WNJR (FM)
Encyclopedia
WNJR is a noncommercial educational radio station
broadcasting a freeform
format. Licensed to Washington, Pennsylvania
, USA, it serves the Pittsburgh Designated Market Area, reaching north to the northern Pittsburgh suburbs
, east to Monessen
, south to Waynesburg
and west to the West Virginia Panhandle
. The station is owned by Washington & Jefferson College
.
, Mellon Hall, Upperclassmen Dorm, and many fraternity houses. In 1971, the college secured a license to broadcast as WJCR at 88.3 FM, upgraded to a 10-watt transmitter, and moved to the Old Gym
. By the mid 1980s, the station's operations had deteriorated to the point where it no longer produced a transmission. New Federal Communications Commission
regulations forced the station to upgrade to a signal strength of at least 100 watts in order to keep a non-commercial license. Unable to convince the college administrators to upgrade the transmitter, in 1989, a newly-refurbished WXJX station was broadcasting at 92.1 FM from a new on-air studio and production booth, using the same 10-watt transmitter which was substantially repaired. For the first time, the signal could be heard beyond the campus, reaching as far as the Franklin Mall
and the Washington Mall
.
In early 2000, the current studio was installed in The Commons and in 2003 a 1500-watt transmitter was installed at the Washington Trust Building, reaching roughly 30 miles in all directions. A change to a new classic rock format and a Simian
automated playout
system enabled 24-hour broadcasting for the first time. At the same time, a full time station manager was hired and the call letters were changed to WNJR and the frequency was changed to 91.7 MHz. Around 2007, ultimate control of the station was shifted to a member of the faculty and the role of station manager reverted back to student control. In 2007, new MegaSeg automation software aided a format shift to freeform
music and the station joined the Pacifica Radio Network.
format with several nationally syndicated programs, including Democracy Now!
, Free Speech Radio News
, and CounterSpin
. The station also plays Pittsburgh-based independent programs including Rustbelt Radio
and The Saturday Light Brigade
. Student on-air personalities produce radio programs including music
, news
, talk
, and sports
.
The "WNJR Sports Broadcasting Crew" produces live broadcasts from the College's athletic teams. During the 2008 Democratic presidential primary elections
, the sports crew produced live coverage for two political events on campus: a town hall meeting
with Barack Obama
and a rally for Hillary Clinton featuring former President Bill Clinton
. In 2009, students in a theater workshop course performed a series of 1940s radio dramas, including the Lux Radio Theater
version of The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer
.
The WNJR radio program, "The American Justice System: A Day in the Life of..." won a 2009 Community and Educational Outreach Award from the National Association of Bar Executives. The interview-based program, a joint production with the Washington County Bar Association, is hosted by two local attorneys who conduct interviews with legal professionals to discuss the justice system.
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...
broadcasting a freeform
Freeform (radio format)
Freeform, or freeform radio, is a radio station programming format in which the disc jockey is given total control over what music to play, regardless of music genre or commercial interests. Freeform radio stands in contrast to most commercial radio stations, in which DJs have little or no...
format. Licensed to Washington, Pennsylvania
Washington, Pennsylvania
Washington is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States, within the Pittsburgh Metro Area in the southwestern part of the state...
, USA, it serves the Pittsburgh Designated Market Area, reaching north to the northern Pittsburgh suburbs
Ross Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Ross Township is a township in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 31,105 at the 2010 census. In September 2007, Ross Township adopted the Strong Mayor/Weak Council form of government allowed by Pennsylvania statutes for townships of its class.The township is part of...
, east to Monessen
Monessen, Pennsylvania
Monessen is a city in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 8,669 at the 2000 census. In 1940, 20,257 people lived there. In 1990 the population was 13,026. Steel-making was a prominent industry in Monessen, which was a Rust Belt borough in the "Mon Valley" of...
, south to Waynesburg
Waynesburg, Pennsylvania
Waynesburg is a borough in and the county seat of Greene County, Pennsylvania, United States, southwest of Pittsburgh. The population was 4,184 at the 2000 census....
and west to the West Virginia Panhandle
Northern Panhandle of West Virginia
The Northern Panhandle is a culturally and geographically distinct region in the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is the state's northernmost extension, bounded by the Ohio River on the north and west, along with the state of Pennsylvania on the east...
. The station is owned by Washington & Jefferson College
Washington & Jefferson College
Washington & Jefferson College, also known as W & J College or W&J, is a private liberal arts college in Washington, Pennsylvania, in the United States, which is south of Pittsburgh...
.
Station history
Washington & Jefferson's first student radio station, WAJC-AM, began broadcasting on October 8, 1961 from the second floor of the “music building.” The next year, the station received $200 in funding from the Student Council and the transmitter was upgraded, but the signal could only be heard in Hays HallHays Hall
Hays Hall was a residence hall at Washington & Jefferson College. The architectural work was performed by Frederick J. Osterling and it was named after President George P. Hays. Construction was completed in 1903 and the new "fireproof" building was opened to Washington & Jefferson Academy students...
, Mellon Hall, Upperclassmen Dorm, and many fraternity houses. In 1971, the college secured a license to broadcast as WJCR at 88.3 FM, upgraded to a 10-watt transmitter, and moved to the Old Gym
Old Gym (Washington & Jefferson College)
The Old Gym is an historic building at Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania. It currently houses a modern exercise facility featuring cardiovascular, resistance, and strength training equipment...
. By the mid 1980s, the station's operations had deteriorated to the point where it no longer produced a transmission. New Federal Communications Commission
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...
regulations forced the station to upgrade to a signal strength of at least 100 watts in order to keep a non-commercial license. Unable to convince the college administrators to upgrade the transmitter, in 1989, a newly-refurbished WXJX station was broadcasting at 92.1 FM from a new on-air studio and production booth, using the same 10-watt transmitter which was substantially repaired. For the first time, the signal could be heard beyond the campus, reaching as far as the Franklin Mall
Washington Crown Center
Washington Crown Center is a regional enclosed shopping mall in North Franklin Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania, just outside the city of Washington and south of Pittsburgh...
and the Washington Mall
Washington Mall
Washington Mall is an ailing enclosed shopping mall located in South Strabane Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania, just outside the city of Washington, formerly managed by J J Gumberg Co. and now by Oxford Development Company. It is owned by Falconi, a local developer which also owns a...
.
In early 2000, the current studio was installed in The Commons and in 2003 a 1500-watt transmitter was installed at the Washington Trust Building, reaching roughly 30 miles in all directions. A change to a new classic rock format and a Simian
Simian (disambiguation)
Simian refers to the infraorder Simiiformes, the higher primates: the monkeys and the apes, including humans.Simian may also refer to:*Simian , an English electro-rock band...
automated playout
Playout
In broadcasting, playout is a term for the transmission of radio or TV channels from the broadcaster into broadcast networks that delivers the content to the audience...
system enabled 24-hour broadcasting for the first time. At the same time, a full time station manager was hired and the call letters were changed to WNJR and the frequency was changed to 91.7 MHz. Around 2007, ultimate control of the station was shifted to a member of the faculty and the role of station manager reverted back to student control. In 2007, new MegaSeg automation software aided a format shift to freeform
Freeform (radio format)
Freeform, or freeform radio, is a radio station programming format in which the disc jockey is given total control over what music to play, regardless of music genre or commercial interests. Freeform radio stands in contrast to most commercial radio stations, in which DJs have little or no...
music and the station joined the Pacifica Radio Network.
Format and programming
WNJR is licensed as a noncommercial educational station and operates as a co-curricular program of the W&J Department of Theatre and Communication. Assisted by a faculty advisor, the student-run studio broadcasts in a freeformFreeform (radio format)
Freeform, or freeform radio, is a radio station programming format in which the disc jockey is given total control over what music to play, regardless of music genre or commercial interests. Freeform radio stands in contrast to most commercial radio stations, in which DJs have little or no...
format with several nationally syndicated programs, including Democracy Now!
Democracy Now!
Democracy Now! and its staff have received several journalism awards, including the Gracie Award from American Women in Radio & Television; the George Polk Award for its 1998 radio documentary Drilling and Killing: Chevron and Nigeria's Oil Dictatorship, on the Chevron Corporation and the deaths of...
, Free Speech Radio News
Free Speech Radio News
Free Speech Radio News is an independently produced half hour daily national and international radio news program focusing on peace and social justice issues in the US and around the world. FSRN is collectively run by its workers and reporters...
, and CounterSpin
CounterSpin
CounterSpin is a weekly, half-hour radio program produced by the progressive media watch group Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting . It is hosted by Janine Jackson, Steve Rendall, and Peter Hart, and describes itself as offering "a critical examination of the major stories every week exposes what...
. The station also plays Pittsburgh-based independent programs including Rustbelt Radio
Rustbelt Radio
Rustbelt Radio is the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly radio program which introduces itself as "news from the grassroots, news overlooked by the corporate media".- Production :...
and The Saturday Light Brigade
The Saturday Light Brigade
The Saturday Light Brigade is a public radio program featuring acoustic music and family programming including participatory puzzles and games as well as on-air telephone calls from children and adults. Broadcast since 1978, it is one of the longest-running public radio programs in the United...
. Student on-air personalities produce radio programs including music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, news
News broadcasting
News broadcasting is the broadcasting of various news events and other information via television, radio or internet in the field of broadcast journalism. The content is usually either produced locally in a radio studio or television studio newsroom, or by a broadcast network...
, 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 sports
Sports radio
Sports radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A popular format with an almost exclusively male demographic in most areas, sports radio is characterized by an often-boisterous on-air style and extensive debate and analysis by both hosts and...
.
The "WNJR Sports Broadcasting Crew" produces live broadcasts from the College's athletic teams. During the 2008 Democratic presidential primary elections
Democratic Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2008
The 2008 Democratic presidential primaries were the selection process by which voters of the Democratic Party chose its nominee for President of the United States in the 2008 U.S. presidential election...
, the sports crew produced live coverage for two political events on campus: a town hall meeting
Town hall meeting
A town hall meeting is an American English term given to an informal public meeting. Everybody in a town community is invited to attend, not always to voice their opinions, but to hear the responses from public figures and elected officials about shared subjects of interest. Attendees rarely voted...
with Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
and a rally for Hillary Clinton featuring former President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
. In 2009, students in a theater workshop course performed a series of 1940s radio dramas, including the Lux Radio Theater
Lux Radio Theater
Lux Radio Theater, a long-run classic radio anthology series, was broadcast on the NBC Blue Network ; CBS and NBC . Initially, the series adapted Broadway plays during its first two seasons before it began adapting films. These hour-long radio programs were performed live before studio audiences...
version of The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer
The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer
The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer is a 1947 American screwball comedy film directed by Irving Reis. The screenplay was written by Sidney Sheldon. The film stars Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, and Shirley Temple in a story about a teenager's crush on an older man. The film was a critical success...
.
Awards and recognition
At the 2008 Pittsburgh Achievement in Radio awards, WNJR won 4 of 6 college radio awards, including the "College Radio Sports Reporting or Play-by-Play Announcer or Host," "College Radio On-Air Personality," "College Radio Editorial," "College Radio Station Website" categories.The WNJR radio program, "The American Justice System: A Day in the Life of..." won a 2009 Community and Educational Outreach Award from the National Association of Bar Executives. The interview-based program, a joint production with the Washington County Bar Association, is hosted by two local attorneys who conduct interviews with legal professionals to discuss the justice system.