WKMK
Encyclopedia
WKMK and WTHJ are two radio station
s simulcasting a country music
format. The stations are licensed to Eatontown
and Bass River Township
, New Jersey
, respectively. The station is owned by Press Communications. WKMK's transmitter is located at exit 105 of the Garden State Parkway
in Tinton Falls
. WTHJ's transmitter is located on the tower of Philadelphia television station WWSI
/62 located in Tuckerton
in extreme southern Ocean County.
The 106.3 WKMK signal reaches Staten Island to the north, Toms River to the south and Hightstown to the west. The 106.5 WTHJ signal reaches Brick Township to the north, Ocean City to the south and Philadelphia to the west.
and broadcast from that city as WSLT-FM on 106.3 MHz, beginning around 1970. The station broadcast with beautiful music, adult contemporary and classical formats until a local marketing agreement led to a country format and the new call sign of WKOE. More format changes ensued, but none of them made much of an impact on the Atlantic City market and the owners eventually applied to move the station to its present location and frequency. On July 6, 2006, WKOE swapped frequencies with WBBO, which had been simulcasting WHTG-FM on 98.5 FM and was known as B98.5 prior to that. From August 2005 - January 2009 it simulcasted G 106.3 in Ocean County and South Jersey. On January 19, 2009, the format switched to Top 40 along with WHTG-FM.
On December 8, 2010 the WBBO call leters reverted back to the FM station on 98.5 MHz licensed to Ocean Acres, NJ near Manahawkin, NJ. Concurrently the station on 106.5 MHz in bass River Township, NJ became WTHJ.
Interference with WDHA in northern New Jersey resulted in the move to its current 106.3 MHz frequency in 1965, which had been vacated in 1963 when WFHA in Red Bank, NJ discontinued operations.
Primarily a Beautiful Music
station, it also broadcast Adult Standards
(e.g. popular vocalists like Frank Sinatra) and big bands in the evenings alongside its sister station until 1983, then Adult Contemporary music up to the switch to Alternative rock
in August, 1984. The AM station officially split off from the FM station in the summer of 1984 Kevin Dunn was named Program Director for the AM station. WHTG-AM began offering its own format of adult contemporary, and eventually, oldies music,using many of the personalities from its beautiful music days as a new airstaff was assembled to take over the rock music now the norm on the FM.
Air personalities on WHTG at this time included Jack Scott,Kevin Dunn, Don Brennan, Ray Knight, Jeff Michaels (now known as Jeff Rafter), Vince Hartnett, James Theadoracopulous (who used the air name "J.T. Copulous"), Chuck Weigel, Phil Matthews, Rich Robinson, Drew Williamson, Rich O'Reilly, Dave Mackey, Chuck Rossi, and Mike Marrone.
WHTG did not reach Ocean County until August 2005 when it began to be simulcast on 98.5 WBBO. The WHTG FM call letters were dropped on December 8, 2010 when the FM station on 106.5 MHz in Bass River Twsp, NJ became WTHJ. There is an AM station in Eatontown, NJ on 1410 KHz with the call letters WHTG.
In the very early FM 106–3 days, the station had somewhat of a free-form approach
, with DJs who were alternative rock fans picking what music they played, from Pixies to Prince
. During the mid-1980s, The Smiths
and other Manchester Sound artists were especially favored by the station's jocks. By that time Rich Robinson had become program director and was slowly nudging ownership into a more contemporary format. DJ Matt Pinfield
, who started at the station in 1984 and had, by the early nineties, become Program Director, was noted for being extremely knowledgeable of alternative and independent artist information when introducing tracks. He later was seen spouting that knowledge as the 2nd host of MTV's "120 Minutes".
In the 80's, the station referred to itself as, Your Rock Alternative, FM 106.3.
For a brief period in the early nineties, the station used a slogan of "Real Rock Radio, FM 106.3."
In the nineties, its signature copy became, FM 106.3, Modern Rock at the Jersey Shore.
WHTG achieved its highest ratings ever in 1993 and 1994 when it received "favorite radio station" honor in Rolling Stone
s annual readers' polls. The station garnered "underground" marketing support in the form of widespread application of the station's logo (at right) upon traffic signs throughout the state. The vinyl stickers were quite durable and available free at Jersey area independent music shops.
In November 2000, WHTG was sold to Press Communications. WHTG then became known as G106.3, and took on a format that could be described as a hybrid of alternative and modern adult contemporary. Later, WHTG had then evolved into an alternative rock station that played current and re-current alternative hits, as well as heritage artists such as The Cure and REM.
Before the acquisition of WBBO, WHTG was referred to as G106.3, Your Rock Alternative,
echoing - perhaps unwittingly - FM 106.3's original alternative-era slogan from 1985 to 1989.
G Rock Radio also featured special programming on weekend mornings. The Saturday Morning Breakfast Club took a nostalgic look at alternative rock from the 1980s, while Common Threads (a program that dates back to the FM 106-3 era and originally featured "theme" sets of songs) showcased modern acoustic music. With the acquisition of WBBO, G106.3 became known as "G-Rock Radio", with a simulcast on 106.3 and 98.5. In July 2006, WBBO's 98.5 signal was moved to 106.5. During this time, G-Rock was trimulcasted on 98.5, 106.3, and 106.5 to assist listeners in the frequency transition. G-Rock has recently dropped their weekday noon request show called "90's at Noon" for a more 80's influenced request show known as "The Retro Request Hour". Another specialty show heard on Sunday nights called The Underground, which featured indie bands as well as b-sides and unknown tracks from current played artists, which was dropped in March 2007. On June 24, 2007, specialty programming on Sunday nights returned with "The Punkyard", which consisted of two hours of punk music. By spring 2008, other weekend programming on G Rock included the all-request "Radio Kaos" from 7pm-midnight Saturdays. There also was "Queens of Noise" on Sundays from 9pm-10pm, which featured female-fronted bands and solo rock artists.
by Shiny Toy Guns
.
A Facebook
group known as Bring Back GRock! formed to protest the format change. Membership in the group peaked at over 10,700. A protest outside of Press Communications was held the week of the change, attended by about 200 people. In a letter posted in response to the protest, McAllan lambasted the G Rock Radio fans for their perceived reluctance to fill out Arbitron
surveys, adding that he hoped that they would tune in to the new station, which counted Justin Timberlake
, 50 Cent
, Pink
and Fall Out Boy
among its core artists.
with a country format.
This came only twenty months after the sudden format change on January 19, 2009, when both WHTG-FM and WBBO dropped the long-time alternative format and switched to the Top 40 format, identifying themselves as Hit 106.
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...
s simulcasting a 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...
format. The stations are licensed to Eatontown
Eatontown, New Jersey
Eatontown is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 12,709.What is now Eatontown was originally incorporated as Eatontown Township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 4, 1873, from portions of Ocean Township and...
and Bass River Township
Bass River Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,510 people, 548 households, and 409 families residing in the township. The population density was 19.9 people per square mile . There were 602 housing units at an average density of 7.9 per square mile...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, respectively. The station is owned by Press Communications. WKMK's transmitter is located at exit 105 of the Garden State Parkway
Garden State Parkway
The Garden State Parkway is a 172.4-mile limited-access toll parkway that stretches the length of New Jersey from the New York line at Montvale, New Jersey, to Cape May at New Jersey's southernmost tip. Its name refers to New Jersey's nickname, the "Garden State." Most New Jersey residents refer...
in Tinton Falls
Tinton Falls, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 15,053 people, 5,883 households, and 3,976 families residing in the borough. The population density was 965.7 people per square mile . There were 6,211 housing units at an average density of 398.4 per square mile...
. WTHJ's transmitter is located on the tower of Philadelphia television station WWSI
WWSI
WWSI, digital channel 49, is a television station licensed to Atlantic City, New Jersey. It is considered to be the Philadelphia affiliate of the Spanish-language Telemundo television network. WWSI's transmitter is in Tuckerton, New Jersey; its tower is the tallest structure in New Jersey. The...
/62 located in Tuckerton
Tuckerton, New Jersey
Tuckerton is a Borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, named for founder Ebenezer Tucker , and was a port of entry, but not the third Port of Entry as commonly believed, in the United States As of the 2000 United States Census, the borough population was 3,517.Tuckerton was incorporated as a borough...
in extreme southern Ocean County.
The 106.3 WKMK signal reaches Staten Island to the north, Toms River to the south and Hightstown to the west. The 106.5 WTHJ signal reaches Brick Township to the north, Ocean City to the south and Philadelphia to the west.
WTHJ History
This facility was originally allocated to Ocean CityOcean City, New Jersey
Ocean City is a city in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. It is the principal city of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Cape May County. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 11,701...
and broadcast from that city as WSLT-FM on 106.3 MHz, beginning around 1970. The station broadcast with beautiful music, adult contemporary and classical formats until a local marketing agreement led to a country format and the new call sign of WKOE. More format changes ensued, but none of them made much of an impact on the Atlantic City market and the owners eventually applied to move the station to its present location and frequency. On July 6, 2006, WKOE swapped frequencies with WBBO, which had been simulcasting WHTG-FM on 98.5 FM and was known as B98.5 prior to that. From August 2005 - January 2009 it simulcasted G 106.3 in Ocean County and South Jersey. On January 19, 2009, the format switched to Top 40 along with WHTG-FM.
On December 8, 2010 the WBBO call leters reverted back to the FM station on 98.5 MHz licensed to Ocean Acres, NJ near Manahawkin, NJ. Concurrently the station on 106.5 MHz in bass River Township, NJ became WTHJ.
WHTG History
WHTG-FM first signed on at the 105.5 MHz frequency on October 11, 1961, as the sister station of WHTG (1410 AM). The station was named for Harold and Theo Gade, its first owners and operators. Eventually, the Gades' daughter Faye became general manager of the station. Faye Gade assumed ownership of the station in 1985.Interference with WDHA in northern New Jersey resulted in the move to its current 106.3 MHz frequency in 1965, which had been vacated in 1963 when WFHA in Red Bank, NJ discontinued operations.
Primarily a Beautiful Music
Beautiful music
Beautiful music is a mostly instrumental music format that was prominent in American radio from the 1960s through the 1980s...
station, it also broadcast Adult Standards
Adult standards
Adult standards is a North American radio format heard primarily on AM or class A FM stations.Adult standards is aimed at "mature" adults, meaning mainly those persons over 50 years of age, but it is mostly targeted for senior citizens...
(e.g. popular vocalists like Frank Sinatra) and big bands in the evenings alongside its sister station until 1983, then Adult Contemporary music up to the switch to Alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
in August, 1984. The AM station officially split off from the FM station in the summer of 1984 Kevin Dunn was named Program Director for the AM station. WHTG-AM began offering its own format of adult contemporary, and eventually, oldies music,using many of the personalities from its beautiful music days as a new airstaff was assembled to take over the rock music now the norm on the FM.
Air personalities on WHTG at this time included Jack Scott,Kevin Dunn, Don Brennan, Ray Knight, Jeff Michaels (now known as Jeff Rafter), Vince Hartnett, James Theadoracopulous (who used the air name "J.T. Copulous"), Chuck Weigel, Phil Matthews, Rich Robinson, Drew Williamson, Rich O'Reilly, Dave Mackey, Chuck Rossi, and Mike Marrone.
WHTG did not reach Ocean County until August 2005 when it began to be simulcast on 98.5 WBBO. The WHTG FM call letters were dropped on December 8, 2010 when the FM station on 106.5 MHz in Bass River Twsp, NJ became WTHJ. There is an AM station in Eatontown, NJ on 1410 KHz with the call letters WHTG.
Freeform
Freeform (radio format)
Freeform, or freeform radio, is a radio station programming format in which the disc jockey is given total control over what music to play, regardless of music genre or commercial interests. Freeform radio stands in contrast to most commercial radio stations, in which DJs have little or no...
, with DJs who were alternative rock fans picking what music they played, from Pixies to Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
. During the mid-1980s, The Smiths
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
and other Manchester Sound artists were especially favored by the station's jocks. By that time Rich Robinson had become program director and was slowly nudging ownership into a more contemporary format. DJ Matt Pinfield
Matt Pinfield
Matt Pinfield is a music personality and TV host, best known for being a video deejay on MTV and VH1. He currently lives in Harrison, New Jersey having previously resided in East Brunswick Township...
, who started at the station in 1984 and had, by the early nineties, become Program Director, was noted for being extremely knowledgeable of alternative and independent artist information when introducing tracks. He later was seen spouting that knowledge as the 2nd host of MTV's "120 Minutes".
In the 80's, the station referred to itself as, Your Rock Alternative, FM 106.3.
For a brief period in the early nineties, the station used a slogan of "Real Rock Radio, FM 106.3."
In the nineties, its signature copy became, FM 106.3, Modern Rock at the Jersey Shore.
WHTG achieved its highest ratings ever in 1993 and 1994 when it received "favorite radio station" honor in Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
s annual readers' polls. The station garnered "underground" marketing support in the form of widespread application of the station's logo (at right) upon traffic signs throughout the state. The vinyl stickers were quite durable and available free at Jersey area independent music shops.
Ownership change
Before the acquisition of WBBO, WHTG was referred to as G106.3, Your Rock Alternative,
echoing - perhaps unwittingly - FM 106.3's original alternative-era slogan from 1985 to 1989.
G Rock Radio also featured special programming on weekend mornings. The Saturday Morning Breakfast Club took a nostalgic look at alternative rock from the 1980s, while Common Threads (a program that dates back to the FM 106-3 era and originally featured "theme" sets of songs) showcased modern acoustic music. With the acquisition of WBBO, G106.3 became known as "G-Rock Radio", with a simulcast on 106.3 and 98.5. In July 2006, WBBO's 98.5 signal was moved to 106.5. During this time, G-Rock was trimulcasted on 98.5, 106.3, and 106.5 to assist listeners in the frequency transition. G-Rock has recently dropped their weekday noon request show called "90's at Noon" for a more 80's influenced request show known as "The Retro Request Hour". Another specialty show heard on Sunday nights called The Underground, which featured indie bands as well as b-sides and unknown tracks from current played artists, which was dropped in March 2007. On June 24, 2007, specialty programming on Sunday nights returned with "The Punkyard", which consisted of two hours of punk music. By spring 2008, other weekend programming on G Rock included the all-request "Radio Kaos" from 7pm-midnight Saturdays. There also was "Queens of Noise" on Sundays from 9pm-10pm, which featured female-fronted bands and solo rock artists.
Hit 106
On January 19, 2009, the previous alternative rock format heard on WHTG and WBBO was dropped in the middle of the day with no advance notice in favor of a Top 40 format, known as "Hit 106". The last song was Le DiskoLe Disko
"Le Disko" is the first single by rock group Shiny Toy Guns from their album We Are Pilots. This single peaked at #26 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, and peaked at #14 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 charts. It peaked #114 on the U.S...
by Shiny Toy Guns
Shiny Toy Guns
Shiny Toy Guns is an American indie rock band that formed in 2002 in Los Angeles, California. They released their first studio album We Are Pilots in 2006, after recording it two previous times. It featured three singles that peaked inside the top 30 in the Alternative Songs Chart. We Are Pilots...
.
A Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
group known as Bring Back GRock! formed to protest the format change. Membership in the group peaked at over 10,700. A protest outside of Press Communications was held the week of the change, attended by about 200 people. In a letter posted in response to the protest, McAllan lambasted the G Rock Radio fans for their perceived reluctance to fill out Arbitron
Arbitron
Arbitron is a consumer research company in the United States that collects listener data on radio audiences. It was founded as American Research Bureau by Jim Seiler in 1949 and became national by merging with L.A. based Coffin, Cooper and Clay in the early 1950s...
surveys, adding that he hoped that they would tune in to the new station, which counted Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
, 50 Cent
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III , better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin and The Massacre . Get Rich or Die Tryin has been certified eight times platinum by...
, Pink
Pink (singer)
Alecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress....
and Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy is an American rock band from Wilmette, Illinois, formed in 2001. The band consists of vocalist, guitarist and composer Patrick Stump, bassist and lyricist Pete Wentz, guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer Andy Hurley. The band released five studio albums from 2003–2008...
among its core artists.
Thunder 106
On September 15, 2010, at 3:00 p.m., Press Broadcasting's "Thunder" country format swapped formats and call signs with Hit 106, with "Thunder" now broadcasting on the renamed WKMK and WBBO-FM and the hit music format moved to the 98.5 frequency in Ocean Acres, now known as WHTG-FM. WHTG-FM is once again known as "B 98.5". WKMK is also the only radio station in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
with a country format.
This came only twenty months after the sudden format change on January 19, 2009, when both WHTG-FM and WBBO dropped the long-time alternative format and switched to the Top 40 format, identifying themselves as Hit 106.
Airstaff
The current lineup (as of August 4, 2011) is as follows- Morning Show (6am-10am): Marty Mitchell
- Mid-Days (10am-3pm): (currently being filled by part-timers)
- Afternoon Drive (3pm-7pm): Chris VanZant
- Nighttime (7pm-12am): Randy Davis (voicetracked)
- Weekends/Fill-ins: Shawn Ryan/Joe Stephens
- Program Director/Music Director: