 | |
| Broadcast area | Greater Pittsburgh |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 91.7MHz |
| Programming | |
| Format | Freeform |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Washington and Jefferson College |
| History | |
Former call signs |
|
Call sign meaning | Washington and Jefferson Radio |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 70942 |
| Class | A |
| ERP | 400 watts |
| HAAT | 123 meters (404 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 40°10′13.00″N80°14′43.00″W / 40.1702778°N 80.2452778°W /40.1702778; -80.2452778 |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live |
| Website | www |
WNJR (91.7MHz) is anon-commercialFM radio station broadcasting afreeformradio format.[2]Licensed toWashington, Pennsylvania, it servesGreater Pittsburgh's Southwest suburbs.[3] The station is owned byWashington & Jefferson College.[4]
Washington & Jefferson's first student radio station, WAJC-AM, began broadcasting on October 8, 1961, from the second floor of themusic building. The next year, the station received $200 in funding from the Student Council and upgraded its transmitter, but the signal could only be heard inHays Hall, 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 theOld Gym. By the mid-1980s, the station's operations had deteriorated to the point where it no longer produced a transmission. NewFederal Communications Commission regulations forced the station to upgrade to a signal strength of at least 100 watts 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 theFranklin Mall and theWashington Mall.[2]
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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 aSimian[5] automatedplayout system enabled 24-hour broadcasting for the first time. At the same time, the station hired a full-time manager, changed its call sign to WNJR and the frequency to 91.7 MHz. Around 2007, ultimate control of the station was shifted to a member of the faculty, Anthony Fleury, and the role of station manager reverted to student control.[2] In 2007, new MegaSeg automation software aided a format shift tofreeform music and the station joined thePacifica Radio Network.[2]
WNJR has been listed as silent in the FCC database since October 30, 2018.[6] It returned to the air on October 15, 2019.
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 afreeform format with several nationally syndicated programs, includingDemocracy Now!,Free Speech Radio News, andCounterSpin. The station also plays Pittsburgh-based independent programs includingRustbelt Radio andThe Saturday Light Brigade. Student on-air personalities produce radio programs including music,news,talk, andsports.[2]
TheWNJR Sports Broadcasting Crew produces live broadcasts fromthe College's athletic teams.[7] During the2008 Democratic presidential primary elections, the sports crew produced live coverage for two political events on campus: atown hall meeting withBarack Obama[8] and a rally forHillary Clinton featuring former PresidentBill Clinton.[9] In 2009, students in a theater workshop course performed a series of 1940s radio dramas, including theLux Radio Theater version ofThe Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer.[10]
At the 2008 Pittsburgh Achievement in Radio Awards, WNJR won four of six college radio awards, including theCollege Radio Sports Reporting or Play-by-Play Announcer or Host,College Radio On-Air Personality,College Radio Editorial andCollege Radio Station Website categories.[11]
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.[12]
In 2013, senior Erikka Loper was awarded the Excellence in Broadcasting Award by the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters for her weekly radio programFriend or Fraud. This was the college's first nominated program.[13]
Media related toWNJR (FM) at Wikimedia Commons
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