WCJW
Encyclopedia
WCJW is a radio station
in western New York state. Its AM facility broadcasts
at 2500 watt
s on 1140 kHz from studios in Warsaw, New York
during daytime hours only; however, three co-owned FM translators provide fulltime service. A construction permit was recently granted to allow a daytime power increase to 8000 watts. The station's format is centered around country music
with a strong emphasis on local news
, weather
, high school sports, and agriculture
. Other popular weekday features include WCJW's daily Tradio
program and weekend coverage of NASCAR
races. National news service is provided by Fox News Radio
. In contrast to many other small-market radio stations, WCJW maintains a local programming staff and carries satellite-delivered music (via Blair Garner
) only during overnight hours, which were added in 2008 and 2009. Other syndicated programs heard on WCJW include When Radio Was
.
and the only broadcast station in the county with a local studio (WLKK
is licensed to Wethersfield
in Wyoming County but simulcasts WBEN
from Buffalo). In addition to the county seat of Warsaw
, targeted communities include Perry
, Silver Springs
, Castile
, Gainesville, Arcade
, and Attica
, along with the Livingston County
villages of Geneseo
, Mount Morris
, Nunda
, Avon
and Caledonia
, and the Genesee County
municipalities of Batavia
and Le Roy
. Although WCJW's 2 mV/m primary service contour extends into a portion of Monroe County
and its 0.5 mV/m secondary contour encompasses the entire city of Rochester
, the station directs its service towards the rural communities of the Genesee Valley region.
, a 250 watt facility collocated with the studio and AM transmitter, and in November 2008, W288BZ began operating on 105.5 MHz from the Genesee County public safety tower in Batavia. In January 2009, W265BX began serving southern Wyoming County and Livingston County, and in November 2011, WCJW's fourth translator W282BQ commenced service to Le Roy
, northern Livingston County, and southwestern Monroe County, including the Interstate 390
corridor from Geneseo to Henrietta. All four translators transmit in stereo and employ the Radio Data System
.
in Detroit. Weeks envisioned a family-oriented operation, with his wife Catherine and daughters Carolyn and Jill filling early staff positions at the station. WCJW's original music format took an easy listening
/ MOR approach, later dubbed "The Heart of Western New York
".
Upon Weeks' retirement in September 1984, the station was purchased by Warsaw resident Lloyd Lane and a group of local investors. A format change to country music in 1986 brought increased support from listeners in this rural region of upstate New York
with a local economy based primarily on dairy farming
. In 1999, the station's nominal power was increased to 2,500 watts.
Prior to adding the FM translators in 2008, WCJW was a daytime-only station.
magazine as the Country Radio Station of the Year at the New Music Awards
.
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...
in western New York state. Its AM facility broadcasts
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
at 2500 watt
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
s on 1140 kHz from studios in Warsaw, New York
Warsaw (town), New York
Warsaw is a town in Wyoming County, New York, USA. The population was 5,423 at the 2000 census. It is located approximately 37 miles east southeast of Buffalo and approximately 37 miles southwest of Rochester. The town may have been named after Warsaw in Poland.The Town of Warsaw is centrally...
during daytime hours only; however, three co-owned FM translators provide fulltime service. A construction permit was recently granted to allow a daytime power increase to 8000 watts. The station's format is centered around country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
with a strong emphasis on local news
Local news
In journalism, local news refers to news coverage of events in a local context which would not normally be of interest to those of other localities, or otherwise be of national or international scope.-Television:...
, weather
Weather
Weather is the state of the atmosphere, to the degree that it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. Most weather phenomena occur in the troposphere, just below the stratosphere. Weather refers, generally, to day-to-day temperature and precipitation activity, whereas climate...
, high school sports, and agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
. Other popular weekday features include WCJW's daily Tradio
Tradio
Tradio is the name given to a type of talk radio show format where listeners call in to buy or sell items. The concept of is analogous to classified ads in local newspapers....
program and weekend coverage of NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
races. National news service is provided by Fox News Radio
Fox News Radio
Fox News Radio is an American radio network programmed by Fox News Channel.- History :In 2003, Fox News began syndicating one minute radio updates to radio stations via syndication service Westwood One. On June 1, 2005, Fox News Radio employed 60 people and provided five minute newscasts at the top...
. In contrast to many other small-market radio stations, WCJW maintains a local programming staff and carries satellite-delivered music (via Blair Garner
Blair Garner
Blair Garner is an American radio personality. According to his After MidNite with Blair Garner show website, he purchased his first car at age 12. He is the host of the syndicated radio programs After MidNite with Blair Garner and The Blair Garner Show...
) only during overnight hours, which were added in 2008 and 2009. Other syndicated programs heard on WCJW include When Radio Was
When Radio Was
-History:The series began as a local program in Chicago, hosted by Carl Amari, who was the founder of Radio Spirits, Inc., which sells tapes and CDs of old time radio programs. Former CBS Radio executive Dick Brescia heard an in-flight version of the program, and soon mounted a nationally...
.
Coverage area
WCJW is the only AM station licensed in Wyoming CountyWyoming County, New York
Wyoming County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. At the 2010 census, the population was 42,155. The county seat is Warsaw. The name is from a modified Delaware Indian word meaning "broad bottom lands"...
and the only broadcast station in the county with a local studio (WLKK
WLKK
WLKK is an American radio station located in Wethersfield, New York. Broadcasting on the frequency of 107.7 MHz, the station is currently owned by Entercom Communications and is operated out of the company's studios in Amherst, New York, a suburb of Buffalo...
is licensed to Wethersfield
Wethersfield, New York
Wethersfield is a town in Wyoming County, New York, United States. The population was 891 at the 2000 census.The Town of Wethersfield is centrally located in the county.- History :...
in Wyoming County but simulcasts WBEN
WBEN (AM)
WBEN is an AM and FM radio station serving the Niagara, Buffalo and Western New York area, broadcasting on 930 AM and, as of April 5, 2011, simulcasting on sister station WLKK at 107.7 FM. It previously simulcasted between 1946 and 1960 on 102.5 FM as WBEN-FM. Both stations retained the WBEN...
from Buffalo). In addition to the county seat of Warsaw
Warsaw (village), New York
Warsaw is a village in Wyoming County, New York in the USA. It is the county seat of Wyoming County and lies inside the Town of Warsaw. The village of Warsaw is near the center of the town in a valley. The population was 3,814 at the 2000 census. A branch of Genesee Community College is in Warsaw.-...
, targeted communities include Perry
Perry (village), New York
Perry is a village located mostly inside the Town of Perry in Wyoming County, New York, USA. The population was 3,945 at the 2000 census.The Village of Perry is at the junction of New York State Route 39 and New York State Route 246. A small south section of the village is within the Town of...
, Silver Springs
Silver Springs, New York
Silver Springs is a village in Wyoming County, New York, United States. The population was 844 at the 2000 census.The Village of Silver Springs is within the Town of Gainesville...
, Castile
Castile (village), New York
Castile is a village in Wyoming County, New York, USA. The population was 1,051 at the 2000 census.The Village of Castile lies within the boundaries of the Town of Castile.-Geography:Castile is located at ....
, Gainesville, Arcade
Arcade (village), New York
Arcade is a village in Wyoming County, New York, in the United States. The population was 2,026 at the 2000 census.The Village of Arcade in located in the southwest part of the Town of Arcade...
, and Attica
Attica (village), New York
Attica is a village in Wyoming County, New York in the USA. The population was 2,597 at the 2000 census. It is named after a region in Greece.The Village of Attica is on the northern border of Wyoming County...
, along with the Livingston County
Livingston County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 64,328 people, 22,150 households, and 15,349 families residing in the county. The population density was 102 people per square mile . There were 24,023 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile...
villages of Geneseo
Geneseo, New York
Geneseo is the name of a town and its village in Livingston County in the Finger Lakes region of New York, USA, outside of Rochester, New York. The town's population is approximately 9,600, of which about 7,600 live in the village...
, Mount Morris
Mount Morris (village), New York
Mount Morris is a village located in the Town of Mount Morris in Livingston County, New York, USA. The population was 3,266 at the 2000 census. The village and town are named after Robert Morris....
, Nunda
Nunda (village), New York
Nunda is a village in Livingston County, New York, United States. The population was 1,330 at the 2000 census.The Village of Nunda is located on the west side of the Town of Nunda. Note: the town and village name is pronounced "None-day."...
, Avon
Avon (village), New York
Avon is a village in Livingston County, New York, USA. The population was 2,977 at the 2000 census. The village is named after the River Avon. ....
and Caledonia
Caledonia (village), New York
Caledonia is a village in Livingston County, New York, USA. The population was 2,327 at the 2000 census. The name refers to Scotland.The Village of Caledonia is located inside the Town of Caledonia and is southwest of Rochester, Monroe County....
, and the Genesee County
Genesee County, New York
Genesee County is a county located in Western New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 60,079. Its name is from the Seneca Indian word Gen-nis'-hee-yo meaning "The Beautiful Valley." Its county seat is Batavia.- History :...
municipalities of Batavia
Batavia (city), New York
Batavia is a city in Genesee County, Western New York, USA, located near the middle of Genesee County, entirely within the Town of Batavia. Its population as of the 2000 census was 16,256...
and Le Roy
Le Roy (village), New York
Le Roy is a village in Genesee County, New York, United States. The population was 4,462 at the 2000 census.The Village of Le Roy lies in the center of the Town of Le Roy at the intersection of Routes 5 and 19.- History :...
. Although WCJW's 2 mV/m primary service contour extends into a portion of Monroe County
Monroe County, New York
Monroe County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 744,344. It is named after James Monroe, fifth President of the United States of America. Its county seat is the city of Rochester....
and its 0.5 mV/m secondary contour encompasses the entire city of Rochester
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
, the station directs its service towards the rural communities of the Genesee Valley region.
Translators
In June 2008, WCJW began simulcasting its programming on FM Translator W279BO in WarsawWarsaw (village), New York
Warsaw is a village in Wyoming County, New York in the USA. It is the county seat of Wyoming County and lies inside the Town of Warsaw. The village of Warsaw is near the center of the town in a valley. The population was 3,814 at the 2000 census. A branch of Genesee Community College is in Warsaw.-...
, a 250 watt facility collocated with the studio and AM transmitter, and in November 2008, W288BZ began operating on 105.5 MHz from the Genesee County public safety tower in Batavia. In January 2009, W265BX began serving southern Wyoming County and Livingston County, and in November 2011, WCJW's fourth translator W282BQ commenced service to Le Roy
Le Roy (village), New York
Le Roy is a village in Genesee County, New York, United States. The population was 4,462 at the 2000 census.The Village of Le Roy lies in the center of the Town of Le Roy at the intersection of Routes 5 and 19.- History :...
, northern Livingston County, and southwestern Monroe County, including the Interstate 390
Interstate 390
Interstate 390 is a north–south auxiliary Interstate Highway located entirely within New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at the Southern Tier Expressway in the town of Avoca. Its northern terminus is at I-490 in Rochester...
corridor from Geneseo to Henrietta. All four translators transmit in stereo and employ the Radio Data System
Radio Data System
Radio Data System, or RDS, is a communications protocol standard for embedding small amounts of digital information in conventional FM radio broadcasts. RDS standardises several types of information transmitted, including time, station identification and programme information.Radio Broadcast Data...
.
History
WCJW began broadcasting on May 16, 1973 as a 1 kW daytime facility under the ownership of broadcast engineer John Weeks, who had spent much of his career on the engineering staff of WJRWJR
WJR is a radio station in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It broadcasts a news/talk format. It is a class A clear channel station whose broadcasts can be heard throughout most of the Midwest, eastern United States and Canada at night, making it one of the most powerful radio stations in the...
in Detroit. Weeks envisioned a family-oriented operation, with his wife Catherine and daughters Carolyn and Jill filling early staff positions at the station. WCJW's original music format took an easy listening
Easy listening
Easy listening is a broad style of popular music and radio format that emerged in the 1950s, evolving out of big band music, and related to MOR music as played on many AM radio stations. It encompasses the exotica, beautiful music, light music, lounge music, ambient music, and space age pop genres...
/ MOR approach, later dubbed "The Heart of Western New York
Western New York
Western New York is the westernmost region of the state of New York. It includes the cities of Buffalo, Rochester, Niagara Falls, the surrounding suburbs, as well as the outlying rural areas of the Great Lakes lowlands, the Genesee Valley, and the Southern Tier. Some historians, scholars and others...
".
Upon Weeks' retirement in September 1984, the station was purchased by Warsaw resident Lloyd Lane and a group of local investors. A format change to country music in 1986 brought increased support from listeners in this rural region of upstate New York
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
with a local economy based primarily on dairy farming
Dairy
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting of animal milk—mostly from cows or goats, but also from buffalo, sheep, horses or camels —for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on a dedicated dairy farm or section of a multi-purpose farm that is concerned...
. In 1999, the station's nominal power was increased to 2,500 watts.
Prior to adding the FM translators in 2008, WCJW was a daytime-only station.
Awards
In 2007, WCJW was recognized by New Music WeeklyNew Music Weekly
New Music Weekly is a nationally distributed trade magazine for the radio and music industries. NMW has dedicated sections of each weekly magazine towards the progression of Top40/Pop, Country, AC/Hot, and College music. Features include editorials, highlights of top singles impacting radio, and...
magazine as the Country Radio Station of the Year at the New Music Awards
New Music Awards
The New Music Awards are given for excellence in music to both recording artists and radio stations by New Music Weekly magazine....
.
Personalities
- Lloyd Lane
- Steve Weber
- Rick "RJ" Jordan
- Blair GarnerBlair GarnerBlair Garner is an American radio personality. According to his After MidNite with Blair Garner show website, he purchased his first car at age 12. He is the host of the syndicated radio programs After MidNite with Blair Garner and The Blair Garner Show...
- Bob Luckey
- Kelli Carson