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WXBK

Coordinates:40°47′53.4″N74°5′25.5″W/ 40.798167°N 74.090417°W/40.798167; -74.090417(WXBK)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

WXBK
Broadcast area
Frequency94.7MHz(HD Radio)
Branding94.7 The Block
Programming
Language(s)English
FormatClassic hip hop
Subchannels
Ownership
Owner
WCBS-FM,WFAN,WFAN-FM,WHSQ,WINS,WINS-FM,WNEW-FM
History
First air date
1947;77 years ago(1947)
Former call signs
  • WAAT-FM (1947–1958)
  • WNTA-FM (1958–1962)
  • WJRZ-FM (1962–1963)
  • WFME (1963–2013)
  • WRXP (2013)
  • WNSH (2013–2021)
Call signmeaning
From "The Block" branding
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID20886
ClassB
ERP40,000watts
HAAT166 meters (545 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
40°47′53.4″N74°5′25.5″W/ 40.798167°N 74.090417°W/40.798167; -74.090417(WXBK)
Translator(s)
Links
Public license information
Webcast
Website

WXBK(94.7FM,"94.7 The Block" ) is aclassic hip hop-formattedradio stationthat islicensedtoNewark, New Jersey,and serves theNew York Cityarea. The station is owned byAudacy, Inc.WXBK's studios are located in the combined Audacy facility in theHudson Squareneighborhood ofManhattan,and its transmitter is located inRutherford, New Jersey.

WXBK broadcasts in theHD Radioformat.

History

[edit]

Early years

[edit]
WFME's logo in 2012, underFamily Radioownership.

The 94.7 FM frequency signed on in 1947 as WAAT-FM, and was owned by the Bremer Broadcasting Company along with sister stationWAAT(970 AM). The following year, Bremer launched New Jersey's first television station, WATV on channel 13 transmitting from the WAAT-FM tower. In 1957, the three stations were sold by Bremer toNational Telefilm Associates,who changed the operation'scall lettersto WNTA-FM.[2][3]During this period, the station had diversified programming such asjazz,classical music,andeasy listeningmusic.

National Telefilm split up its holdings in 1961, with WNTA-TV being sold to a New York City-based nonprofit educational group (it is nowWNET), and the WNTA radio stations going to Communications Industries Broadcasting.[4]The new owners changed the calls to WJRZ-FM[5]and initially retained the station's previous format, however on April 14, 1963Family Radio,aChristian broadcasterthen based inOakland, California,began leasing airtime on WJRZ-FM.[6]In 1964, the station was renamed WFME, and in March 1966 Family Radio purchased 94.7 FM outright and began airing its religious programming around-the-clock.[7]

WFME's local programming consisted of community announcements, weekend public affairs, and weather and traffic inserts during Family Radio'sRise and Rejoicemorning show. WFME originated a portion of the network's overnight programNightwatch,hosted by station manager/chief engineer Charlie Menut. The rest of the station's schedule originated from Family Radio headquarters in Oakland.[8]

WFME's programming was also heard on twotranslator stations:W213AC (90.5 FM) inHyde Park, New York;and W247AE (97.3 FM) inEast Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.As a result of WFME's license status change (see below), the translators could no longer legally rebroadcast WFME's broadcast signal; as a result, both translator stations are now carrying a different Family Radio station with a similar feed as of February 2012.

Sale to Cumulus Media

[edit]

On January 6, 2012, Family Radio applied to theFederal Communications Commission(FCC) to change the license of WFME fromnoncommercialtocommercial.This move followed the sales by Family Radio of stations in thePhiladelphia(WKDN-FM) andBaltimore–Washington(WFSI) markets and quickly prompted conjecture from radio industry monitors that WFME would be sold next.[9][10][11]The application was approved on February 7, 2012.[12]

The sale rumors were confirmed on October 16, 2012, when Family Radio announced that it would sell WFME toAtlanta-basedCumulus Media;the originally undisclosed price was later confirmed to be $40 million. In addition, Family Radio acquired Cumulus' WDVY (106.3 FM) inMount Kisco, New York.[13]The FCC approved the sale/station trade on January 4, 2013, making 94.7 FM a sister station to Cumulus' two existing New York market stations,WABCandWPLJ.Four days later, on January 8, Cumulus completed the purchase of WFME.[14][15]Family Radio programming on 94.7 FM ended at 3:40 p.m. on January 11; prior to signing off of the frequency, station manager Charlie Menut stated that the network's programming would be transferred to WDVY, which becamethe new WFMEon January 15, and that efforts to acquire an AM frequency that would cover the New York City area were being made.[16][17]Two years later, in February 2015, Family Radio programming returned to the area via its acquisition ofWQEW(1560 AM), a formerRadio Disneyoutlet.

"Nash FM" launch

[edit]
"Nash FM 94.7" logo; this logo styling was also used for stations utilizing theNash FM and Nash Icon brandsoperated by previous WNSH ownerCumulus Media.

About twenty minutes after WFME signed off, 94.7 FM, under Cumulus ownership, began asimulcastof WPLJ, which broadcast ahot adult contemporaryformat. The frequency's call sign was changed three days later to WRXP, a call sign previously used onthe 101.9 FM facilityin New York City under two different owners and two different stints as analternative rockstation. The WPLJ simulcast ended on January 18 in favor ofstuntingwith "The 94.7 Wheel of Formats." During this stunt, a wide variety of sound clips and songs were played, from formats such astop 40/CHRandsmooth jazz,as well aspolkaand all-one artist formats like all-Bruce Springsteenand"Weird Al" Yankovic.

The stunting continued until 9:47 a.m. on January 21, when WRXP adopted a newcountry musicformat branded asNash FM 94.7.[18]The first song on "Nash FM" was "How Country Feels"byRandy Houser.The move gave the New York City area its first full-time country station since 2002, when the "Y-107" simulcast of four suburban stations at 107.1 FM—located inBriarcliff ManorandHampton Bays, New York,andBelvidereandLong Branch, New Jersey—cancelled the format. The last station to carry country full-time within the market wasWYNY(103.5 FM), which becamerhythmic adult contemporaryWKTUin 1996.[19]To coincide with the "Nash" launch, Cumulus swapped the WNSHcall signfrom its sister station inCambridge, Minnesota(the present-dayWLUP) on January 29, 2013.[20]

The station served as the flagship ofNash—an initiative to create a singular multi-platform brand for country music content originated by Cumulus Media, including WNSH and other radio stations (which would either adopt theNash FMbranding themselves, or co-brand with it),[21][22]Nash Bashconcerts,[23][24]its syndicated country programming (includingAmerican Country Countdown,and plans for other content to be distributed byWestwood One), andNash Magazine.[25][26]

On November 3, 2014,WELJ(104.7 FM) inMontaukdropped its Hot AC format for a simulcast of WNSH, to cover listeners on Eastern Long Island where WNSH's signal did not reach. The simulcast ended on August 31, 2015, when WELJ re-launched asNash Icon(a country hits format focusing on songs and artists from the 1990s and early 2000s).[27]

In February 2019, WNSH dropped Nash FM's syndicated morning showTy, Kelly & Chuckin favor of a local show hosted by former Nash network personality Kelly Ford.[28]

Sale to Entercom

[edit]
Logo as New York's Country 94.7

On February 13, 2019, Cumulus announced that WNSH would be traded toEntercom,as part of an exchange of WNSH and several stations inSpringfield, Massachusettsfor Entercom stations inIndianapolis;in the same announcement, Cumulus revealed the separate sale of sister station WPLJ and other outlets toEducational Media Foundation.[29][30]Entercom assumed control of the station beginning March 1, 2019, under alocal marketing agreement;WNSH maintained its country format, although Entercom's head of country stations Tim Roberts stated that the company would be evaluating whether they would continue to license theNashbrand from Cumulus.[31]The swap was finalized on May 9.[32]

On March 25, 2019, WNSH rebranded asNew York's Country 94.7,with no change in lineup or programming.[33]

94.7 The Block

[edit]

On October 22, 2021, WNSH announced that the country format was to end later that day; station staff would make similar announcements that it was to be their last day on the station, thanking listeners and sharing station memories throughout the morning with a special extended-length morning show, perhaps not coincidentally a similar sign off to that ofWYNY25 years prior. The station saw calls that morning from various country artists, as well as fellow Audacy New York staffers such asScott ShannonandBoomer Esiason,giving their station memories and honoring the station, before morning host Kelly Ford, the first live DJ on the format in 2013, signed off the show at Noon, bookending the live run of the station with the first song played on Nash FM, "How Country Feels"byRandy Houser.

Following the sign off of the show, the station went into an hour of jockless music, ending withCarrie Underwood's "See You Again"and theNellyremix of "Cruise"byFlorida Georgia Line.The station then teased their new format, playing "The Right Stuff"byNew Kids on the Blockand "Jenny from the Block"byJennifer LopezfeaturingJadakissandStyles.Shortly after 1 p.m., WNSH flipped toclassic hip hopas "94.7 The Block". The country format moved over to WNSH's HD2 sub-channel shortly thereafter; the previous simulcast ofCBS Sports Radiothere would then move toWFAN-FM-HD2. The first song under the new format wasJay-Z's "Empire State of Mind"featuringAlicia Keys.New call letters WXBK were applied for on the same day as the flip,[34]and became effective on November 1, 2021.

Signal

[edit]

Unlike most of the area's FM stations likeWHTZ(and WXBK's sister stationsWCBS-FM,WFAN-FMandWNEW-FM), which transmit their signals from atop theEmpire State Building,until 2022, WXBK transmitted its signal from First Mountain in West Orange, New Jersey, about 15 miles west ofMidtown Manhattan.Therefore, WXBK's signal is stronger west of New York City than the stations from the Empire, but is weaker east of Manhattan and in parts of the city itself andLong Island.It is short spaced to multiple stations, includingAC-formatted sister stationWMAS-FMinEnfield, Connecticut,which also broadcasts on 94.7 MHz. It is also short spaced toWPSTinTrenton, New Jersey,which broadcasts on 94.5 MHz.

Audacy, Inc.was granted a construction permit to move its transmitter site toRutherford, New Jersey(which is closer to New York City), on a tower shared withWOR.The move was completed in October 2022. WMAS-FM also moved their signal directional away from WXBK, without affecting signal in their target area.[35]

Translators

[edit]
Call sign Frequency City of license FID ERP(W) Class Transmitter coordinates FCC info Notes
W252CS 98.3 FM Palisades Park, New Jersey 155892 120 D 40°50′45.8″N73°59′6.5″W/ 40.846056°N 73.985139°W/40.846056; -73.985139(W252CS) LMS Relays WXBK-HD3
W268BY 101.5 FM Queens, New York 147810 99 D 40°46′2.3″N73°57′40.4″W/ 40.767306°N 73.961222°W/40.767306; -73.961222(W268BY) LMS Relays WXBK-HD3

References

[edit]
  1. ^"Facility Technical Data for WXBK".Licensing and Management System.Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^"WAAT, WATV (TV) sold to NTA for $3.5 million."Broadcasting & Telecasting,October 7, 1957, pg. 9.
  3. ^"NTA Newark purchase gets FCC's approval."Broadcasting & Telecasting,April 7, 1958, pg. 64.
  4. ^"Changing Hands."Broadcasting,November 6, 1961, pg. 78.
  5. ^"For the record."Broadcasting,April 2, 1962, pg. 129.
  6. ^"Family Stations sign to program on WJRZ-FM."Broadcasting,April 8, 1963, pg. 53.
  7. ^"For the record."Broadcasting,January 31, 1966, pg. 37.
  8. ^"WFME Program Guide".Archived fromthe originalon February 7, 2006.RetrievedMay 24,2008.
  9. ^Taylor, Tom (January 9, 2012)."New York scramble?: Is New York-market WFME (94.7) for sale? Family Radio applies to change its crown jewel to commercial operation".TRI: Taylor on Radio-Info.Archived fromthe originalon January 9, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 10,2012.
  10. ^Taylor, Tom (January 10, 2012)."Gotham guessing game: Yes, Family Radio's New York-market WFME (94.7) will be for sale. But not just yet".TRI: Taylor on Radio-Info.Archived fromthe originalon January 13, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 10,2012.
  11. ^Venta, Lance (January 7, 2012)."WFME Applies to Go Commercial, Prepares for Sale".RadioInsight.RadioBB Networks.RetrievedJanuary 10,2012.
  12. ^FCC Internet Services Staff."Application Search Details".licensing.fcc.gov.Federal Communications Commission.
  13. ^"BALH - 20121019ACU".Federal Communications Commission.RetrievedDecember 7,2012.
  14. ^"Done deal: Cumulus closes on WFME".All Access.All Access Music Group. January 10, 2013.RetrievedJanuary 10,2013.
  15. ^"Cumulus closes on WFME in New York City".Radioink.January 10, 2013. Archived fromthe originalon May 28, 2014.RetrievedJanuary 10,2013.
  16. ^WFME Signs-Off,January 11, 2013.Formatchange.Retrieved January 12, 2013.
  17. ^Camping, Harold E."What is happening with Family Radio?"Familyradio.Retrieved January 11, 2013.ArchivedJanuary 15, 2013, at theWayback Machine
  18. ^Venta, Lance (January 21, 2013)."94.7 NashFM New York Debuts".RadioInsight.RadioBB Networks.RetrievedJanuary 21,2013.
  19. ^McKinley Jr., James C. (January 21, 2013)."New York Radio Gets a New Country Station".The New York Times.RetrievedJanuary 21,2013.
  20. ^"Cumulus Announces National" Nash "Brand For Country Entertainment".FMQB.January 22, 2013. Archived fromthe originalon November 6, 2013.RetrievedJanuary 22,2013.
  21. ^"Cumulus Launches Six More Nash-FM's".RadioInsight.RadioBB Networks. September 6, 2013.RetrievedFebruary 26,2019.
  22. ^Gensler, Andy (February 28, 2013)."Cumulus' Lew Dickey Explains Why NYC's New NASH-FM 'Is Good for Nashville' at CRS".Billboard.RetrievedFebruary 26,2019.
  23. ^"Easton Corbin playing NASH 94.1 show at Taft".Cincinnati.RetrievedFebruary 26,2019.
  24. ^"Country Greets New York City with Nash Bash".MusicRow.February 21, 2013.RetrievedFebruary 26,2019.
  25. ^Venta, Lance (October 22, 2013)."Cumulus Launches Nash Magazine".RadioInsight.RadioBB Networks.RetrievedFebruary 26,2019.
  26. ^Venta, Lance (January 22, 2013)."Cumulus Planning A National Country Brand".RadioInsight.RadioBB Networks.RetrievedFebruary 26,2019.
  27. ^Venta, Lance (August 31, 2015)."Nash Icon Comes to New London".RadioInsight.RadioBB Networks.RetrievedFebruary 26,2019.
  28. ^"'Kelly Ford In The Morning' To Debut On NYC's 'Nash FM 94.7.'".Inside Radio.insideradio. January 23, 2019.RetrievedMarch 30,2019.
  29. ^Jacobson, Adam (February 14, 2019)."What's Next For Entercom, Cumulus Staff In N.Y., Indy and Massachusetts?".Radio & Television Business Report.RetrievedFebruary 26,2019.
  30. ^Venta, Lance (February 13, 2019)."Cumulus Sells Six To EMF & Swaps With Entercom In New York & Indianapolis".RadioInsight.RadioBB Networks.RetrievedFebruary 13,2019.
  31. ^Venta, Lance (February 26, 2019)."Entercom States WNSH To Remain Country Upon March 1 Takeover".RadioInsight.RadioBB Networks.RetrievedFebruary 26,2019.
  32. ^"Cumulus, Entercom Close Six-Station Swap".insideradio.May 13, 2019.RetrievedMay 13,2019.
  33. ^Venta, Lance (March 25, 2019)."WNSH Relaunches as" New York's Country 94.7 "".RadioInsight.RadioBB Networks.RetrievedMarch 25,2019.
  34. ^Venta, Lance (October 22, 2021)."Audacy Launches 94.7 The Block New York".radioinsight.RetrievedOctober 22,2021.
  35. ^"WXBK Completes Move Closer To New York".RadioInsight.October 6, 2022.RetrievedOctober 6,2022.
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