nofars.net

This listing covers 1922-1984

              FREQ

CALL   kc (kHz)          FIRST (LAST)YEAR   CALL CHANGES, ETC.

WDAL     833                  1922-1924   Owned by T-U newspaper

WCAN (1) 833                  1922-1923   Owned by SE Radio-Tel. Co. 

WABG     1210                 1923-1924   Arnold-Edwards Piano Co

WJAX  (2)  890/900/930    1925          Municipal station

WMBR (3) 1370/1400/1460  1934     Moved from Tampa

WJHP     1290/1320          1940      WZOK 1958, WVOJ (C&W) 1968

WPDQ (4) 1270/600/1460  1942   Top 40 music 1956-72, R&B in 73

WJVB (5)1010d                1947       Jax Bch, WZRO 1957, WBIX 1963

WIVY (6) 1050d/1280d     1948 Owned by Ed Bell, W4LLT 1950-1967

WOBS     1360d               1948      Mostly R&B by 1956, WCGL 1976

WRHC (7)    1400              1950      C&W days/R&B nights til ca. 1970

WQIK  (8) 1280d/1090d    1955   C&W, WCMG 1976,WROS 1050d 1981

WFBF      1570d               1955      Fernandina, WPAP 1960, WHYI 1972

WPEG (9) 1220d               1957      Arlington, WTTT 1959, WQTY 1960

WAPE (10)  690                  1958    Owned by Brennans 1958-70, Top 40

WKTX       1600d              1958      Atlantic Beach, WJNJ 1970

WAYR        550d               1960      Orange Park, Religious

WOZN        970d              1969       Religious, WVOJ 1983

WCRJ       1530d             1976        Pickettville, 50kW

(1) WCAN located in Atlantic National Bank Building downtown. Presumably shared time with WDAL on 833 kc. the frequency where most AM BC stations operated during early '20s.

(2) WJAX also reported on other frequencies during 1920s including 880 and 1000Kc. Changed from 900 kc. to 930 kc. in 1941  Joined NBC radio network in 1929.  Moved studio from 1 Broadcast Pl. to the riverfront Civic Auditorium in 1972. From 1922-1924, WJAX was licensed to a Cleveland, OH station.

(3) WMBR changed callsign to WSNY and shifted to 600 kHz in 1976. WSNY changed callsign to WOKV in 1981.

(4) WPDQ shifted to 1460 kHz in 1976.

(5) WZRO became WBIX and moved location to Windy Hill area 1963.

(6) WIVY shifted from 1050d to 1280d ca. 1972.  Became WEXI in 1976.

(7)  WRHC became fulltime R&B & changed callsign to WERD in 1970-71.  Became WZAZ in 1982.

(8) WQIK shifted from 1280d to 1090d using 50kW around 1967, then to 1050d circa 1972.  1050d became WCMG in 1976, then WROS in 1981. WQIK (AM) was reactivated on 1320 in 1983 and the WVOJ call moved to 970d. VOJ=Voice Of Jacksonville became VOJ=Voice Of Jesus. 

(9) WQTY became Jones College radio WDCJ 1963. Changed call to WKTZ 1971. Became WRXJ in 1984.

(10) WAPE was daytime-only from 1958 to ca. 1963. Sold to Kaplans in 1970. Changed to C&W in 1981.

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Most daytime-only stations now can operate at night using very low power levels. These nighttime operations usually reach very limited audiences.

AM TRANSMITTER LOCATIONS

540d: Blanding Blvd Orange Park til 1986, Green Cove Springs later

600:  Lenox Ave. near Normandy Blvd. 

690: US 17 south of Orange Park (day); I-10 Baldwin (night)

930: Hyde Park Golf Course near Lane Av. & San Juan Av. (1938 on)

970d:  Swamp area near I-95 & Lem Turner Rd.

1010d (WJVB):  Off Penman Rd. & 10th St. N. near ICW.

1010d (WBIX): Windy Hill near Beach Blvd. & Peach Dr.

1050d/1090d/1280d (WQIK/WROS): Rio Grande Ave. near Edgewood.

1220d: Near Arlington Expressway & Mill Creek Rd.

1280d (WIVY,WEXI):  Spring Grove Rd. in NW Jax.

1320: Near Ellis Rd. & Park St.

1360d: Southside near Emerson St. & Philips Hwy.

1400: McCoys Creek Blvd. near Stockton St.

1460: Near Beaver St. & Ellis Rd.

1530d: Near Pickettville Rd. and Old Kings Rd. N.

1570d: Fernandina

1600d: Atlantic Blvd. near ICW.

C&W=County & Western music

R&B=Rhythm & Blues music

d= Daytime operation only, basically sunrise to sunset. These limited-time authorizations by FCC became common during the years following WWII when many new broadcasters applied for licenses.

* = WDAL and WCAN shared time on 833 kc.

Both WDAL and WCAN discontinued broadcasts from the downtown area by the end of 1924.

City-owned WJAX began on Thanksgiving (Nov. 26th) 1925 and became Jacksonville's first permanent broadcast station with both studio and transmitter at 1 Broadcast Place, near First St. and Laura St.  In 1938, FCC authorized daytime power increase to 5 kW and WJAX transmitter/antenna moved to Hyde Park Golf Course.

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Pre-1970 stations largely independent of network affiliation included WJVB, WOBS, WRHC, WQIK, WPEG, WAPE, WKTX, WAYR

All early stations except WDAL, WCAN and WABG remained continuously operational at least through 1960.  All known callsign and frequency changes are contained in the listing above though power authorizations increased over the years.

By 1970, the terms kilocycles (kc, Mc) etc. were replaced by kilohertz, megahertz (kHz, MHz), etc. in common usage.

Unless indicated otherwise,  pre-1970 stations featured a variety of programs.  Key network affiliates included WJAX (NBC); WMBR, later WIVY (CBS); WJHP/WZOK (Mutual); WPDQ (ABC).

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Compiled by:

Billy F. Williams, N4UF

WJAX AM/FM  Jacksonville, FL 1970-1971

AFVN AM/FM  Saigon,  Vietnam 1971-1972

WFG-TV Ft. Gordon GA 1972-1973

WGUS AM/FM Augusta, GA  1973

WIVY FM/AM  Jacksonville FL 1974-1976

WMBR, WJHP & WPDQ

From January 15, 1934 Broadcasting magazine.

REMOVAL of WMBR from Tampa to Jacksonville, Fla., was authorized by the Radio Commission Dec.9 in a decision sustaining the recommendation of Examiner Walker.

Licensed to F. J. Reynolds, Inc., the station operates on 1370 kc. with 100 watts. 

From Actions of the Federal Radio Commission  for Jan. 30, 1934 via Broadcasting magazine.

WMBR. Jacksonville, Fla.—Granted license covering move of station from Tampato Jacksonville, Fla.; 1370 kc., 100 w, Unlimited

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(From Broadcasting magazine, July 15, 1940)

WJHP, JACKSONVILLE TAKES AIR JULY 15

THE NEW WJHP, Jacksonville's third station, begins operation July 15 as an NBC Blue outlet, according to Henry G. Wells Jr., general manager of the John H. Perry stations.

To operate on 1290 kc. with 250 watts fulltime, WJHP is affiliated with the Jacksonville Journal, one of the Perry newspapers. Other Perry stations are WCOA, Pensacola; WDLP, Panama City, and WTMC, Ocala.

Commercial manager of WJHP is Ira M. Koger, formerly of WIS, Columbia, S. C., WTOC, Savannah, and WCSC, Charleston, S. C. Program director is Lynn Gearhart, formerly with WSUN, St. Petersburg.Beecher Hayford, formerly with WCOA, is chief engineer. 

Other staff members are -sales, C. D. Taylor, Royce Powell and Ted Chapeau; program, Jim Young, chief announcer and formerly of WIS, "Speed" Veal, with WDNC, Durham, and John Whitmore, formerly in charge of public relations for Marineland Oceanarium; engineers, Bertram McNamara, Clark Overton and Peter Lacy.

Dedicatory plans included an hour broadcast 8 -9 p.m. July 15 with civic, religious and business leaders present as guests of Mr. Perry and the station staff. Open house was to be observed during the day with the public invited to visit the studios in the Jacksonville Journal Bldg.

The station is RCA equipped throughout and air-conditioned. Transmitter is located in South Jacksonville on the St. Johns River.

In addition to carrying a full schedule of NBC-Blue programs, the station will offer comprehensive news through its newspaper affiliation. with Associated Press. WJHP will be nationally represented by John H. Perry Associates. 

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(From Broadcasting magazine, June 15, 1942)

 WPDQ WILL DEBUT IN JACKSONVILLE

SETTING next Sept. 1 as the approximate starting date of the new WPDQ, Jacksonville, Fla., Robert R. Feagin, general manager of WBML, Macon, Ga., has announced that he will also assume management of the Jacksonville regional, retaining his WBML post in an advisory capacity. WPDQ is authorized to operate with 5,000 watts fulltime on 1270 kc.

Station was granted Dec. 30, 1941, to Jacksonville Broadcasting Corp. with the call letters WJDC, since changed to WPDQ.

Principals are James R. Stockton, president of Telfair Stockton & Co., real estate and mortgage company, president and 28% stockholder; E. G. McKenzie, 50% owner of Central Oil Co., Macon, and with a 25% interest in WBML, vice-president 28 %; E. D. Black, holder of other 50% of Central Oil Co. well as 25% of WBML, vice-president, 27 %; Mr. Feagin, overseer and treasurer, 15 %; Mrs. Margaret Curtis, of Jacksonville, 2%.

J. R. Donovan, formerly chief engineer of WTOC, Savannah, Ga., will head the engineering staff of WPDQ, Mr. Feagin also announced.

Other personnel as well as choice of studio location will be disclosed later. Transmitter and studio equipment is to be RCA with additional equipment from Collins and Gates. Antennas are to be Win-chargers. 

Well, WPDQ didn't make it on the air by Sept. 1st.  From Sept. 21, 1942 Broadcasting

WPDQ BEGINS OCT. 15, TWO EXECUTIVES NAMED

APPOINTMENT of Cy Newman as program director of WPDQ,  Jacksonville, and of Mrs. Marjorie Brewton Willis as director of women's features has been announced by Robert R. Feagin, manager of the station, which is expected to begin operations about Oct. 15.

WPDQ will operate with 5,000 watts on 1270 kc.

Mr. Newman, who will also handle all sportscasts for WPDQ, has previously been with CBS; WOR, WMCA and WHN, New York; WAAT, Jersey City, and WITH, Baltimore. 

Mrs. Willis, whose duties will include broadcasting a daily women's hour, was formerly manager, treasurer and director of WTOC, Savannah. 



WPDQ came on six days earlier  than 10/15, but with a relatively puny 250 watts.

Presumably, the lower power came from a temporary transmitter while the tower array was being completed on Lenox Ave., near where Normandy Walmart sits today.

(From Oct. 12, 1942 Broadcasting)

WPDQ, IN JACKSONVILLE TAKES AIR ON 1270 KC

WPDQ, Jacksonville, began operation Oct. 9 at 7:30 p.m. Owned by Jacksonville Broadcasting Co., the station operates on 1270 kc., 250 watts, day and night, with studios in the Gulf Life Bldg. 

President of the new station is James R. Stockton, while general manager is Robert R. Feagin. Other members of the WPDQ per- sonnel include Cy Newman, program director; James R. Donovan, chief engineer; Mrs. Marjorie B. Willis, director of women's features; Frank Taylor, business manager; Mrs. Ruthanne Elder, traffic manager, and Announcers Bernie Adams and Neil Vanderpoel.