WJLK-FM (94.3 FM; "The Point") is a commercial radio station licensed to Asbury Park, New Jersey, and serving Monmouth County, Northern Ocean County and Middlesex County. It broadcasts a hot adult contemporary format and is owned by Townsquare Media, along with sister stations WCHR-FM, WOBM, WOBM-FM, and WJLK.
WJLK-FM has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 1,300 watts. The transmitter is near Exit 100 along the Garden State Parkway in Tinton Falls, New Jersey. WJLK-FM broadcasts using HD Radio technology. Its programming is also simulcast on WJLK (1160 AM) and translator station W281CK (104.1 FM) in Lakewood Township.
History
Asbury Park Press
WJLK-FM was created when the Asbury Park Press, a daily newspaper, wanted to expand its newly forming radio business in the 1940s. Originally destined to be WDJT at 104.3, by November 1946 the call letters had changed to WJLK, to honor J. Lyle Kinmonth, the former publisher of the Press, who died the previous year. In addition, shortly before the first broadcast, the station changed from 104.3 to 94.3 MHz.
The station's first broadcast took place on Kinmonth's birthday, November 20, 1947. When WJLK started, it was one of an estimated 75 FM radio stations nationwide. WJLK also made history as the first FM radio station in New Jersey to be licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The station was dedicated to news and community information. It broadcast from 6:30a.m. to midnight Monday through Saturday, and 8a.m. to midnight on Sundays.
Adult contemporary and top 40
Eventually, The Press purchased an AM radio station, WCAP, which was renamed WJLK, located at 1310 kHz. Both stations simulcast their programming. The newscasts for the station were 15 minutes long at the top of every hour, as well as a briefer at every half-hour. In between newscasts, there was a wide variety of shows featuring different types of music, or talk programs on specific subjects, such as gardening. In the mid 1960s, typical staffing included Everett Rudloff as station manager, Dick Lewis as assistant manager, Charles Hill as program director, and Frank Huber as station engineer.
The station occupied the top floor of the Asbury Park Press building, with two studios in addition to the transmitter cabinet and the control room, operated by the announcer / disk-jockey. Remaining floor space was devoted to a small lobby and reception area and desk, the station manager's office, the station engineer's office, a small studio for the assistant engineer's recording of transcriptions and tape cartridge announcements and advertisements, and desks for radio management and announcing staff as well as for radio advertising staff. The local Steinbach's department store (around the corner of Press Plaza) was a major advertiser.
The music standard was "easy listening" as it was then called. Typical special programming included a Broadway music show, an up-tempo "Rolling Home Show" (evening rush hour), Arthur Morris' gospel music program, Phyllis Kessel's ladies talk and commentary, and the Rev. Richard Holbrook's gospel preaching. There were also jazz and country music programs, as well as remote broadcasts of local evening high school basketball games. A news program from Fort Monmouth was also a regular feature. News was relayed in print from the news department one floor below as well as from a teletype machine in the station office.
By the mid 1970s, it was obvious that specialized stations that concentrated on one specific format were doing better than stations such as WJLK where the programs changed by the hour. Robert E. McAllen, an on-air personality in the early 1970s, devised a new format with its emphasis on adult contemporary music with block programming at night, playing top 40, oldies, or talk. For a time, WJLK-AM-FM subscribed to the automated "Hit Parade" music service, where the songs were announced by a prerecorded voice, with live newscasts around the clock from the Asbury Park Press newsroom.
During the 1980s WJLK adopted a top 40 format and was branded as "K-94" "New Jersey's Hit Music Station". Pat Gillen, was the program director and "your Pat in the afternoon". Tim Downs was morning drive, Carl Ross did mid days. Amy Wright handled the evening shifts and Dave Ulmann was the overnight host. Weekends were hosted Ed Healy, Gary Guida and Mike Abrams.
Change in ownership
In 1989, the company sold both WJLK and WJLK-FM to Devlin and Ferrari Broadcasting Company of New York for $12.5 million. The sale had been ordered by the FCC in exchange for allowing The Asbury Park Press to buy two Trenton stations, WBUD (1260 AM) and WKXW-FM (101.5), for $12.1 million.