WJBR-FM
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WVCW (99.5
MHz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), often described as being equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose formal expression in terms of SI base u ...
) is a
non-commercial A non-commercial (also spelled noncommercial) activity is an activity that is not carried out in the interest of Profit (economics), profit. The opposite is Commerce, commercial, something that primarily serves profit interests and is focused on bu ...
FM
radio station Radio broadcasting is the broadcasting of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based rad ...
licensed to
Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington is the List of municipalities in Delaware, most populous city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish colonization of the Americas, Swedish settlement in North America. It lie ...
. Owned by VCY America, the station serves the
Delaware Valley The Philadelphia metropolitan area, also known as Greater Philadelphia and informally called the Delaware Valley, the Philadelphia tri-state area, and locally and colloquially Philly–Jersey–Delaware, is a major metropolitan area in the Nor ...
, including
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
. The WVCW transmitter is located 8 miles north of downtown Wilmington on Bellows Drive, less than 1/4 mile from the Pennsylvania state line. Besides a standard analog transmission, WVCW broadcasts over
HD Radio HD Radio (HDR) is a trademark for in-band on-channel (IBOC) digital radio broadcast technology. HD radio generally simulcast, simulcasts an existing analog radio station in digital format with less noise and with additional text information. HD R ...
. The station is best known for its 67-year legacy as WJBR and WJBR-FM, a Delaware-targeted
adult contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...
station, which was consistently rated as one of the top stations in the Wilmington area, even amidst competition from Philadelphia stations.


History

On January 31, 1957, WJBR signed on as a stand-alone FM station, with no AM counterpart. It was founded by a father and son team, John B. Reynolds Sr. and John B. Reynolds Jr. The
call sign In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally as ...
was based on the founders' initials. John Sr. began the radio station because his son was "a strong believer in the future of FM". The station originally broadcast a classical and light music format. WJBR's format eventually evolved into beautiful music and the station was branded as ''JBR 100''. It used the slogan "Just Beautiful Radio". In 1976, the Reynolds family acquired another Wilmington radio station, WTUX, to combine with WJBR. WTUX was a 1,000 watt daytimer, carrying a middle of the road music format. In 1978, WJBR's call sign was changed to WJBR-FM. WTUX's
call sign In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally as ...
was then switched to WJBR, and the format flipped to beautiful music, to give WJBR listeners the choice of hearing the station on AM or FM. Over time, the station's power was increased to 2,500 watts in the daytime and nighttime service was added at 32 watts. In the early 1980s, WJBR-AM-FM added more soft vocals to attract a younger audience. John B Reynolds Jr. sold WJBR-AM-FM in 1985 to CRB Broadcasting, which completed the transition from easy listening to an all-vocal
soft adult contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...
sound. CRB changed its name to Commodore Media and was eventually purchased by Capstar Broadcasting. In March 2000, Capstar sold WJBR-FM to the NextMedia Group for $32.4 million. Capstar retained WJBR, and later merged into Clear Channel Communications, which was renamed
iHeartMedia iHeartMedia, Inc., or CC Media Holdings, Inc., is an American mass media corporation headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It is the holding company of iHeartCommunications, Inc., formerly Clear Channel Communications, Inc., a company founded by ...
. The AM station is now a
Fox Sports Radio Fox Sports Radio is an Radio in the United States, American Sports radio, sports radio network. Based in Los Angeles, California, the network is operated and managed by Premiere Networks in a content partnership with Fox Corporation's Fox Sports ...
station,
WWTX WWTX (1290 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Wilmington, Delaware. It airs a sports radio format, with most programming from Fox Sports Radio. The studios are on McKee Road in Dover. WWTX is a Class D radio station. It tran ...
, and remains owned by iHeartMedia. In February 2007,
Beasley Broadcast Group Beasley Broadcast Group, Inc., based in Naples, Florida, is an owner/operator of radio stations in the United States. , the company owns 57 stations under the Beasley Media Group name. History The company was founded in 1961 by George G. Bea ...
acquired WJBR-FM from NextMedia for a reported $42 million. In August 2023, Beasley agreed to sell WJBR-FM to VCY America for $5 million, marking VCY's entrance into both the Philadelphia/Wilmington area. The final day for the on-air staff was October 4; two staffers, Justin Franiak and Eric Johnson, remained with Beasley in Philadelphia at
WXTU WXTU (92.5 FM broadcasting, FM) is a commercial radio station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Owned by Beasley Broadcast Group, the station broadcasts a country music format. Its studios and offices are located at 1 Bala Plaza on East City Avenu ...
and
WMGK WMGK (102.9 FM, "102-9 MGK") is a commercial FM radio station licensed to serve Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The station is owned by Beasley Broadcast Group and broadcasts a classic rock radio format. The broadcast tower used by the station ...
respectively. An automated version of WJBR-FM's programming would continue on the station's website and the second
HD Radio HD Radio (HDR) is a trademark for in-band on-channel (IBOC) digital radio broadcast technology. HD radio generally simulcast, simulcasts an existing analog radio station in digital format with less noise and with additional text information. HD R ...
channel of WBEN-FM in Philadelphia; Beasley also moved the WJBR call sign to an AM radio station in Seffner
Tampa, Florida Tampa ( ) is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and t ...
, while VCY America relaunched 99.5 as WVCW, a call sign that took effect on October 7.


HD Radio and translators

As WJBR-FM, the station's second HD Radio channel formerly broadcast a Spanish rhythmic / tropical format branded as ''Maxima 104.1'', which was simulcast on a
translator Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. The English language draws a terminological distinction (which does not exist in every language) between ''trans ...
in Millville, New Jersey, W281CM (104.1). Its third channel broadcast a
gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...
format branded as ''Philly's Favor 100.7'', which was simulcast on a translator in Mount Holly, New Jersey, W264BH (100.7 FM), which broadcast to the Philadelphia radio market. After the sale, the station turned off the HD channels. But the HD2 subchannel was turned back on with VCY Spanish programming.


References


External links


A Gospel Favor Debuts In Philadelphia
* * * * {{Religious Radio Stations in Delaware VCW VCY America stations Radio stations established in 1957 1957 establishments in Delaware Wilmington, Delaware VCW