WJER
| WJER 1450 AM | |
| Broadcast area | Tuscarawas County, Ohio |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 1450 (kHz) |
| Branding | 1450 AM WJER |
| Programming | |
| Format | full service/soft rock/oldies |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Clear Channel Communications (sale to WJER Radio, LLC. pending) |
| History | |
First air date | February 21, 1950 |
Call sign meaning | Jerimiah E. Reeves, the father of the first owner |
| Technical information | |
| Class | C |
| Power | 1,000 watts |
| Links | |
| Website | www.wjer.com |
WJER (1450 AM "The Voice of the Valley") is a commercial radio station. Licensed to the suburb of Dover, Ohio, it serves the Tuscarawas County area. It first began broadcasting in 1950, and had an FM sister station (WJER-FM) that operated from 1969 to 2006, which is today WHOF. The station had been owned by Clear Channel Communications in a reverse LMA by former owner Gary Petricola, who repurchased the AM station in 2007.
History
Origins of WJER
Jeremiah E. Reeves, of which WJER had been named for, was a member of one of the most influential family in Tuscarawas County, starting several major industries, banks and hotels in the Dover-New Philadelphia area. After his death in 1920, the Reeves family continued the leadership traditions begun by Jermiah.
Following World War II, the United States government saw the need to increase radio reach to citizens in rural as well as urban population centers, and many new AM stations were created. Jeremiah's daughter, Agnes (Reeves) Greer, filed for ownership of a new radio station for Dover, Ohio and was granted the license in 1949. As a tribute to her father, Ms. Greer requested the call letters for the station that were her father's initials, Jeremiah E. Reeves, or "JER".
On Tuesday, February 21, 1950 at 6 a.m., WJER Radio began broadcasting operations in the present studio facility at 646 Boulevard, a parcel of land that was part of the Reeves family estate. The 175 foot "original" tower was erected on land with 5 miles of copper wire buried beneath it's surface.
WJER-FM was granted a license and began broadcasting in 1969 at 101.7. Originally, the FM station programmed "beautiful music" and was popular in doctor's offices and in elevators. As time went by WJER put more emphasis on the FM station, going "live" full-time by 1992. Both stations were locally-owned by Gary Petricola until 2003, when he sold them to Clear Channel Communications. Petricola, however, continued to operate both 101.7-FM and 1450-AM in a reverse LMA with Clear Channel.
Relocation of the FM signal
On April 14, 2006, the Federal Communications Commission approved Clear Channel's request to move WJER-FM's community of license to North Canton, Ohio[1]. The new location
allowed the station to increase its power from 3,000 watts ERP to 6,000 watts ERP after the move.
Shortly after the applications were granted, several staffers from WJER-FM, particulary the FM station's program director, were let go in budget cuts. In a gradual process, the stations no longer ended up operating separately during most broadcast hours.
WJER-FM signed off on December 27, and the license was transferred to North Canton, Ohio under the new callsign WHOF the next day. Clear Channel signed on WHOF as Adult contemporary "my 101.7" serving the Canton area on January 16, 2007.
As part of the arrangment with Clear Channel, the AM station would be sold back to Petricola for $200,000 to WJER Radio LLC, which is controlled by Petricola.
Programming
Weekdays
- Randy Fox and Bill Morgan, 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.
- Anita Edwards, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Kelly Kyle, 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.
- Eric St. John, 7 p.m. to midnight.
Features
- Classic Canteen with Anita Edwards, 12 noon to 2 p.m. weekdays.
- Plant Talk with Fred Hower, Saturdays 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.
- The Dave Koz Radio Show Sundays mornings and evenings. Previously aired on WJER-FM.
Contests
- Great Escape: During the winter a drawing is held for a trip to Hawaii.
- Deck ya!: A drawing is held every year, and the winner is given a new deck for his or her backyard.
- Birthday Contest: Each day, the birthdays of the day are read on air. Sent in from all over the viewing area, the announcements include name, age, and city of residence. One winner is picked from the days celebrants to receive a birthday prize package.
- Subway Hump Day Party Tray Giveaway: Each Wednesday, WJER sends a tray of sandwiches from Subway to a workplace.
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External links
- WJER
- Information on WJER
- WJER in the FCC AM station database