WJOK
Encyclopedia
WJOK is a Christian
formatted radio station
licensed
to Kaukauna, Wisconsin
, that serves the Green Bay
and Appleton
-Oshkosh
areas. The station is owned by Green Bay-based Starboard Broadcasting and airs Starboard's Relevant Radio
network.
The station originally signed on as WKAU-AM in a Top 40 format. In 1984, the station was sold to Quinn Martin of Milwaukee who changed the call letters to his initials, WQWM-AM, and made it an oldies
music format. The station changed hands again in 1993 to a new ownership who changed the calls to WSGC and the format to "Positive Country"
music. Another sale in 1999 resulted in the station becoming all-sports "1050 The Jock, WJOK," which carried programming from the national Sports Fan Radio Network as well as local broadcasts of Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
baseball. WJOK was purchased by Starboard Broadcasting in 2000, and the station joined Starboard's Relevant Radio
network on November 26 of that year.
, in the early 1980s, broadcasting on the 1150 AM frequency. It was unique at the time for having been the first radio station to broadcast comedy routines from comedy albums recorded by Bob Newhart, Bill Cosby, Eddie Murphy and older radio programs such as "The Great Gildersleeve" and "Baby Snooks". Lesser known, older artists were also aired such as Shelley Berman, Henny Youngman, Hudson and Landry and the Duck's Breath Mystery Theater. Music by "Weird Al" Yankovic was commonly played.
The disc jockeys of WJOK provided patter in between selections and played interactive radio games with the audience for prizes such as tickets to comedy shows at comedy clubs in Washington DC including the Comedy Cafe and Garvin's, a comedy club chain with three branches at its height.
DJs included Brad Krantz, "Uncle Walt", Evan Haining weekdays, and Eddie Katz.
Some recurrent listeners (notably redneck "Jee-im (Jim) from Poolesville") were integrated into some games.
WJOK went off the air due to insufficient growth in ratings. A very weak signal (1000 watts during the day, 500 watts at night), was partially to blame and no other format lasted longer before the station was permanently closed.
WJOK began broadcast before comedy cable TV stations such as HA! went on the air, followed by the successful establishment of Comedy Central.
Christian radio
Christian radio is a category of radio formats that focus on transmitting programming with a Christian message. In the United States, where it is more established, many such broadcasters play popular music of Christian influence, though many programs have talk or news programming covering...
formatted radio station
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
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....
to Kaukauna, Wisconsin
Kaukauna, Wisconsin
Kaukauna is a city in Outagamie County, Wisconsin, United States, on the Fox River, approximately 100 miles north of Milwaukee, with a population of 12,983. It is a part of the Appleton, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Appleton-Oshkosh-Neenah, Wisconsin Combined...
, that serves the Green Bay
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...
and Appleton
Appleton, Wisconsin
Appleton is a city in Outagamie, Calumet, and Winnebago Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is situated on the Fox River, 30 miles southwest of Green Bay and 100 miles north of Milwaukee. Appleton is the county seat of Outagamie County. The population was 78,086 at the 2010 census...
-Oshkosh
Oshkosh, Wisconsin
As of the census of 2000, there were 62,916 people, 24,082 households, and 13,654 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,662.2 people per square mile . There were 25,420 housing units at an average density of 1,075.6 per square mile...
areas. The station is owned by Green Bay-based Starboard Broadcasting and airs Starboard's Relevant Radio
Relevant Radio
Relevant Radio is a trademark of Starboard Media Foundation, and is the largest Catholic talk radio network in the United States, with 20 stations and 18 affiliates in 15 states...
network.
The station originally signed on as WKAU-AM in a Top 40 format. In 1984, the station was sold to Quinn Martin of Milwaukee who changed the call letters to his initials, WQWM-AM, and made it an 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 format. The station changed hands again in 1993 to a new ownership who changed the calls to WSGC and the format to "Positive Country"
Christian country music
Christian country music 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. Another sale in 1999 resulted in the station becoming all-sports "1050 The Jock, WJOK," which carried programming from the national Sports Fan Radio Network as well as local broadcasts of Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers are a minor league baseball team of the Midwest League, and the Class A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Grand Chute, Wisconsin, and are named for timber rattlesnakes. The team plays its home games at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium...
baseball. WJOK was purchased by Starboard Broadcasting in 2000, and the station joined Starboard's Relevant Radio
Relevant Radio
Relevant Radio is a trademark of Starboard Media Foundation, and is the largest Catholic talk radio network in the United States, with 20 stations and 18 affiliates in 15 states...
network on November 26 of that year.
Previous incarnations
WJOK was also the call sign of a small radio station in Gaithersburg, MarylandGaithersburg, Maryland
Gaithersburg is a city in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. The city had a population of 59,933 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth largest incorporated city in the state, behind Baltimore, Frederick, and Rockville...
, in the early 1980s, broadcasting on the 1150 AM frequency. It was unique at the time for having been the first radio station to broadcast comedy routines from comedy albums recorded by Bob Newhart, Bill Cosby, Eddie Murphy and older radio programs such as "The Great Gildersleeve" and "Baby Snooks". Lesser known, older artists were also aired such as Shelley Berman, Henny Youngman, Hudson and Landry and the Duck's Breath Mystery Theater. Music by "Weird Al" Yankovic was commonly played.
The disc jockeys of WJOK provided patter in between selections and played interactive radio games with the audience for prizes such as tickets to comedy shows at comedy clubs in Washington DC including the Comedy Cafe and Garvin's, a comedy club chain with three branches at its height.
DJs included Brad Krantz, "Uncle Walt", Evan Haining weekdays, and Eddie Katz.
Some recurrent listeners (notably redneck "Jee-im (Jim) from Poolesville") were integrated into some games.
WJOK went off the air due to insufficient growth in ratings. A very weak signal (1000 watts during the day, 500 watts at night), was partially to blame and no other format lasted longer before the station was permanently closed.
WJOK began broadcast before comedy cable TV stations such as HA! went on the air, followed by the successful establishment of Comedy Central.