WNNJ
Encyclopedia
WNNJ is a Class B FM radio station licensed to Newton, New Jersey
broadcasting on 103.7 FM. They serve the Sussex County, New Jersey
radio market while also reaching northeastern Pennsylvania
and Orange County, New York
. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications
. WNNJ offers a Rock format focusing on 1970s, '80s and '90s rock. They also mix in some 1960s and current rock as well. The station is known as "103-7 WNNJ The Tri States' Rock Station". The station achieves high ratings as well. The legal call letters of this station were WNNJ-FM from the Summer of 1988 until June 30, 2008. The FM was dropped that day because their AM sister station on 1360 changed its call letters from WNNJ (which they had since 1953) to WTOC
July of 2008 and went silent on August 17, 1011). Initially WNNJ-FM simulcast the Middle of the Road format on 1360 WNNJ during the day. Then after the former WNNJ (AM) signed off for the night (WNNJ was a daytimer) WNNJ-FM played Classical Music like most FM radio stations. In the mid-1960s as the FCC was requiring WNNJ-FM separated from WNNJ. The station was renamed WIXL and they offered a "Beautiful Music
" format. The station played mostly easy listening instrumental versions of pop tunes along with a couple soft vocalists per hour.
The format did not do very well because similarly formatted stations from the Lehigh Valley
and New York City reached Sussex County. The owners did a format study in the Summer of 1976. The conclusion was that Country Music fans were underserved in Sussex County. WHN
out of New York City
was on AM plus they played pop tunes mixed in. A few miles away in Franklin, New Jersey WSUS
played a format of 50% Top 40 Hits and 50% Country Music. So it was decided that WIXL would go Country full-time. In November 1976 WIXL 103.7 became "XL Country". Two years later it would be known as the "Home Of Great American Music".
As a Country station they played deep cut
s by well known country music artists. Some crossover
material was heard but it was the hard core country sound that drove this station. Core artists included Merle Haggard
, Waylon Jennings
, Tanya Tucker
, Sonny James
, Charlie Pride, Dolly Parton
, and many others. The station also played an occasional bluegrass song as well. They even had a bluegrass show on Sunday evenings. Additionally the station had New York Mets
baseball and New York Giants
football as well as auto racing at some points.
In 1979 WIXL along with WNNJ was sold to Marvin Strauzer and Michael Levine under the name Group M Communications. The country music format would continue on WIXL. In 1982 though the format evolved to include more crossover material. Early in 1983 the bluegrass show was canceled. After that WIXL began mixing in a lot of non-country songs with a slight twang into the format. Songs such as "Turn Turn Turn by the Byrds, "You Were On My Mind" by We Five
, and "Classical Gas" by Mason Williams
were mixed into the format. Well known crossover country artists like Kenny Rogers
, John Denver
, the Eagles, and Eddie Rabbit were played as well as cuts by artists like Neil Young
, Lynyrd Skynyrd
, Rita Coolidge
, The Carpenters
, and others added to the mix in moderation.
WIXL continued with a country format through most of the 1980s, but as demographics began to change, a format study was done late in 1986. The conclusion was that there was a need for another contemporary music station in the market. Plans for a format change were made early in 1988 for Labor Day weekend. However, competition heard these rumors and out of fear they would flip first WIXL dropped the Country music format May 28, 1988 at Noon.
This format change faced a lot of controversy. Now country music fans could only get their music on NBC's 97.1 WYNY in New York City which had a spotty signal but still could be received standing still. Later that year Westwood One acquired the WYNY Country Unit and moved it to 103.5. Because of 103.5 FM's proximity to 103.7 WYNY could no longer be received in the WIXL listening area. As a result Sussex County residents could not get country music on the radio. Finally, four years later 106.3 WFMV became "Hot Country WHCY
", bringing country music back to the area. (WHCY would drop the format in 2000.)
The station became a straightforward Contemporary Hit Radio
station. the entire airstaff stayed on. WIXL became known as "Power 103". The music was a blend of rock, dance, heavy metal, R & B, and Pop Adult Contemporary crossovers. The station would be deeper than most CHR stations however. Later that year the station dropped the WIXL call letters and reverted to WNNJ-FM.
This Top 40 format did well but in 1992 the station dropped the Power 103 name to simply be known as 103.7 WNNJ-FM. Jimmy Howes
brought the Classic Rock Format to WNNJ on a part-time several hour a week basis in 1992, by slipping in a show on Saturday Nights called "The Classic Rock Shop". Continuing to appeal to older listeners, Howes and Larry Bear modified the whole station format to Hot AC. The station continued on this course until 1997, with much success. In the fall of 1996 WNNJ-FM along with 1360/WNNJ were sold to Nassau Broadcasting. During this time management changes were made.
In January 1997 half the airstaff exited and new D.J.s were mixed in. The station cut back the news department as well. The Adult Top 40 format was also dropped. WNNJ-FM then flipped to a pop-based rock format focusing on '70s pop rock. The station became known as "Classic Hits 103-7". Musically Classic Hits 103-7 played rock oriented songs from 1964 to 1989. The focus was '70s rock hits. Mixed in were hard rock hits as well as pop hits from the '70s that were not too far out of the realm of rock. Also big '80s rock hits and some big hits from the late 1960s were also played. The station earned high ratings with this format. In September 1998 Chuck Seese and Deanne Schulz were teamed to host the morning show, replacing Pat Butler. Disc Jockeys during this era included Christa Robinson, Chip Miller, Mike Malone, Vince Thomas, Brett Alan, Andy Roberts, Frank Bruno, and others.
More personnel changes came in August of 2000, as a change in ownership was coming. Chuck Seese returned to Nassau's WSBG in Stroudsburg PA, and Schulz became a publicity expert. In the Winter of 2001 Nassau sold WNNJ-FM along with WNNJ 1360, WSUS
, WHCY
, and local marketing agreement
s for WDLC
and WTSX
to Clear Channel Communications
in exchange for cash, WEEX
, and WODE-FM
located in the Lehigh valley. Those Lehigh Valley stations would become Nassau stations.
Classic Hits 103-7 only made a few slight changes initially. But musically over the next few years the station moved to more of a regular classic rock format. In the fall of 2003 the station dropped the name "Classic Hits 103-7" and became "103.7 WNNJ The Tri State's Classic Rock Station". The airstaff changed gradually and by 2004 was totally different from what it had been under Nassau. It also added the syndicated Nights with Alice Cooper
show in the evenings. Eventually, the Alice Cooper show was dropped.
On July 1, WNNJ-FM officially changed its call letters to WNNJ. The reason was because 1360 WNNJ modified its format and changed its call letters to WTOC
. Because the FM station no longer shared call letters with an AM station, FM will no longer be part of the call letters for 103.7.
Newton, New Jersey
Newton is a town in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the town population was 8,244. It is the county seat of Sussex County....
broadcasting on 103.7 FM. They serve the Sussex County, New Jersey
Sussex County, New Jersey
The County of Sussex is the northernmost county in the State of New Jersey. It is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 Federal decennial census, 149,265 persons resided in Sussex County...
radio market while also reaching northeastern 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...
and Orange County, New York
Orange County, New York
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located at the northern reaches of the New York metropolitan area. The county sits in the state's scenic Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley...
. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
. WNNJ offers a Rock format focusing on 1970s, '80s and '90s rock. They also mix in some 1960s and current rock as well. The station is known as "103-7 WNNJ The Tri States' Rock Station". The station achieves high ratings as well. The legal call letters of this station were WNNJ-FM from the Summer of 1988 until June 30, 2008. The FM was dropped that day because their AM sister station on 1360 changed its call letters from WNNJ (which they had since 1953) to WTOC
WTOC (AM)
WTOC was a radio station licensed to Newton, New Jersey. They offered an oldies music format with songs from the 1960s and 1970s along with a small amount oldies from 1955 to 1964 and a small amount of hits from the 1980's. They were a full-time affiliate of Scott Shannon's True Oldies Channel...
History
The station was originally known as WNNJ-FM and signed on in 1961 and was locally owned along with 1360 WNNJ (which became WTOCWTOC (AM)
WTOC was a radio station licensed to Newton, New Jersey. They offered an oldies music format with songs from the 1960s and 1970s along with a small amount oldies from 1955 to 1964 and a small amount of hits from the 1980's. They were a full-time affiliate of Scott Shannon's True Oldies Channel...
July of 2008 and went silent on August 17, 1011). Initially WNNJ-FM simulcast the Middle of the Road format on 1360 WNNJ during the day. Then after the former WNNJ (AM) signed off for the night (WNNJ was a daytimer) WNNJ-FM played Classical Music like most FM radio stations. In the mid-1960s as the FCC was requiring WNNJ-FM separated from WNNJ. The station was renamed WIXL and they offered 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...
" format. The station played mostly easy listening instrumental versions of pop tunes along with a couple soft vocalists per hour.
The format did not do very well because similarly formatted stations from the Lehigh Valley
Lehigh Valley
The Lehigh Valley, known officially by the United States Census Bureau as the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metropolitan area and referred to locally as The Valley and A-B-E, is a metropolitan region consisting of Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, and Carbon counties in eastern Pennsylvania and...
and New York City reached Sussex County. The owners did a format study in the Summer of 1976. The conclusion was that Country Music fans were underserved in Sussex County. WHN
WHN
WHN was a radio station in New York City located at 1050 kHz. Its best known format was country music, which the station played from 1972 to 1987...
out of New York City
New 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...
was on AM plus they played pop tunes mixed in. A few miles away in Franklin, New Jersey WSUS
WSUS (FM)
WSUS is a Class A radio station serving the Sussex County, New Jersey, area. The station is licensed to Franklin, New Jersey, is owned by Clear Channel Communications and has an adult contemporary music format...
played a format of 50% Top 40 Hits and 50% Country Music. So it was decided that WIXL would go Country full-time. In November 1976 WIXL 103.7 became "XL Country". Two years later it would be known as the "Home Of Great American Music".
As a Country station they played deep cut
Deep Cut
Deep Cut is a play performed by Cardiff based theatre company Sherman Cymru and written by Philip Ralph. It premiered at the Edinburgh Festival in 2008 and won the Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award in the same year as well as best Actor and Best Actress awards with The Stage's...
s by well known country music artists. Some crossover
Crossover (music)
Crossover is a term applied to musical works or performers appearing on two or more of the record charts which track differing musical tastes, or genres...
material was heard but it was the hard core country sound that drove this station. Core artists included Merle Haggard
Merle Haggard
Merle Ronald Haggard is an American country music singer, guitarist, fiddler, instrumentalist, and songwriter. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band The Strangers helped create the Bakersfield sound, which is characterized by the unique twang of Fender Telecaster guitars, vocal harmonies,...
, Waylon Jennings
Waylon Jennings
Waylon Arnold Jennings was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Jennings began playing at eight. He began performing at twelve, on KVOW radio. Jennings formed a band The Texas Longhorns. Jennings worked as a D.J on KVOW, KDAV and KLLL...
, Tanya Tucker
Tanya Tucker
Tanya Denise Tucker is a female American country music artist who had her first hit, "Delta Dawn", in 1972 at the age of 13...
, Sonny James
Sonny James
James Loden , known professionally as Sonny James, is an American country music singer and songwriter best known for his 1957 hit, "Young Love". Dubbed the Southern Gentleman, James had 72 country and pop chart hits from 1953 to 1983, including a five-year streak of 16 straight among his 23 No. 1...
, Charlie Pride, Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
, and many others. The station also played an occasional bluegrass song as well. They even had a bluegrass show on Sunday evenings. Additionally the station had New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
baseball and New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
football as well as auto racing at some points.
In 1979 WIXL along with WNNJ was sold to Marvin Strauzer and Michael Levine under the name Group M Communications. The country music format would continue on WIXL. In 1982 though the format evolved to include more crossover material. Early in 1983 the bluegrass show was canceled. After that WIXL began mixing in a lot of non-country songs with a slight twang into the format. Songs such as "Turn Turn Turn by the Byrds, "You Were On My Mind" by We Five
We Five
We Five was a 1960s folk rock musical group based in San Francisco, California. Their best-known hit was their 1965 remake of Ian and Sylvia's "You Were on My Mind", which reached #1 on the Cashbox chart, #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart...
, and "Classical Gas" by Mason Williams
Mason Williams
Mason Williams is an American guitarist and composer, best known for his guitar instrumental "Classical Gas". He is also a comedy writer, known for his writing on the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour, and Saturday Night Live...
were mixed into the format. Well known crossover country artists like Kenny Rogers
Kenny Rogers
Kenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur...
, John Denver
John Denver
Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr. , known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer/songwriter, activist, and humanitarian. After growing up in numerous locations with his military family, Denver began his music career in folk music groups in the late 1960s. His greatest commercial success...
, the Eagles, and Eddie Rabbit were played as well as cuts by artists like Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
, Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd is an American rock band prominent in spreading Southern Rock during the 1970s.Originally formed as the "Noble Five" in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1964, the band rose to worldwide recognition on the basis of its driving live performances and signature tune, Freebird...
, Rita Coolidge
Rita Coolidge
Rita Coolidge is a multiple Grammy Award-winning American vocalist. During the 1970s and 1980s, she charted hits on Billboard's Pop, Country, Adult Contemporary and Jazz charts.-Career:...
, The Carpenters
The Carpenters
Carpenters were an American vocal and instrumental duo, consisting of sister Karen and brother Richard Carpenter. The Carpenters were the #1 selling American music act of the 1970s. Though often referred to by the public as "The Carpenters", the duo's official name on authorized recordings and...
, and others added to the mix in moderation.
WIXL continued with a country format through most of the 1980s, but as demographics began to change, a format study was done late in 1986. The conclusion was that there was a need for another contemporary music station in the market. Plans for a format change were made early in 1988 for Labor Day weekend. However, competition heard these rumors and out of fear they would flip first WIXL dropped the Country music format May 28, 1988 at Noon.
This format change faced a lot of controversy. Now country music fans could only get their music on NBC's 97.1 WYNY in New York City which had a spotty signal but still could be received standing still. Later that year Westwood One acquired the WYNY Country Unit and moved it to 103.5. Because of 103.5 FM's proximity to 103.7 WYNY could no longer be received in the WIXL listening area. As a result Sussex County residents could not get country music on the radio. Finally, four years later 106.3 WFMV became "Hot Country WHCY
WHCY
WHCY, known as Max 106.3, is a hot adult contemporary class A FM radio station broadcasting on 106.3 FM. The format is now satellite programming along with some syndicated shows. The station is licensed to Blairstown, New Jersey and serves Sussex County and Warren County in western New Jersey, and...
", bringing country music back to the area. (WHCY would drop the format in 2000.)
The station became a straightforward Contemporary Hit Radio
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
station. the entire airstaff stayed on. WIXL became known as "Power 103". The music was a blend of rock, dance, heavy metal, R & B, and Pop Adult Contemporary crossovers. The station would be deeper than most CHR stations however. Later that year the station dropped the WIXL call letters and reverted to WNNJ-FM.
This Top 40 format did well but in 1992 the station dropped the Power 103 name to simply be known as 103.7 WNNJ-FM. Jimmy Howes
Jimmy Howes
Jimmy Howes is a radio disc jockey and talk show host, stand-up comic. New York City On-Air Radio Host under dozens of different synonyms. Morning Show Host on Jukebox Radio, New York City, Mid-Day host with WVNJ, Program Director and a morning show host of WGHT...
brought the Classic Rock Format to WNNJ on a part-time several hour a week basis in 1992, by slipping in a show on Saturday Nights called "The Classic Rock Shop". Continuing to appeal to older listeners, Howes and Larry Bear modified the whole station format to Hot AC. The station continued on this course until 1997, with much success. In the fall of 1996 WNNJ-FM along with 1360/WNNJ were sold to Nassau Broadcasting. During this time management changes were made.
In January 1997 half the airstaff exited and new D.J.s were mixed in. The station cut back the news department as well. The Adult Top 40 format was also dropped. WNNJ-FM then flipped to a pop-based rock format focusing on '70s pop rock. The station became known as "Classic Hits 103-7". Musically Classic Hits 103-7 played rock oriented songs from 1964 to 1989. The focus was '70s rock hits. Mixed in were hard rock hits as well as pop hits from the '70s that were not too far out of the realm of rock. Also big '80s rock hits and some big hits from the late 1960s were also played. The station earned high ratings with this format. In September 1998 Chuck Seese and Deanne Schulz were teamed to host the morning show, replacing Pat Butler. Disc Jockeys during this era included Christa Robinson, Chip Miller, Mike Malone, Vince Thomas, Brett Alan, Andy Roberts, Frank Bruno, and others.
More personnel changes came in August of 2000, as a change in ownership was coming. Chuck Seese returned to Nassau's WSBG in Stroudsburg PA, and Schulz became a publicity expert. In the Winter of 2001 Nassau sold WNNJ-FM along with WNNJ 1360, WSUS
WSUS (FM)
WSUS is a Class A radio station serving the Sussex County, New Jersey, area. The station is licensed to Franklin, New Jersey, is owned by Clear Channel Communications and has an adult contemporary music format...
, WHCY
WHCY
WHCY, known as Max 106.3, is a hot adult contemporary class A FM radio station broadcasting on 106.3 FM. The format is now satellite programming along with some syndicated shows. The station is licensed to Blairstown, New Jersey and serves Sussex County and Warren County in western New Jersey, and...
, and local marketing agreement
Local marketing agreement
In U.S. and Canadian broadcasting, a local marketing agreement is an agreement in which one company agrees to operate a radio or television station owned by another licensee...
s for WDLC
WDLC
WDLC is a radio station broadcasting an oldies format. Licensed to Port Jervis, New York, USA, the station serves the Sussex area. The station is owned by PJ Radio, L.L.C...
and WTSX
WTSX
WTSX is a radio station in Lehman Township, Pennsylvania. The station is owned by Port Jervis Broadcasting, but operated under a local management agreement by Sunrise Broadcasting. They now offer a simulcast of Fox 103.1 WJGK playing an AC format.-History:...
to Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
in exchange for cash, WEEX
WEEX
WEEX is a sports radio station in Easton, Pennsylvania branded as "ESPN Radio 1230 and 1320" and is owned by Nassau Broadcasting. Their programming is simulcast on co-owned WTKZ , licensed to nearby Allentown, Pennsylvania....
, and WODE-FM
WODE-FM
WODE-FM is a radio station located in Easton, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania, in the United States. The station broadcasts on 99.9 FM, and is popularly known as 99-9 The Hawk....
located in the Lehigh valley. Those Lehigh Valley stations would become Nassau stations.
Classic Hits 103-7 only made a few slight changes initially. But musically over the next few years the station moved to more of a regular classic rock format. In the fall of 2003 the station dropped the name "Classic Hits 103-7" and became "103.7 WNNJ The Tri State's Classic Rock Station". The airstaff changed gradually and by 2004 was totally different from what it had been under Nassau. It also added the syndicated Nights with Alice Cooper
Nights with Alice Cooper
Nights with Alice Cooper is a radio show hosted by rock and roll artist and shock rock pioneer Alice Cooper. It is syndicated by United Stations Radio Networks and broadcast on over 100 radio stations in the US, seven in Canada, and is also available in the UK , Germany , Ireland, Australia ,...
show in the evenings. Eventually, the Alice Cooper show was dropped.
On July 1, WNNJ-FM officially changed its call letters to WNNJ. The reason was because 1360 WNNJ modified its format and changed its call letters to WTOC
WTOC (AM)
WTOC was a radio station licensed to Newton, New Jersey. They offered an oldies music format with songs from the 1960s and 1970s along with a small amount oldies from 1955 to 1964 and a small amount of hits from the 1980's. They were a full-time affiliate of Scott Shannon's True Oldies Channel...
. Because the FM station no longer shared call letters with an AM station, FM will no longer be part of the call letters for 103.7.