WHYY-FM
Encyclopedia
WHYY-FM is an NPR
member station serving the Delaware Valley
area, which is the metro area
of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. The station is located in Philadelphia. Its transmitter
is located in the Roxborough
section of Philadelphia.
moved its license to Wilmington, Delaware
in 1963, FCC regulations forced the radio station to change its calls to WUHY. It regained its original calls in 1983.
The station was a charter member of NPR in 1970, and was one of the 90 stations that carried the initial broadcast of All Things Considered
.
as the highest paid CEO in all of public broadcasting.
Popular Philadelphia Inquirer
columnist Karen Heller called for a boycott of WHYY in an August 2007 column and in September 2007 an anonymous group of WHYY employees sent an open letter to Marrazzo, the Inquirer, the Philadelphia Daily News
and Philadelphia
magazine, accusing him of "a serious lack of understanding when it comes to creating ... a healthy workplace" and assailing his salary as "excessive and inappropriate." The five-page letter concluded with a call for Marrazzo to resign.
Chris Christie, as part of his long-term goal to end State-subsidized public broadcasting. The five stations previously belonged to New Jersey Network
's statewide radio service. WHYY assumed control of the stations through a management agreement on July 1, 2011, pending Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) approval for the acquisition; at that point, the stations began to carry the WHYY-FM schedule. The main WHYY-FM signal operates at only 13,500 watts and was marginal at best in much of the area served by the five stations. The five stations are:
The stations all operate at relatively modest power due to the crowded state of the noncommercial end of the FM dial in the northeastern United States. Nonetheless, their combined footprint gives WHYY-FM at least secondary coverage from Reading
all the way to the Jersey Shore
.
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
member station serving the Delaware Valley
Delaware Valley
The Delaware Valley is a term used to refer to the valley where the Delaware River flows, along with the surrounding communities. This includes the metropolitan area centered on the city of Philadelphia. Such educational institutions as Delaware Valley Regional High School in Alexandria Township...
area, which is the metro area
Metropolitan area
The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...
of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. The station is located in Philadelphia. Its transmitter
Transmitter
In electronics and telecommunications a transmitter or radio transmitter is an electronic device which, with the aid of an antenna, produces radio waves. The transmitter itself generates a radio frequency alternating current, which is applied to the antenna. When excited by this alternating...
is located in the Roxborough
Roxborough, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Roxborough is a neighborhood in the Northwest Philadelphia section of the United States city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is bordered to the southwest, along the Schuylkill River, by the neighborhood of Manayunk, along the northeast by the Wissahickon Creek section of Fairmount Park, and to...
section of Philadelphia.
History
WHYY signed on for the first time on December 14, 1954. It was the first station in Philadelphia devoted solely to education. After sister television station WHYY-TVWHYY-TV
For the former channel 12 in Wilmington, see WVUE .WHYY-TV, channel 12, is a non-commercial educational television station licensed to Wilmington, Delaware, USA...
moved its license to Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
in 1963, FCC regulations forced the radio station to change its calls to WUHY. It regained its original calls in 1983.
The station was a charter member of NPR in 1970, and was one of the 90 stations that carried the initial broadcast of All Things Considered
All Things Considered
All Things Considered is the flagship news program on the American network National Public Radio. It was the first news program on NPR, and is broadcast live worldwide through several outlets...
.
Programs produced
- NPRNPRNPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
: Fresh AirFresh AirFresh Air is an American radio talk show broadcast on National Public Radio stations across the United States. The show is produced by WHYY-FM in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its longtime host is Terry Gross. , the show was syndicated to 450 stations and claimed 4.5 million listeners. The show...
with Terry GrossTerry GrossTerry Gross is the host and co-executive producer of Fresh Air, an interview format radio show produced by WHYY-FM in Philadelphia and distributed throughout the United States by National Public Radio....
, a Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues, is one of public radio's most popular programs. Nearly 4.5 million people listen to the broadcast on more than 450 National Public Radio stations across the country, as well as in Europe on the World Radio NetworkWRN BroadcastWRN Broadcast, formerly known as WRN, is an international broadcast services company that works with television channels and radio broadcasters, media owners and brands enabling them to deliver content to target audiences worldwide....
. The program originated in 1975 as a local show before going national in 1987.
- Radio Times With Marty Moss-CoaneRadio Times With Marty Moss-CoaneRadio Times with Marty Moss-Coane is a 2 hour-long radio talk show hosted by Marty Moss-Coane, broadcast on WHYY five days a week. The show is produced in Philadelphia and features local Philadelphia politicians, academics and artists, featuring guests such as Governor Ed Rendell, as well as...
, a daily two-hour program that tackles wide range of issues.
- You Bet Your Garden, an organic gardening talk show hosted by Mike McGrath.
- Voices in the Family Dr. Dan Gottlieb, psychologist and family therapist, along with guest experts, opens the line to callers to discuss issues that affect individuals and society, with special focus on family issues. The show airs weekly on Monday mornings. Its executive producer is Maiken Scott, WHYY’s Behavioral Health Reporter.
CEO controversy
Controversy erupted in the summer of 2007 when station CEO Bill Marrazzo was cited by the watchdog group Charity NavigatorCharity Navigator
Charity Navigator is an independent, non-profit organization that evaluates American charities. Its stated goal is "to advance a more efficient and responsive philanthropic marketplace by evaluating the financial health of America's largest charities."-About:...
as the highest paid CEO in all of public broadcasting.
Popular Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer is a morning daily newspaper that serves the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area of the United States. The newspaper was founded by John R. Walker and John Norvell in June 1829 as The Pennsylvania Inquirer and is the third-oldest surviving daily newspaper in the...
columnist Karen Heller called for a boycott of WHYY in an August 2007 column and in September 2007 an anonymous group of WHYY employees sent an open letter to Marrazzo, the Inquirer, the Philadelphia Daily News
Philadelphia Daily News
The Philadelphia Daily News is a tabloid newspaper that serves Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The newspaper is owned by Philadelphia Media Holdings which also owns Philadelphia's other major newspaper The Philadelphia Inquirer. The Daily News began publishing on March 31, 1925, under...
and Philadelphia
Philadelphia (magazine)
Philadelphia is a regional monthly magazine published in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by Metrocorp....
magazine, accusing him of "a serious lack of understanding when it comes to creating ... a healthy workplace" and assailing his salary as "excessive and inappropriate." The five-page letter concluded with a call for Marrazzo to resign.
New Jersey expansion
On June 6, 2011, the New Jersey Public Broadcasting Authority agreed to sell five FM stations in southern New Jersey to WHYY. The transaction was announced by GovernorGovernor of New Jersey
The Office of the Governor of New Jersey is the executive branch for the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of Governor is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four year terms. While individual politicians may serve as many terms as they can be elected to, Governors cannot be...
Chris Christie, as part of his long-term goal to end State-subsidized public broadcasting. The five stations previously belonged to New Jersey Network
New Jersey Network
The New Jersey Network, or NJN, was a network of public television and radio stations serving the U.S. state of New Jersey. NJN was a member of the Public Broadcasting Service for television and the National Public Radio for radio, broadcasting their programming as well as producing and...
's statewide radio service. WHYY assumed control of the stations through a management agreement on July 1, 2011, pending 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...
(FCC) approval for the acquisition; at that point, the stations began to carry the WHYY-FM schedule. The main WHYY-FM signal operates at only 13,500 watts and was marginal at best in much of the area served by the five stations. The five stations are:
| Station/Frequency | City of license City of license A city of license or community of license, in American and Canadian broadcasting, is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator.... |
First air date | Call sign meaning | ERP | HAAT | Facility ID | Coordinates |
| WNJS-FM-88.1 | Berlin Berlin, New Jersey Berlin is a Borough in Camden County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 7,588.Berlin was incorporated as a borough on March 29, 1927, from portions of Berlin Township, based on the results of a referendum held on April 26,... |
August 21, 1992 | New Jersey Southern | 1 watt horizontal 80 watts vertical |
287 m (942 ft) | 48486 | 39°43′41"N 74°50′39"W |
| WNJB-FM-89.3 | Bridgeton Bridgeton, New Jersey Bridgeton is a city in Cumberland County, New Jersey, United States, in the south part of the state, on the Cohansey River, near Delaware Bay. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 25,349. It is the county seat of Cumberland County... |
1996 | New Jersey Bridgeton | 1 watt horizontal 2,500 watts vertical |
60 m (197 ft) horizontal 67 m (220 ft) vertical |
48934 | 39°27′35"N 75°9′28"W |
| WNJN-FM-89.7 | Atlantic City Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast... |
May 1997 | New Jersey Network (former owner) |
25 watts horizontal 6,000 watts vertical |
83 m (272 ft) horizontal 84 m (276 ft) vertical |
48483 | 39°27′40"N 74°41′6"W |
| WNJM-89.9 | Manahawkin Manahawkin, New Jersey Manahawkin is a census-designated place and unincorporated area contained within Stafford Township, in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. Manahawkin translates to 'land of good corn' although this has been disputed by recent scholars claiming that it translate to “fertile land sloping into... |
August 20, 1999 | New Jersey Manahawkin | 1 watt horizontal 200 watts vertical |
79 m (259 ft) | 48460 | 39°41′57"N 74°14′5"W |
| WNJZ-90.3 | Cape May Court House Cape May Court House, New Jersey Cape May Court House is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Middle Township, in Cape May County, New Jersey. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the United States 2000 Census, the CDP population was 4,704... |
August 1999 | New Jer-Z | 6,000 watts | 72 m (236 ft) | 48464 | 39°6′18"N 74°48′6"W |
The stations all operate at relatively modest power due to the crowded state of the noncommercial end of the FM dial in the northeastern United States. Nonetheless, their combined footprint gives WHYY-FM at least secondary coverage from Reading
Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading is a city in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA, and seat of Berks County. Reading is the principal city of the Greater Reading Area and had a population of 88,082 as of the 2010 census, making it the fifth most populated city in the state after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown and Erie,...
all the way to the Jersey Shore
Jersey Shore
The Jersey Shore is a term used to refer to both the Atlantic coast of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the adjacent resort and residential communities. . The New Jersey State Department of Tourism considers the Shore Region, Greater Atlantic City, and the Southern Shore to be distinct, each having...
.