WJLK-FM
| File:943logo.gif | |
| Frequency | 94.3 (MHz) |
|---|---|
| Programming | |
| Format | Variety |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Millennium Radio |
| History | |
First air date | November 20, 1947 |
| Links | |
| Website | http://www.943thepoint.com |
WJLK, or "The Point" is a 80s, 90s and modern variety station that broadcasts on the 94.3 frequency. Their variety of music stretches from bands such as Greenday to Gwen Stefani or Rob Thomas. The station is owned by Millennium Radio in New Jersey. Its transmitter is located in Neptune, New Jersey.
Logos
History
WJLK was created due to a New Jersey newspaper, The Asbury Park Press, wanting to spread into the still newly forming radio business in the 1940s. Originally destined to be WDJT at 104.3, by November of 1946 the call letters had changed to WJLK, to honor the late J. Lyle Kinmouth. Kinmouth had been a pioneering publisher for the press, and died the previous year. In addition, shortly before the first broadcast, the station changed from the 104.3 to the 94.3 megacycles.
The station's first broadcast took place on November 20th of 1947, Kinmouth's birthday. When WJLK opened, it was one of an estimated 75 FM radio stations nation-wide. WJLK also made history as the first FCC licensed radio station in New Jersey. The station was dedicated to news, and at this time broadcast from 6:30 A.M to midnight Monday through Saturday, and 8 A.M to midnight on Sundays.
Eventually, The Press purchased an AM radio station, WCAP, which they promptly renamed WJLK-AM, located at 1310 on the radio dial. The FM station rebroadcast the AM station's programming. The newscasts for the station were 15 minutes long at the top of every hour, as well as a breifer at every half hour. In between newscasts, there was a wide variety of shows featuring different types of music, or shows on specific subjects, such as gardening.
By the mid 1970s, it was obvious that specialized FM stations were doing better than stations with a format such as WJLK's. A man named Robert E. McAllen, an on-air personality in the early 70s, devised a new format with its emphasis on adult contempoary music. Eventually the format evolved into adult contempoary played often and block programming at night, playing Top 40, oldies, or talk.
In 1989, the company sold both the AM and FM stations of WJLK, which had now been broadcasting under "K-94" to Devlin and Ferrari Broadcasting Company of New York for $12.5 million. The sale had been ordered by the FCC in exchange for allowing The Press to buy the stations WKXW-FM and WBUD-AM, both based in Ewing for $12.1 million.
By August of 1989, the K-94 format was discontinued and the station returned to broadcasting adult contempoary. Then, in 1993, the station began a simulcast with the 98.5 frequency and was billed as "Soft Rock WJLK". Slightly more than four years later, in May of 1997, after being sold to Nassau Broadcasting, the simulcast was dropped and the station went towards the format it has today, broadcasting under "94.3 the Point".
From 1997 through May of 2002, 94.3 The Point was one of the five stations referred to as Nassau Broadcasting Partner's "Shore Group." The sound of WJLK was polished up and the station became a true leader in the market. After the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 the station became very active in helping the community heal. A significant amount of money was raised for the families of Trade Center victims. The Old Mill School in WALL, NJ (K-5) had a walk-a-thon and donated all the money to the Nassau charity. As a result, the Point rewarded the kids by having Michelle Branch perform in the auditorium of their school in late 2001.
The Point and Jersey Shore Medical Center also organized "Kites Against Cancer" to benefit the breast care center at JSMC originally and eventually all of "The Breast Care Centers of The Meridian Healthcare." This successful event got the Point into the Guiness Book of World Records for flying the most kites at one time in a single location.
In June of 2002, the sale of the "shore group" was completed and Millennium Radio Group took over WJLK and its sister stations, B-98.5 (See WHTG), WOBM-AM and 92.7 WOBM-FM, WADB-AM and eventually 105-7 The Hawk. There is only full-time air staffer to retain their on air job from before the sale was completed. Debbie Mazella who has been the "mid-day Diva" since 1999 is the most popular DJ on the staion, and quite possibly in the Monmouth-Ocean Market.
Line up
Mornings
Lou and Liz in the Morning: 5 to 9 A.M Monday through Friday
Debbie Mazella: 9 A.M to 3 P.M Monday through Friday
Dan Turi: 3 to 8 P.M Monday through Friday
Jill Pantozzi: 10 P.M to 2 A.M Monday through Thursday
Weekends
Dan Alexander: Saturday
Gino D.: Saturday & Sunday
Tommy Lynch: Saturday
Nina Siciliano: Sunday
Gleen Levasseur: Sunday
Silent Jay: Saturday
Kevin Collins: Sunday
Jill Pantozzi: 8 P.M. to 12 A.M. Saturday, 9 P.M. to 12 A.M. Sunday
Randy Jackson's Hit List: 7 to 10 A.M. Sunday
Debbie Mazella, "On The Verge": 8 P.M to 9 P.M. Sundays
Millennium Radio News
Tom Mongelli: Bureau Chief/Anchor
Janet Fried Monmouth County Reporter/Anchor
Rosetta Key: Anchor
Tripp Rogers: Anchor
Jason Allentoff: Anchor/Reporter