSX before the call sign changed on June 30, 2009....
and Y-107 Los Angeles, now a consultant, writer, and editor at AllAccess.com) moved into the PD slot from his corporate position, then left in 1994, replaced as program director by Leigh Jacobs; after Jacobs left, Eric Johnson took over and is the current PD.
Current on-air personalities
- Jim Gearhart - This morning drive show is hosted by deep-voiced populistPopulismPopulism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...
Jim Gearhart. The show has reverb added and was simulcastSimulcastSimulcast, 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...
on ComcastComcastComcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
's CN8 cable televisionCable televisionCable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
network from 1996 to 2004. The show's web page describes Gearhart as "Watchdog for the people of New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. Jim is a veteran broadcaster that is never afraid to rattle some cages. Whether it's politics, taxes, or SUV's, Jim tells it like it is, desperately attempting to rationalize why New Jersey is in a hand basket and where it's going!" (Weekdays 6am to 10am).
- "Dennis and Judi" - A mid-day show which mixes a variety of topics from serious New Jersey state government and political issues to more mundane, irreverent issues. Hosted by Dennis Malloy (Mele) and Judi Franco, the show first aired from 1997 to 2009. Franco stepped down at that time to devote more time to her family, and Michele Pilenza took over. Pilenza announced her departure from the show for similar reasons in early 2011, and Franco returned on February 21, 2011. Malloy started in radio at the age of 18 at a small station in Hammonton, New JerseyHammonton, New JerseyHammonton is a town in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 14,791. It is located directly between Philadelphia and the resort town of Atlantic City, along a former route of the Pennsylvania Railroad currently used by New Jersey...
. He is a veteran of numerous radio programs in the Philadelphia radio market. Malloy is an avid striped bass fisherman who talks about fishing, his South PhiladelphiaSouth PhiladelphiaSouth Philadelphia, nicknamed South Philly, is the section of Philadelphia bounded by South Street to the north, the Delaware River to the east and south, and the Schuylkill River to the west.-History:...
Italian-American upbringing, and food, from eating, to cooking, to restaurants. (Weekdays 10am to 2pm).
- "The Deminski and Doyle ShowDeminski & DoyleDeminski & Doyle is a popular and award-winning talk radio program hosted by Jeff Deminski and Bill Doyle. The show began broadcasting at WKRK-FM on August 23, 1999 after several years at Trenton, New Jersey station WKXW, where Deminski and Doyle began their on-air partnership in 1993. Two...
" - Replacement for "The Jersey Guys". The show returned to WKXW on July 5, 2011 after leaving for the Detroit market in 1999. (Weekdays 2pm to 7pm).
- "After Hours with Michelle Jerson" - A lifestyle and relationship talk show. Jerson began her second stint at WKXW as the new host of this show following former-host Michele Pilenza's move to the midday slot. During her first run at the station, Jerson was simply known on-air by her first name, Michelle. (Mondays to Thursdays from 7pm to 11pm).
- "The Late Show with 'Jersey Guy' Ray Rossi" - The former afternoon drive talker hosts a new late night show, beginning July 11, 2011.
- Big Joe Henry - Big Joe Henry is an Oldies music retro disc jockeyDisc jockeyA disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
with reverb, corny jokes and sound effects. Big Joe Henry is a very large man and his mottoMottoA motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
is "Livin' large and lovin' life." (Fridays 7pm to 11pm).
Supporting personalities include Eric Scott on news (among others), Alan Kasper on weather, Bob Williams, Jill Myra, "Tom Rivers" (aka Matt Ward from 1010 WINS
WINS (AM)
WINS , known on-air as "Ten-Ten Wins", is a radio station in New York City, owned by CBS Radio. WINS's studios are in the combined CBS Radio facility at 345 Hudson Street in the TriBeCa section of Manhattan, and transmitting towers in Lyndhurst, New Jersey.WINS is one of the nation's oldest...
), and Bernie Wagenblast
Bernie Wagenblast
Bernhard Robert Wagenblast is the founder and editor of the Transportation Communications Newsletter , an e-mail publication with over 7,000 subscribers as of January 2008 which is distributed via Yahoo Groups and Google Groups Monday through Friday...
for traffic (among others). Ward's on-air pseudonym is the last vestige of a failed experiment where the station's traffic reporters were given names that suggested New Jersey towns; in Ward's case, "Tom Rivers" is meant to evoke Toms River
Toms River, New Jersey
Toms River is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Toms River Township and is the county seat of Ocean County, New Jersey. It is part of a larger Toms River Township...
.
Alumni
Prominent radio personalities who have worked at the station include:- Philadelphia radio Hall of Famer Hy LitHy LitHyman Aaron "Hy" Lit was an American DJ based in the Philadelphia area from the 1950s until 2005. In his 50 year career, Hy Lit broadcast from WIBG-AM, WDAS/WDAS-FM, WKBS-TV, WIFI, WSNI/WPGR, KPOL, WKXW, among many others. His last station was WOGL, where he broadcast from 1989 until his...
and his son Sam Lit, who anchored the air staff in the early 80s - John and KenJohn and KenJohn Chester Kobylt and Kenneth Robertson Chiampou, known professionally as John and Ken are American talk radio hosts of a four-hour weekday radio show, The John and Ken Show, on KFI AM 640 in Southern California. The John and Ken Show airs from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m....
(John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou, now at KFIKFIKFI is an AM radio station in Los Angeles, California. It received its license to operate on March 31, 1922 and began operating on April 16, 1922 as one of the United States' first high-powered, "clear-channel" stations...
Los Angeles), - Scott and CaseyScott and CaseyThe Scott And Casey Show was a live, call in talk show hosted by Scott Hasick and Casey Bartholomew . Self described as "The touching true story of a boy and his dog", this humor-based program, focusing on the issues of the day, began in February 1994 at KFI Los Angeles, and continued there until...
(Scott Hasick, currently at WMVN/WARH St. Louis, and Casey Bartholomew) - Brooke and Roberta (Brooke Daniels, Roberta Gale)
- Mary Walter
- Michele Pilenza - Beginning with shows in 2009, Judi Franco stepped down to devote more time to her family, and Michele Pilenza took over the mid-day show with Dennis Malloy. In 2011, Pilenza announced her departure from the show for similar reasons in February 2011, and Franco returned. Occasionally, Pilenza still fills in with Dennis when Judi is out.
- Joe Cioffi - He is no longer on that station when Alan Kasper is out for weather.
Two incarnations of the Jersey Guys, first with Craig Carton and Ray Rossi (in summer 2002) and second (in summer 2007) with Casey Bartholomew and Ray Rossi:
- Craig CartonCraig CartonCraig Harris Carton is an American radio personality who currently co-hosts the Boomer and Carton in the Morning radio program.-Biography:...
, the former Jersey Guys co-host now at WFANWFANWFAN , also known as "Sports Radio 66" or "The FAN", is a radio station in New York City. The station broadcasts on a clear channel and is owned by CBS Radio...
in New York - Casey and Rossi (Casey Bartholomew's second stint with NJ 101.5 lasted from 2007-2011 as a Jersey Guy along with Ray Rossi after Craig CartonCraig CartonCraig Harris Carton is an American radio personality who currently co-hosts the Boomer and Carton in the Morning radio program.-Biography:...
's departure in 2007). Ray Rossi is still at the station as the overnight (11 PM - 3 AM, M-Th) host.
Controversy
- Craig CartonCraig CartonCraig Harris Carton is an American radio personality who currently co-hosts the Boomer and Carton in the Morning radio program.-Biography:...
earned controversy in 2005 when the New Jersey Governor Richard CodeyRichard CodeyRichard James Codey is an American Democratic Party politician who served as the 53rd Governor of New Jersey from November 2004 to January 2006. He has served in the New Jersey Senate since 1981 and served as the President of the Senate from 2002 to January 2010. He represents the 27th Legislative...
physically confronted Carton for disparaging remarks that Carton had made about Codey's wife suffering from postpartum depressionPostpartum depressionPostpartum depression , also called postnatal depression, is a form of clinical depression which can affect women, and less frequently men, typically after childbirth. Studies report prevalence rates among women from 5% to 25%, but methodological differences among the studies make the actual...
, a hormonal disorder that causes women to become moody and irritable. The governor never apologized for this incident and Craig Carton refused to apologize for his comments. - Carton and Rossi were criticized later in the same year for derogatory remarks in regards to Jun ChoiJun ChoiJun H. Choi is an American politician and the former Mayor of Edison, New Jersey, a community of over 100,000 people and the fifth largest municipality in the state. He was sworn in on January 1, 2006 as the youngest mayor in Edison history...
, the 2005 Democratic candidate for Mayor of Edison Township. - The station offered former New Jersey Governor James McGreevey his own show. The offer was made when McGreevey was in the middle of his divorce trial. McGreevey had said during testimony at the trial that he's "unemployable." McGreevey turned down the station's offer.