WJLD
Encyclopedia
WJLD is a radio station
licensed to Fairfield, Alabama
, that serves most of the Birmingham
metropolitan area. The station offers talk and music programming targeted towards African-American listeners, including a mixture of locally originated talk programming and urban oldies
music. The station is owned by Richardson Broadcasting Corporation, a company based in Birmingham. WJLD is the only broadcast property owned by Richardson Broadcasting.
, WJLD began in 1942 as an affiliate of the Mutual Broadcasting System
. It was the fourth station licensed to serve the Birmingham area, following WAPI, WBRC and WSGN
. Programming on WJLD initially consisted of popular music, news programs and radio adventure shows such as Superman
and Tom Mix
. In 1943, the station began selling airtime to people who sang or played urban contemporary gospel
music. Throughout the 1940s and into the early 1950s, the station broadcast, by today's standards, a wide variety of music programming, including country music
and gospel music
as well as rhythm and blues
music.
In 1948, WJLD launched a companion FM station, WJLN-FM (104.7). The FM station originally simulcast much of the programming of the AM station, but by the late 1960s began playing album-oriented rock
music at night. In the mid-1970s, the FM station assumed its current call letters, WZZK; the WJLD owners sold WZZK some years later.
In 1954, WJLD began exclusively targeting African-American listeners with a mix of music and talk programming. Until the debut of WENN-FM
in 1969, it was the only black-oriented station in Birmingham that broadcast at night, since the other similarly-formatted AM station was required by the Federal Communications Commission
to sign off at sunset
. During the mid-1970s, it was one of four AM stations in the Birmingham market competing for African-American listeners.
With the increased popularity of FM stations during the 1970s and early 1980s, WJLD began adding more talk programming to its format and decreased the amount of current music in its rotation. In 1989, the station dropped current music entirely and became a full-time urban oldies station.
The 2000s have witnessed a continued commitment to serving the Birmingham area's African-American community on WJLD's part. Station owner Gary Richardson, a longtime employee, hosts a two-hour morning talk show, and the station presently programs a blues and Southern soul
music format six days a week, with both local personalities and the syndicated Mississippi
-based American Blues Network. Richardson is also the mayor of the Birmingham suburb of Midfield
. In keeping with tradition, Sunday programming consists of gospel music and church broadcasts.
In 2008 Richardson Broadcasting acquired the license for W281AB, an FM translator at 104.1 MHz broadcasting at 250 watts. WJLD 1400 began simulcasting on 104.1 soon afterward. This lasted until July 29, 2011, when W281AB
switched to a simulcast of WMJJ-HD2.
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...
licensed to Fairfield, Alabama
Fairfield, Alabama
Fairfield is a city in Jefferson County, Alabama, United States. It is part of the Birmingham–Hoover Metropolitan Area. The population was 12,381 at the 2000 census. As of 2006, the Census estimates the population to be 11,547.-History:...
, that serves most of the Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
metropolitan area. The station offers talk and music programming targeted towards African-American listeners, including a mixture of locally originated talk programming and urban oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
music. The station is owned by Richardson Broadcasting Corporation, a company based in Birmingham. WJLD is the only broadcast property owned by Richardson Broadcasting.
Station history
Originally licensed to nearby Bessemer, AlabamaBessemer, Alabama
Bessemer is a city outside of Birmingham in Jefferson County, Alabama, United States eight miles west of Hoover. The population was 29,672 at the 2000 Census, but by the 2009 U.S...
, WJLD began in 1942 as an affiliate of the Mutual Broadcasting System
Mutual Broadcasting System
The Mutual Broadcasting System was an American radio network, in operation from 1934 to 1999. In the golden age of U.S. radio drama, MBS was best known as the original network home of The Lone Ranger and The Adventures of Superman and as the long-time radio residence of The Shadow...
. It was the fourth station licensed to serve the Birmingham area, following WAPI, WBRC and WSGN
WAGG
WAGG is a radio station licensed to Birmingham, Alabama. It broadcasts at a daytime power 5,000 watts, and at nighttime, it broadcasts at 1,000 watts. WAGG is a gospel music station that targets Birmingham's African-American population. It is owned by Cox Radio, which also owns six other...
. Programming on WJLD initially consisted of popular music, news programs and radio adventure shows such as Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
and Tom Mix
Tom Mix
Thomas Edwin "Tom" Mix was an American film actor and the star of many early Western movies. He made a reported 336 films between 1910 and 1935, all but nine of which were silent features...
. In 1943, the station began selling airtime to people who sang or played urban contemporary gospel
Urban contemporary gospel
Traditional black gospel is music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music...
music. Throughout the 1940s and into the early 1950s, the station broadcast, by today's standards, a wide variety of music programming, including 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...
and gospel music
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
as well as rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
music.
In 1948, WJLD launched a companion FM station, WJLN-FM (104.7). The FM station originally simulcast much of the programming of the AM station, but by the late 1960s began playing album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock is an American FM radio format focusing on album tracks by rock artists.-Music played:Most radio formats are based on a select, tight rotation of hit singles...
music at night. In the mid-1970s, the FM station assumed its current call letters, WZZK; the WJLD owners sold WZZK some years later.
In 1954, WJLD began exclusively targeting African-American listeners with a mix of music and talk programming. Until the debut of WENN-FM
WERC-FM
WERC-FM — branded News Radio 105.5 WERC — is an news/talk radio station licensed to Hoover, Alabama and serving the Birmingham market. It operates at an effective radiated power of 29.5 kilowatts...
in 1969, it was the only black-oriented station in Birmingham that broadcast at night, since the other similarly-formatted AM station was required by the 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...
to sign off at sunset
Sunset
Sunset or sundown is the daily disappearance of the Sun below the horizon in the west as a result of Earth's rotation.The time of sunset is defined in astronomy as the moment the trailing edge of the Sun's disk disappears below the horizon in the west...
. During the mid-1970s, it was one of four AM stations in the Birmingham market competing for African-American listeners.
With the increased popularity of FM stations during the 1970s and early 1980s, WJLD began adding more talk programming to its format and decreased the amount of current music in its rotation. In 1989, the station dropped current music entirely and became a full-time urban oldies station.
The 2000s have witnessed a continued commitment to serving the Birmingham area's African-American community on WJLD's part. Station owner Gary Richardson, a longtime employee, hosts a two-hour morning talk show, and the station presently programs a blues and Southern soul
Southern soul
Southern soul is a type of soul music that emerged from the Southern United States. The music originated from a combination of styles, including blues , country, early rock and roll, and a strong gospel influence that emanated from the sounds of Southern African-American churches. The focus of the...
music format six days a week, with both local personalities and the syndicated Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
-based American Blues Network. Richardson is also the mayor of the Birmingham suburb of Midfield
Midfield, Alabama
Midfield is a town in Jefferson County, Alabama. It is south of Fairfield and part of the Birmingham–Hoover–Cullman Combined Statistical Area. At time of the 2000 U.S. Census, it had a population of about 5,625 people.-Geography:...
. In keeping with tradition, Sunday programming consists of gospel music and church broadcasts.
In 2008 Richardson Broadcasting acquired the license for W281AB, an FM translator at 104.1 MHz broadcasting at 250 watts. WJLD 1400 began simulcasting on 104.1 soon afterward. This lasted until July 29, 2011, when W281AB
W281AB
W281AB is an FM translator station licensed to Mountain Brook, Alabama. It rebroadcasts an Urban Contemporary format from the HD2 subchannel of WMJJ. The station, which was launched on July 29, 2011, replaced the simulcast of Urban AM WJLD...
switched to a simulcast of WMJJ-HD2.