WHTG-FM
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| WHTG-FM and WBBO-FM | |
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| City of license | WHTG (Eatontown) WBBO (Bass River Township) |
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| Broadcast area | Monmouth County, New Jersey at 106.3 FM Ocean County, New Jersey at 106.5 FM |
| Branding | G Rock Radio |
| Frequency | WHTG: 106.3 MHz WBBO: 106.5 MHz |
| Format | Modern Rock |
| ERP | WHTG: 1,100 watts WBBO: 1,450 watts |
| HAAT | WHTG: 161 meters WBBO: 208 meters |
| Class | WHTG: A WBBO: A |
| Callsign meaning | Harold and Thea Gade, original station owners |
| Owner | Press Communications LLC |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | www.grockradio.com |
WHTG-FM, known on-air as G Rock, Jersey's Rock Alternative (alongside WBBO-FM in Ocean County, New Jersey), is an alternative rock radio station located in Eatontown, New Jersey, serving Monmouth County, northern Ocean County and Middlesex County, though its range extends to Union County and southern Essex County. This station is owned by Press Communications. Its transmitter is located at the Garden State Parkway exit 105 in Tinton Falls, New Jersey.
WHTG has gone through many format tweaks and program directors over the years. Since February of 2005, WHTG's programming has been simulcast on WBBO (formerly known as B98.5), and the station inherited some of WBBO's staff. In July of 2006, WBBO switched frequencies from 98.5 to 106.5. For more on the 98.5 frequency, and its history, see the WKMK page.
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[edit] WBBO History
WBBO is a radio station in southern Ocean County, New Jersey thats simulcasts GRock Radio from WHTG-FM in Eatontown. The station is owned and operated by Press Communications LLC, and broadcasts on the 106.5 FM frequency. The station is licensed to Bass River Township, New Jersey, and the transmitter is located about 1 mile southeast of the Garden State Parkway exit 58 in Tuckerton Note: As of July 5th, 2006 GRock Radio has moved its Ocean County simulcast "98.5" up the dial to 106.5 FM. The Monmouth County station remains at 106.3 FM. Before February 2005, WBBO was known as B98.5, and was officially considered a Top 40 radio station. During mid-2004, its playlist leaned heavily towards alternative rock. It was a station that for many years sent at least 1 personality (the morning show host) up onto a Billboard in Brick, New Jersey to raise Money for Ocean of Love, which is an organazition that helps children with cancer. For several years they raised well over $100,000 each fall. The radio station was viewed by many as an asset to the community and is still missed to this day. For more on the frequency and history of 98.5 see the WKMK page
Since then, WBBO has merged with and become a simulcast of its sister alternative rock station WHTG-FM. The two stations are collectively known as G Rock Radio.
On July 24, 2006 98.5 started a country format known as Jersey Kountry and its calls changed to WKMK
The original WBBO was an AM-FM combo in Forest City, NC. The AM was on 780 (now WWOL), and played Top-40 for many years. The FM at 93.3 was a country station (it's now a rock station, and its calls are WTPT).
[edit] WHTG History
(Source: http://www.angelfire.com/nj2/piratejim/njfmhistory10.html)
WHTG-FM first signed on at the 105.5 MHz frequency on October 11, 1961, as the sister station of WHTG (1410 AM). 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 station was named for Harold and Theo Gade, its first owners and operators. Eventually, the Gades' daughter Faye became general manager of the station.
[edit] Glory days
In the very early FM 106-3 days, the station had somewhat of a free-form approach, with DJ's 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. DJ Matt Pinfield, who also acted as 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, it's 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.
[edit] Ownership change
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. Since then, WHTG has evolved into an alternative rock station that plays 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 - FM106.3's original alternative-era slogan from 1985 to 1989.
G Rock Radio also features special programming on weekend mornings. The Saturday Morning Breakfast Club takes 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) showcases 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 features indie bands as well as b-sides and unknown tracks from current played artists, as of March 2007, seems to have been dropped as well. Starting on June 24, 2007, specialty programming on Sunday nights returned with "The Punkyard", which consists of two hours of punk music. By spring 2008, other weekend programming on G Rock includes the all-request "Radio Kaos" from 7pm-midnight Saturdays. There also is "Queens of Noise" on Sundays from 9pm-10pm, which features female-fronted bands and solo rock artists.
[edit] External links
- Query the FCC's FM station database for WHTG
- Radio Locator information on WHTG
- Query the FCC's FM station database for WBBO
- Radio Locator information on WBBO
- List of airstaff from WHTG's FM106.3 period (1984-2000)
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