WJTB-FM: Difference between revisions

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{{short description|Radio station in South Congaree, South Carolina}}

'''WFMV''' was the [[callsign]] for an FM broadcast [[radio station]] in [[Richmond, Virginia]] from 1961-1971. One of the most favorably equipped of Virginia's early FM stations, it had a fine music (classical) format throughout its existence.

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}

{{Infobox radio station

| name = WJTB-FM

| city = [[South Congaree, South Carolina]]

| area = [[Columbia metropolitan area (South Carolina)|Columbia metropolitan area]]

| branding = GNN Radio

| airdate = {{start date and age|1993|10|29}}

| frequency = 95.3 [[Megahertz|MHz]]

| translator = {{Radio Relay|105.1|W286CT|Columbia|HD2}}

| format = [[Christian radio]]

| erp = 6,000 [[watt]]s

| haat = 93.7 [[meter]]s

| class = A

| facility_id = 24376

| licensing_authority = [[Federal Communications Commission|FCC]]

| coordinates = {{coord|33|53|58|N|81|13|29|W}}

| callsign_meaning =

| former_callsigns = WFMV (1993–2019)<br>WFMV-FM (2019–2020)

| owner = Augusta Radio Fellowship Institute, Inc.

| sister_stations =

| webcast =

| website = [https://gnnradio.org gnnradio.org]

| affiliations = [[GNNradio]]

}}

'''WJTB-FM''' (95.3 [[FM radio|FM]]) – branded ''GNN Radio'' – is a commercial [[Christian radio|Christian]] [[Radio broadcasting|radio station]] licensed to serve [[South Congaree, South Carolina|South Congaree]], [[South Carolina]]. Owned by Augusta Radio Fellowship Institute, Inc., the station services the [[Columbia metropolitan area (South Carolina)|Columbia metropolitan area]] and surrounding [[Midlands, South Carolina|Midlands]] region as an affiliate of [[GNNradio]]. The WJTB-FM studios are located in [[Downtown Columbia, South Carolina|Downtown Columbia]] while the station transmitter resides in [[Red Bank, South Carolina|Red Bank]]. In addition to a standard [[analog transmission]], WJTB-FM broadcasts over three [[HD Radio]] channels, and is available online. The WJTB-HD2 digital subchannel, which airs the "Worship and Word Network", and the WJTB-HD3 digital subchannel, which airs the "Millennial-FM Network", also [[simulcast]] over low-power FM [[Broadcast relay station|translators]].<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/184044/wfmv-relocates-following-sale/|title=WFMV Relocates Following Sale|last=Venta|first=Lance|publisher=radioinsight|date=2020-02-03|accessdate=2020-02-04}}</ref>

==History==

New owners changed the format and callsign around 1971. However, groups of listeners and employees followed the station (under different names) through 2 changes to its current place on a non-commercial frequency as [[WCVE-FM]], a NPR affiliate. (The former WFMV callsign was late reassigned by the FCC to an FM station in [[South Carolina]]).

In early 1991, WKWQ, later known as [[WZMJ]], changed frequencies from 95.3 to 93.1, leaving the 95.3 frequency open. The frequency was reallocated to South Congaree by the FCC and after two years, the license was awarded to Glory Communications, a group led by former [[WWDM]] sales manager/media specialist Alex Snipe. The station [[sign-on|signed on]] the air on October 29, 1993 as WFMV. It carried an [[urban contemporary gospel]] format.<ref>"Contemporary Gospel Station Makes Debut Today", ''The State'', October 29, 1993.</ref> The call letters, WFMV, had been previously assigned to an [[WHCY|FM radio station]] in [[Blairstown, New Jersey]].

WFMV offered mostly contemporary black gospel music with some classic artists such as [[CeCe Winans]], [[Smokie Norful]], [[Mary Mary]], [[Shirley Caesar]], [[John P. Kee]], [[The Georgia Mass Choir]], and [[Kirk Franklin]]. Informational programming included ''The Morning Inspirations'', ''Wellness Watch'', ''Real Power'' (for voters), ''Kid's Korner'' and ''Watchdog'' (for consumers); on weekends, ''I-95'' covered community issues.

== History: Virginia's first stereo radio station ==

WFMV was part of the Glory Radio Network along with [[WTUA]], [[WLJI]], [[WPDT]] and [[WSPX (FM)|WSPX]].<ref name=WTUA>{{cite web|url=http://www.wtuaradio.com/WFMV_About%20Us.htm|title=About Glory Communications, Inc.|accessdate=2011-10-12}}</ref> WFMV was named Southeast Music Award station of the year in 1995.<ref name=WTUA/> On March 24, 1997, [[WLJI]], in [[Summerton, South Carolina]], signed on the air as a full-time [[simulcast]] of WFMV.

'''WFMV''' was the first radio station in [[Virginia]] to broadcast in multiplex [[stereo]]. At 103.7 MHz, it was licensed for 174,000 watts. The transmitter site which was favorably located on high ground (200 ft above sea level) west of Richmond in the woods off Old Bon Air Road in [[Chesterfield County, Virginia|Chesterfield County]] near [[Bon Air, Virginia|Bon Air]] had a tower extending another 125' and signals could be heard in [[Charlottesville, Virginia|Charlottesville]], about 70 miles away.

The station changed its [[call sign]] to WFMV-FM on November 13, 2019, which allowed WGCV (620 AM) to take the [[WFMV (AM)|WFMV]] call letters.

The station went on the air in [[1961]] with 10,000 watts, was operated by Professional Broadcasting, Inc. In 1964, [[Fidelity Bankers Life Insurance Company]] (founded in Richmond in 1953) bought the station as an investment and moved the studios to their suburban headquarters at Willow Lawn in [[Henrico County, Virginia|Henrico County]]. For a time, it was co managed with [[WGOE]], a 1000 watt AM daytime station owned by brothers Major and [[J. Sargeant Reynolds]]. By 1968, station owners Richmond-based Fidelity Bankers Life Insurance Company had grown to became one of the largest insurance holding companies in the United States, controlling over $4.5 billion of life insurance and assets of over $500 million.

On February 11, 2020, the sale of WFMV-FM by Glory Communications to Augusta Radio Fellowship Institute, Inc. for $2 million was consummated. The station simultaneously switched its call letters to WJTB-FM and began carrying programming from the [[Good News Network]]. The Urban Gospel format heard on WFMV-FM had moved to WFMV earlier in the month.

== Sold as an investment; spartan operating conditions==

===FM translators===

In [[1969]], Fidelity Bankers sold WFMV to Ben Thomas, an investor and a [[mobile home]] manufacturer from [[Greencastle, Pennsylvania]]. Thomas, who managed the operation from his base in Pennsylvania, relocated the studios into two used office trailers at the rural transmitter site. The remote ___location was at the end of a mile-long dirt road winding through the woods, and was inaccessible during wet or snowy weather except on foot). Thomas had financial problems, and employees, mostly college students, were bolstered by loyal listeners and continued to man the station even when payrolls were late and inclement weather blocked access to the site. Engineering staff from nearby stations, notably the well-funded [[WRVA]] ("The 50,000 watt Voice of Virginia"), loaned parts and repair talent to help maintain the aging transmitting equipment. Although privately-owned, WFMV had become something of a community effort.

WJTB-FM's [[HD Radio|HD-2]] subchannel feeds FM translator station W286CT (105.1 FM), airing the "Worship & Word Network."<ref name=":0" />

{{RadioTranslators

== Save Fine Music and listeners win format retention, changes ==

| call1 = W286CT

| watts1 = 99

| class1 = D

| freq1 = 105.1

| city1 = Columbia, South Carolina

|callsign=WJTB-FM|coord1={{coord|33|57|35|N|81|02|27|W}}|haat1=70.5|coord2={{coord|34|00|07|N|81|01|44|W}}|haat2=120|fid1=147585|fid2=147585}}

==References==

In [[1971]], Thomas sold the station to EZ Communications of [[Northern Virginia]], which operated [[WEEL]] (AM) and [[WEZR]] (FM) in [[Manassas, Virginia|Manassas]]. The new owners were anxious to upgrade the equipment and wanted to change the format to turn the finances around, as WFMV [[Arbitron]] listener ratings and advertising revenue had each had been very low.

{{reflist}}

== External Links links==

Fearing loss of Richmond's only classical music station, a group of loyal listeners then formed the "Save Fine Music" committee which lobbied the [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC) and EZ Communications to keep the classical format for another year or until arrangements could be made with [[Union Theological Seminary]] to upgrade their station, [[WRFK]] (FM), to take over the format in the community. This was accomplished and EZ Communications donated the WFMV library to WRFK, and changed formats and call sign to become [[WEZS]](FM).

*{{FM station data|24376|WJTB-FM}}

{{Columbia Radio}}

WRFK, long operated by the not-for-profit seminary, was on 106.5 MHz, a commercial frequency. This worked out for a while until a decision was made by the school to sell the increasingly valuable commercial frequency. Another transition was coordinated, this time to a non-commercial frequency operated by the [[Central Virginia Educational Television]] group, the local [[Public Broadcasting System|PBS]] affiliate which operated [[WCVE-TV]] (Channel 23) which was headed by Virginia broadcasting pioneer [[Ben Spiller]]. The new station became [[WCVE-FM]] at 88.9 MHz, with transmitter, tower, and studios located at the Channel 23/57 complex located at 23 Sesame Street in Bon Air.

[[Category:Radio stations established in 1994]]

== The legend of WFMV lives on in Richmond ==

[[Category:1994 establishments in South Carolina]]

[[Category:Christian radio stations in South Carolina|JTB-FM]]

Grete Dollitz's program, "An Hour With the Guitar" was originally on WFMV. After more than 30 years, is still heard on WCVE-FM, a [[National Public Radio]] (NPR) affiliate.

{{SouthCarolina-radio-station-stub}}

== Sources ==

Fisher, Mark D. (2005) ''A Brief History of WFMV: Virginia's first stereophonic good music station'', [http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/richmondradio/files/ Richmond Radio Group on Yahoo]; Richmond, VA

== External Links ==

*[http://www.ideastations.org/wcvefm/ WCVE-FM information]

*[http://www.ideastations.org/wcvefm/guitar.html "An Hour With the Guitar" information]

*[http:/aunch.groups.yahoo.com/group/richmondradio/ Richmond Radio Yahoo Group]

[[Category:Virginia history]]