WJLK (AM)
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WJLK (1160
kHz 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 uni ...
) is an AM radio station
licensed A license (American English) or licence (Commonwealth English) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another part ...
to
Lakewood Township, New Jersey Lakewood Township is the most populous township in Ocean County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. A rapidly growing community, as of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 135,158, its highest decennial count ever and a ...
, broadcasting an
oldies Oldies is a term for musical genres such as pop music, rock and roll, doo-wop, surf music from the second half of the 20th century, specifically from around the mid-1950s to the 1980s, as well as for a radio format playing this music. Since 2 ...
format. The station is owned by
Townsquare Media Townsquare Media, Inc. (formerly Regent Communications until 2010) is an American radio network and media company based in Purchase, New York. The company started in radio and expanded into digital media toward the end of the 2000s, starting wit ...
and serves the Monmouth County area.


History

The station signed on November 20, 1970, as a daytime-only operation on 1170 kHz, using the call letters WHLW (for Howell and Lakewood Townships). Early in its existence, it became a
top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is a list of the 40 currently most popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "To ...
station calling itself ''11-7 Radio'', featuring such disc jockeys as John Collure, Paul Irwin, Jack Tracksler, Charlie Roberts, Jay Sorensen, and
Joey Reynolds Joseph Pinto, better known as Joey Reynolds, is a long-time radio show host and disc jockey. Reynolds' broadcasting career started on TV in Buffalo at WGR TV 2 and he worked at various stations, including at WNBC. Career His first radio job wa ...
. The station became WOBM in 1981, and in early 1988, moved to the 1160 frequency and became a 24-hour operation. At the time, the station was owned by North Shore Broadcasting Partners, which was affiliated with
WOBM-FM WOBM-FM (92.7 MHz) is a commercial radio station known as "92.7 WOBM", licensed to Toms River and serving Ocean County, New Jersey. It airs an adult contemporary radio format. The station is owned by Townsquare Media, as part of its Shore Group ...
's ownership group, Seashore Broadcasting. During the late 1980s, WOBM was known as "1160 AM Star Country" and featured a
country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...
format and
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...
baseball games. Local airstaff at the time included general manager Kevin Buckelew, (son of co-owner Joseph Buckelew and known on-air as Kevin Carr), Tom Maciazak, Ava Holly and Kevin Hodge, although most of the programming was satellite-delivered. The station also simulcast Bob Levy's "Topic A" program on Sunday mornings from the sister FM station. Levy had originated the program while general manager of WOBM-AM-FM and continued the program after retiring from the position in the late 1980s. At the time, programming and ad sales operations emanated from WOBM's studios and transmitter site at 46 Clayton Road in Howell Township, just off Route 9. In the 1990s, WOBM adopted an MOR format, and added Bob Levy and his wife Marianne as local morning hosts. Outside of the local morning show, WOBM featured
Dial Global Westwood One, Inc. is an American radio network owned by Cumulus Media. The company syndicates talk, music, and sports programming. The company takes its name from an earlier network also named Westwood One, a company founded in 1976. The c ...
's syndicated
adult standards Adult standards (also sometimes known as the nostalgia or Big Band format) is a North American radio format heard primarily on AM or class A FM stations. Adult standards started in the 1950s and is aimed at "mature" adults, meaning mainly tho ...
format, known on-air by the handle
America's Best Music America's Best Music is the on-air branding of a soft oldies and adult standards 24-hour radio network, formerly known as AM Only. The service is syndicated by Westwood One, a subsidiary of Cumulus Media. It was one of the original Transtar Ra ...
. On September 3, 2010, WOBM changed its format and branding to "
Good Time Oldies Good Time Oldies is a 24-hour music format offered to local radio stations across the country that was originally produced by Jones Radio Networks. After the sales of Jones Radio Networks to Dial Global in 2008, the format was absorbed into D.G.`s ...
", and began simulcasting on 1310 WADB. The WOBM News/Townsquare Media News team includes bureau chief Thomas Mongelli and morning anchor Dianne DeOliveira. On May 19, 2014, WOBM changed its format from
oldies Oldies is a term for musical genres such as pop music, rock and roll, doo-wop, surf music from the second half of the 20th century, specifically from around the mid-1950s to the 1980s, as well as for a radio format playing this music. Since 2 ...
to
news/talk Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. They may feature monologues, dialogues between the hosts, interviews ...
. On January 3, 2017, WOBM returned to an oldies format, branded as "Beach Radio". On December 12, 2019, the station's translator at 93.5 signed off and on December 29, 2019, its new translator on 104.1 signed on. On February 1, 2022, at 10am, after playing " Thunder Road" by
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...
, WOBM changed its format from oldies to country, branded as "Cat Country 96.7/104.1", with the first song being "
Cold as You "Cold as You" is a song by American country music singer Luke Combs, It was released on July 19, 2021, as the seventh single from the deluxe edition of his second studio album ''What You See Is What You Get''. The song was co-written by Randy Mo ...
" by
Luke Combs Luke Albert Combs (born March 2, 1990) is an American country music, country singer. He was born in North Carolina and grew up there, performing as a child. After leaving college to pursue a career in music, he moved to Nashville, Tennessee, Nas ...
. The "Cat Country" branding was shared with
Atlantic City Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Atlantic City comprises the second half of the Atlantic City- Hammonton metropolitan sta ...
sister station
WPUR WPUR (107.3 FM) is a country music formatted radio station in Atlantic City, New Jersey. WPUR is more commonly known as "Cat Country 107.3". Its transmitter is located in Atlantic City, while studios are in Northfield, New Jersey. History The ...
. On July 10, 2023, WOBM dropped the country music format and began simulcasting the
hot 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 ...
programming of
WJLK WJLK can refer to: * WJLK (AM), a radio station (1160 AM) licensed to Lakewood Township, New Jersey, United States * WJLK-FM WJLK-FM (94.3 FM broadcasting, FM; "The Point") is a Commercial broadcasting, commercial radio station city of license ...
, expanding its coverage to northern
Ocean County Ocean County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the southernmost county in the New York metropolitan area. The county borders the Atlantic Ocean on the east and in terms of total area is the state's largest county. Its co ...
; the format change also ended the simulcast with WADB, which began simulcasting WOBM-FM. The station's call sign was changed to WJLK on July 21, 2023. WJLK AM went silent in March 2025. The shutdown was part of a series of closures of under-performing Townsquare Media stations; WOBM AM, the former WADB, also concurrently suspended operations. Townsquare COO Erik Hellum told trade publication ''Inside Radio'' that the stations were closed because high expenses related to their tower leases and utilities had led to financial losses. In About A Month Later, WJLK AM returns as
Oldies Oldies is a term for musical genres such as pop music, rock and roll, doo-wop, surf music from the second half of the 20th century, specifically from around the mid-1950s to the 1980s, as well as for a radio format playing this music. Since 2 ...
Format with Beach Radio.


References


External links

* ;FM translator * * {{Townsquare Media 1970 establishments in New Jersey Radio stations established in 1970 JLK (AM) Townsquare Media radio stations