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WAWZ (99.1FM) is a Christian radio station licensed toZarephath, New Jersey. The station is owned by the non-profit organizationPillar Media, a division of thePillar of Fire International.
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| Broadcast area | |
| Frequency | 99.1MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | Star 99-1 |
| Programming | |
| Format | Contemporary Christian;gospel |
| Subchannels |
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| Ownership | |
| Owner | Pillar of Fire International |
| History | |
First air date | August 22, 1954; 70 years ago (1954-08-22) |
Former call signs | WAWZ-FM (1953–1984) |
Call sign meaning | Alma White (founder of owner); Zarephath (community of license) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 52601 |
| Class | B |
| ERP | 28,000 watts |
| HAAT | 200 meters (660 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 40°36′40″N74°34′12″W / 40.611°N 74.570°W /40.611; -74.570 |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live |
| Website | www |
The station maintains a studio inWarren, while its transmitter is located inBridgewater.[2]
WAWZ's signal can be heard through parts of Central andNorthern New Jersey and New York City, reaching as far south as Ocean and Burlington counties, as well as Eastern Pennsylvania.[3]
History
editWAWZ was founded in 1931 byPillar of Fire, a small Christian denomination started inColorado.[4] It became the second station owned by thePillar of Fire Church, withKPOF in Denver, Colorado, being the first. The call letters for WAWZ were chosen to honor BishopAlma White, the founder of thePillar of Fire Church, and Zarephath, itscommunity of license.[5]
The station was first assigned a frequency of 1350 AM, sharing time equally with three other stations:WCDA,WBNX, andWMSG. In later years,[6] at 1380 AM, it shared time with WBNX in New York City.
In the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, the organization was vocal in its support of theKu Klux Klan, which was unique for a religious denomination.Alma White extensively spoke and wrote about both her and the Pillar of Fire Church's support of the Klan and many of its principles, includinganti-Catholicism,white supremacy,antisemitism,nativism, and temperance.[7][8][9][10]
In 1954, the station purchased its spot on the FM dial for approximately $5,000. The modern value of that frequency is estimated to be more than $60 million.[4]
On September 1, 1984, WAWZ sold its part-time AM operation to New York station WBNX. On WAWZ's final day, they produced a special program recalling the station's 53 years of religious broadcasting and, viaelectrical transcriptions, once again featured the voice of Alma White.[11][12]
WAWZ began airing its current format ofcontemporary Christian music andgospel as "STAR 99.1" in 2003.[4] Previously, the station played traditional Christian music and church services as well as Christian programs. By the mid 1980's the music evolved to a mix of traditional and softer contemporary Christian music and by the 1990s evolved to soft adult contemporary Christian music along with worship contemporary music.
On August 1, 2014, Pillar of Fire began leasingWLIR-FM (107.1) inHampton Bays, New York, bringing WAWZ's programming to theEast End of Long Island. WLIR-FM was rebranded as "Star 107.1". The lease ended in April 2015, and WLIR-FM reverted to the Christian-formatted "Hope Radio" until early 2015, when the station was sold.
Accolades
editWAWZ received "Station of the Year" awards fromNational Religious Broadcasters in 2007[13] and 2008,[14] and the "Crystal Radio Award" from theNational Association of Broadcasters in 2008 for its contributions to the community.[15]
HD radio
editWAWZ broadcasts inHD Radio with its HD1, HD2, and HD3 channels, providing Artist Experience data, including song titles, artists, and albums on compatible radios. Over the years, 99.1 FM has hosted various formats on its HD sub-channels. The current HD sub-channel formats are:
- HD2 -Gospel songs (replaced Christian teaching subchannel in early 2016)
- HD3 - The Energy (Christian rock andhip hop) (Launched in 2007 to coincide with the station-sponsored annual youth festival, "Autumn Blaze 2007").The Energy ceased transmissions in 2014 but resumed in early 2015. It was changed to FLO Positive Hip Hop in January 2025.
Previous sub-channels
edit- HD2 - Christian teaching (The eight-hour block of teaching programs, which first signed in April 2006, resembled the station's mid-1990s format, including the use of the former tagline, "WAWZ – Your Voice of Faith and Inspiration.")
References
edit- ^"Facility Technical Data for WAWZ".Licensing and Management System.Federal Communications Commission.
- ^"Antenna Structure Registration".FCC. RetrievedDecember 2, 2023.
- ^"Loading Map... | Federal Communications Commission".www.fcc.gov. RetrievedDecember 2, 2023.
- ^abcStein, Robin (May 11, 2003)."How One Radio Station Made the Conversion".The New York Times. RetrievedDecember 2, 2023.
- ^Otterman, Sharon (September 15, 2017)."A Booming Church and Its Complicated, Ugly Past".The New York Times.ISSN 0362-4331. RetrievedDecember 2, 2023.
- ^The Founding and Operation of WAWZ Radio, V. Capolunghi, Masters Thesis, Kean University, 1977
- ^Neal, Lynn (June 2009). "Christianizing the Klan: Alma White, Branford Clarke, and the Art of Religious Intolerance".Church History: Studies in Christianity and Culture.78 (2):350–378.doi:10.1017/S0009640709000523.S2CID 162426152.
White's words and Clarke's imagery were combined in various ways as a means to spread a message of religious intolerance which was both persuasive and powerful.
- ^Kandt, Kristen (2000)."Historical Essay: In the Name of God; An American Story of Feminism, Racism, and Religious Intolerance: The Story of Alma Bridwell White".Journal of Gender, Social Policy & the Law. Archived fromthe original on March 16, 2009. RetrievedSeptember 16, 2009.
Alma White and the Pillar of Fire were unique, however, because of their public alliance with theKu Klux Klan. In fact, the Pillar of Fire was the only religious group which publicly associated itself with the Klan.
- ^Blee, Kathleen (1991).Women of the Klan. University of California Press.ISBN 978-0-520-07876-5.
Bishop White's transformation from minister to Klan propagandist is detailed in voluminous autobiographical and political writings. [Bishop] White's anti-Catholic, anti-semitic, and racist message fit well into the Klan's efforts to convince white Protestant women that their collective interests as women. ... were best served by joining the Klan.
- ^White, Alma (1928).Heroes of the Fiery Cross.The Good Citizen.
I believe in white supremacy.
- ^"New Jersey AM Radio History - Page 8". Archived fromthe original on March 9, 2002.
- ^"Call Sign History".licensing.fcc.gov.
- ^"WAWZ, WAVA Are Honored by NRB".Radio World. January 26, 2007.
- ^Peterson, Kevin."WAWZ Wins NRB Award".Radio and Records.
- ^Jones, Kristopher (April 15, 2008)."NAB CRYSTAL RADIO AWARD PRESENTED TO WAWZ-FM".NAB Press Release.
External links
edit- STAR 99.1 FM's Official Website
- Facility details for Facility ID 52601 (WAWZ) in theFCC Licensing and Management System
- WAWZ inNielsen Audio's FM station database
- FCC History Cards for WAWZ (covering 1953-1981 as WAWZ-FM)
- FCC History Cards for WAWZ (AM) (covering 1927-1978 as WBNY / WAWZ)