WVNJ
Encyclopedia
WVNJ is radio station licensed to Oakland, New Jersey
, serving Bergen County, New Jersey
and parts of the New York City
metropolitan area. The station employs a brokered programming
format and is owned by Universal Broadcasting headed by Miriam Warshaw. This station is in no way affiliated with NBC Universal
.
The programming on WVNJ is a blend of talk shows, infomercial
s, and special programming. The station also plays adult standards
several hours a week on the weekend.
operating on AM 620 from the 1948 until 1983. That station played adult standards as well until it was sold in 1983. That station became a Spanish language station WSKQ in 1983, a Sports station in 1996, and a brokered station by 2003 known today as WSNR
. The previous WVNJ was also co-owned with an FM station on 100.3 known as WVNJ-FM. That station played Beautiful Music
. Although licensed in Newark, studios and transmitters feeding a five-stick directional antenna array were located in Livingston, N.J., at approximate coordinates 38.88477,-77.112029. They were also sold in 1983 and became a CHR
station as WHTZ
/Z100
which they still are today. 1160 WVNJ is not and never was in any way affiliated with the previous stations using these calls.
, Dean Martin
, Mills Brothers
, Peggy Lee
, Tommy Dorsey
, Ray Charles
, Nat "King" Cole, Johnny Mathis
, Bing Crosby
, McGuire Sisters, Bobby Darin
, Perry Como
, Glenn Miller
, Sammy Davis Jr., and many others. The station stayed away from baby boomer pop with the exception of quazi-rock and roll artists like Ray Charles. The station became known as "The Station Of The Stars".
The station also added legendary former 1130 WNEW air personalities such as Ted Brown, Jim Lowe, Jim Harlan, Mike Prelee, Mike Myers & Bobby Ryan. Bill Gaghan was the PD during Ted Brown's tenure. Throughout 1996, 1997, and 1998 the station was very profitable but ratings were modest at best. With WQEW
leaving the format after Christmas of 1998, it was hoped that WVNJ would pick up some of their advertisers and ratings. But Adult Standards became a tough format to sell in 1999. WVNJ was losing sponsors throughout 1999. At that point, WVNJ began automating evenings and overnights.
In 2002, WVNJ began selling blocks of evening time as well as blocks of weekend time to specialty programmers as well as for infomercials. By 2003, WVNJ added more infomercials to middays during the week as well in order to turn a profit. By 2006, WVNJ was down to only a few hours of music per week.
) and long time WVNJ announcer Pete Buckey. The show airs currently 7:00-9:00am. WVNJ-1160 airs mostly health and money talk shows from the Business Talk radio network throughout the day and night. The only standard/big band show left on WVNJ is syndicated Big Band Jump, which airs 3pm-5pm Sundays. WVNJ is rarely in the local ratings and is Bergen County's only AM station. It can be heard during the day and night in North Jersey, Rockland County, New York
, Westchester County, New York
and New York City boroughs of Queens and the Bronx.
Oakland, New Jersey
Oakland is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 12,754.Oakland was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 8, 1902, from portions of Franklin Township.-History:The Van Allen House...
, serving Bergen County, New Jersey
Bergen County, New Jersey
Bergen County is the most populous county of the state of New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 905,116. The county is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Hackensack...
and parts of the New York City
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...
metropolitan area. The station employs a brokered programming
Brokered programming
Brokered programming is a form of broadcast content in which the show's producer pays a radio or television station for air time, rather than exchanging programming for pay or the opportunity to play spot commercials...
format and is owned by Universal Broadcasting headed by Miriam Warshaw. This station is in no way affiliated with NBC Universal
NBC Universal
NBCUniversal Media, LLC is a media and entertainment company engaged in the production and marketing of entertainment, news, and information products and services to a global customer base...
.
The programming on WVNJ is a blend of talk shows, infomercial
Infomercial
Infomercials are direct response television commercials which generally include a phone number or website. There are long-form infomercials, which are typically between 15 and 30 minutes in length, and short-form infomercials, which are typically 30 seconds to 120 seconds in length. Infomercials...
s, and special programming. The station also plays adult standards
Adult standards
Adult standards is a North American radio format heard primarily on AM or class A FM stations.Adult standards is aimed at "mature" adults, meaning mainly those persons over 50 years of age, but it is mostly targeted for senior citizens...
several hours a week on the weekend.
Previous use of the WVNJ call sign
The WVNJ calls were previously used on an AM station licensed to Newark, New JerseyNewark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
operating on AM 620 from the 1948 until 1983. That station played adult standards as well until it was sold in 1983. That station became a Spanish language station WSKQ in 1983, a Sports station in 1996, and a brokered station by 2003 known today as WSNR
WSNR
WSNR, AM 620, is a radio station in the New York metropolitan area with a brokered time format owned by Blackstrap Broadcasting. On Saturdays and Sundays WSNR, AM 620, is a radio station in the New York metropolitan area with a brokered time format owned by Blackstrap Broadcasting. On Saturdays and...
. The previous WVNJ was also co-owned with an FM station on 100.3 known as WVNJ-FM. That station played Beautiful Music
Beautiful music
Beautiful music is a mostly instrumental music format that was prominent in American radio from the 1960s through the 1980s...
. Although licensed in Newark, studios and transmitters feeding a five-stick directional antenna array were located in Livingston, N.J., at approximate coordinates 38.88477,-77.112029. They were also sold in 1983 and became a CHR
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...
station as WHTZ
WHTZ
WHTZ — branded Z100 — is a commercial pop/contemporary hit radio radio station licensed to Newark, New Jersey serving the New York metropolitan area. The station is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications...
/Z100
Z100
-Internet TV:* Z100.TV, a website serving as an international directory of online TV-channels and associated video media-Radio:* WHTZ, 100.3 in New York City* KKRZ, 100.3 in Portland, Oregon* KZRO, 100.1 in Mount Shasta, California, a.k.a...
which they still are today. 1160 WVNJ is not and never was in any way affiliated with the previous stations using these calls.
History
WVNJ began operation on AM 1160 in December 1993. The station initially offered an oldies format featuring mostly R & B music from 1955 to 1974. The format did not do well and in January 1996 WVNJ flipped to an adult standards format featuring the music of Frank SinatraFrank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
, Dean Martin
Dean Martin
Dean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
, Mills Brothers
Mills Brothers
The Mills Brothers, sometimes billed as The Four Mills Brothers, were an American jazz and pop vocal quartet of the 20th century who made more than 2,000 recordings that combined sold more than 50 million copies, and garnered at least three dozen gold records...
, Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress in a career spanning six decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local radio to singing with Benny Goodman's big band, she forged a sophisticated persona, evolving into a multi-faceted artist and...
, Tommy Dorsey
Tommy Dorsey
Thomas Francis "Tommy" Dorsey, Jr. was an American jazz trombonist, trumpeter, composer, and bandleader of the Big Band era. He was known as "The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing", due to his smooth-toned trombone playing. He was the younger brother of bandleader Jimmy Dorsey...
, Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
, Nat "King" Cole, Johnny Mathis
Johnny Mathis
John Royce "Johnny" Mathis is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standards, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum status, and 73 making the Billboard charts...
, Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
, McGuire Sisters, Bobby Darin
Bobby Darin
Bobby Darin , born Walden Robert Cassotto, was an American singer, actor and musician.Darin performed in a range of music genres, including pop, rock, jazz, folk and country...
, Perry Como
Perry Como
Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como was an American singer and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century he recorded exclusively for the RCA Victor label after signing with them in 1943. "Mr...
, Glenn Miller
Glenn Miller
Alton Glenn Miller was an American jazz musician , arranger, composer, and bandleader in the swing era. He was one of the best-selling recording artists from 1939 to 1943, leading one of the best known "Big Bands"...
, Sammy Davis Jr., and many others. The station stayed away from baby boomer pop with the exception of quazi-rock and roll artists like Ray Charles. The station became known as "The Station Of The Stars".
The station also added legendary former 1130 WNEW air personalities such as Ted Brown, Jim Lowe, Jim Harlan, Mike Prelee, Mike Myers & Bobby Ryan. Bill Gaghan was the PD during Ted Brown's tenure. Throughout 1996, 1997, and 1998 the station was very profitable but ratings were modest at best. With WQEW
WQEW
WQEW is a Radio Disney affiliate licensed to New York City. Its transmitter is located in Maspeth, Queens. WQEW has a transmitter power of 50,000 watts and is listed as a Clear-channel station...
leaving the format after Christmas of 1998, it was hoped that WVNJ would pick up some of their advertisers and ratings. But Adult Standards became a tough format to sell in 1999. WVNJ was losing sponsors throughout 1999. At that point, WVNJ began automating evenings and overnights.
In 2002, WVNJ began selling blocks of evening time as well as blocks of weekend time to specialty programmers as well as for infomercials. By 2003, WVNJ added more infomercials to middays during the week as well in order to turn a profit. By 2006, WVNJ was down to only a few hours of music per week.
WVNJ "The Voice"
Starting in late 2006, WVNJ became " The Voice", when the format first began the station remained playing music furthermore more talk shows and infomericals were added as 2007 rolled in.WVNJ began to lose the standards music and added more talk and infomericals. later on in 2007 WVNJ added its first morning talk show called "The Voice In The Morning" with Gary O'Neill and Kathleen Maloney of (WINS-AM]. The show was canceled in early November 2007 and replaced in January 2008 by another local morning show. The new morning show is a talk show hosted by Sam Greenfield( formerly of WEVD and WWRLWWRL
WWRL is a radio station in New York City, broadcasting at 1600 kHz AM owned by Access.1 Communications. Since September 1, 2006, its format has been progressive talk radio...
) and long time WVNJ announcer Pete Buckey. The show airs currently 7:00-9:00am. WVNJ-1160 airs mostly health and money talk shows from the Business Talk radio network throughout the day and night. The only standard/big band show left on WVNJ is syndicated Big Band Jump, which airs 3pm-5pm Sundays. WVNJ is rarely in the local ratings and is Bergen County's only AM station. It can be heard during the day and night in North Jersey, Rockland County, New York
Rockland County, New York
Rockland County is a suburban county 15 miles to the northwest of Manhattan and part of the New York City Metropolitan Area, in the U.S. state of New York. It is the southernmost county in New York west of the Hudson River, and the smallest county in New York outside of New York City. The...
, Westchester County, New York
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...
and New York City boroughs of Queens and the Bronx.