WAVJ
CityWaterbury, Vermont
CountryUS
AreaBurlington–Plattsburgh
BrandingAir1
Frequency103.3 MHz
AirdateFebruary 14, 1985 (as WTIJ)
FormatChristian worship music
Erp2,850 watts
Haat284 meters (932 ft)
ClassC3
Facility id20592
Licensing authorityFCC
Coordinates44°21′52.1″N 72°55′51.4″W
Callsign meaningformer call sign of WWMP (102.3 FM), which was formerly branded "Mix 102.3"
Former callsigns
  • WVRS (1983–1984)
  • WTIJ (1984–1986)
  • WGLY-FM (1986–1999)
  • WDOT (1999–1999)
  • WLKC (1999–2005)
  • WWMP (2005–2024)
  • WIXM (2024–2025)
Former frequencies103.1 MHz (1985–1993)
NetworkAir1
OwnerEducational Media Foundation
LicenseeK-Love, Inc.
Sister stationsWKVJ
Websitewww.air1.com

WAVJ (103.3 FM) is a radio station licensed to Waterbury, Vermont, United States. The station serves the Burlington–Plattsburgh area with a Christian worship music from the Air1 network. WAVJ is owned by K-Love, Inc., successor to the Educational Media Foundation.[1]

WAVJ has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 2,850 watts. Its transmitter and tower is off Stoneface Road in Bolton, roughly halfway between Waterbury and Burlington. It also has a booster station in Montpelier.

The station went on the air in 1985 as a religious radio station, WTIJ; it became WGLY-FM after an ownership change a year later. It remained a commercial religious station, emphasizing contemporary Christian music starting in 1993, until its sale to Radio Broadcasting Services in 1999 led to a relaunch as soft adult contemporary station WLKC. In 2002, it began simulcasting modern adult contemporary station WXAL-FM; three years later, WLKC changed to adult hits as WWMP. A mainstream rock format replaced adult hits in 2019; in 2024, this format moved to 102.3 FM, with this station then switching to Air1 as WIXM ahead of a sale to the Educational Media Foundation, and subsequent renaming to WAVJ, in 2025.

History

Masterpeace Communications first applied for a middle of the road and religious station on 103.1 MHz in Waterbury in October 1980;[2] a revised application was filed in February 1981.[3] Masterpeace's principals were Jack Hundley, Steve J. Planata, Brian Dodge,[2] Kim White, William Wittik, and Richard Tillotson;[3] Dodge, who owned 15 percent of the company, also had a 33-percent stake in WTIJ in Bellows Falls.[2] The station was granted its construction permit on December 2, 1982, and was assigned the call sign WVRS on March 24, 1983.[4]

The station changed its call sign to WTIJ—for "We Trust In Jesus"—on March 1, 1984,[4][a] and was transferred to WTIJ Broadcasting that July; it signed on February 14, 1985.[5] After another transfer to Harvest Broadcasting in September 1985,[5] Brian Dodge sold control of the company to Alexander D. McEwing for $227,000 that November, a deal completed on February 14, 1986.[5] On May 31, 1986, McEwing changed the call sign to WGLY-FM,[4] for "With God's Love to You";[6] he would also change the corporate name to Family Broadcasting.[7] The station had a predominantly religious format, airing blocks of Christian talk programs and music.[6]

By 1990, Family Broadcasting had received approval to build a low-power television station on channel 39 in Burlington, and was seeking approval to launch a radio station in southern Vermont.[6] In 1992, it acquired another religious station, WMNV (104.1 FM) in Rupert, from Peter and Mary Martin's Radio Rachel for $60,000.[8] By this point, Family Broadcasting, in addition to WGLY-FM and WMNV, owned the construction permits for WGLV in Hartford and W39AS;[9] its owners, in addition to Alexander McEwing, included Robert and Pamela Peake, Arthur McEwing, Dennis Fennell, Timothy Dodge, and the Canaan Foundation.[8] WMNV would simulcast WGLY-FM until 1997,[10] when it was sold to Capital Media Corporation for $125,000[11] to become a relay of WMYY (itself a relay of WHAZ).[10]

In 1993, WGLY-FM moved from 103.1 to 103.3 MHz;[12] its religious format also evolved to primarily contemporary Christian music.[13] The station became an affiliate of Moody Radio airing a format of Christian music, lecture, campus chapel, listener-interactive talk, and devotionals. In January 1997, WGLY-FM was granted a booster station, WGLY-FM1, in Montpelier.[14]

As a commercial religious station, half of WGLY-FM's revenues came from the sale of advertising, 20 percent came from paid programming, and the remaining 30 percent came from the listener-supported non-profit organization Christian Ministries.[6] The increasing difficulty in selling advertising led McEwing to start, through Christian Ministries, a non-profit radio network in the mid-1990s. By 1998, he was forced to put his commercial facilities up for sale to repay his investors.[7] On July 9, 1999, the call sign was changed to WDOT,[4] ahead of a $700,000 sale to Radio Broadcasting Services;[15] the WGLY call sign moved to the previous WDOT (1070 AM),[16] which Family had acquired (as WZBZ) in 1997,[17] and the two stations began a temporary simulcast.[18]

The station became WLKC on September 28, 1999,[4] as it relaunched as soft adult contemporary "Lake 103.3" and joined a cluster that included WLFE, WNCS, WSKI, and WWSR.[19] WCMK, the Bolton transmitter in Christian Ministries' network, would take on WGLY-FM's call sign and programming.[20] In June 2002, Radio Broadcasting Services owner Steven Silberberg closed WLKC's Essex Junction studios, with operations relocated to the Middlebury facilities of WXAL-FM;[21] that September, the station dropped the soft adult contemporary format and began stunting[22] with nature sounds as "Pure Vermont Radio"[23] before shifting to a simulcast of WXAL-FM's "Alice" modern adult contemporary format. The simulcast gave "Alice" a better signal in Burlington.[24]

On June 1, 2005, WLKC and WXAL-FM flipped to an adult hits format. With its "MP 103" branding and no on-air DJs, the station patterned the format as an over-the-air MP3 player.[25] The format change was followed by a call sign change to WWMP on June 13;[4] station identifications during this time ceased to mention WXAL-FM,[25] ahead of that station breaking away to become classic country station WUSX that August.[26][27] In August 2018, WWMP rebranded as "Free 103.3" with no change in format.[28]

On October 17, 2019, WWMP dropped the adult hits format for mainstream rock, branded as "Rock 103.3".[29] In April 2020, WSKI (1240 AM and 93.3 FM) began simulcasting WWMP to Montpelier (supplementing its existing booster) and Barre.[30] WWMP was also simulcast on WCAT (1390 AM) for a time prior to that station's closure in 2022; it then inherited that station's FM translator, W252CJ (98.3).[31]

On September 12, 2024, the mainstream rock format moved to WIXM (102.3 FM), which also inherited the simulcast on WSKI; WWMP then began running a loop redirecting listeners to 102.3. The two stations swapped call signs on September 18.[32] On November 19, the loop was replaced with Christian worship music programming from Air1, ahead of Northeast Digital and Wireless' planned sale of the station to the Educational Media Foundation (EMF); Air1 programming previously aired in Burlington on W235BE (94.9 FM) and the second HD Radio channel of WGLY-FM.[33] The $50,000 sale of WIXM and a translator station in Lebanon, New Hampshire, to EMF successor K-Love Inc. was formally filed in January 2025;[34] following the sale's completion, WIXM's call sign changed to WAVJ on March 21.[35]

Notes

  1. ^ The previous WTIJ in Bellows Falls had been sold and renamed WBFL in 1983.[5]

References

  1. ^ "WAVJ Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division
  2. ^ "FM applications". Broadcasting. November 10, 1980. p. 104.
  3. ^ "FM applications". Broadcasting. March 2, 1981. p. 98.
  4. ^ "WWMP Call Sign History". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division
  5. ^ "Voices From The Hills". Vermont Association of Broadcasters. May 19, 1989. p. 47. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
  6. ^ Tobias, Susan (November 24, 1990). "Christian radio sends beacon to link local souls". Press-Republican. p. 9. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  7. ^ Bromage, Andy. "What Would Jesus Broadcast?". Seven Days. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  8. ^ "Heritage Media Changes Control With $72 Million Stock Deal". Radio & Records. March 27, 1992. pp. 6, 9.
  9. ^ "Ownership Changes". Broadcasting. April 6, 1992. p. 71.
  10. ^ "Format Changes & Updates". The M Street Journal. July 16, 1997. p. 2.
  11. ^ "Proposed Station Transfers". The M Street Journal. January 22, 1997. p. 7.
  12. ^ "Construction Permit Activity". The M Street Journal. June 30, 1993. p. 5.
  13. ^ "Format Changes". The M Street Journal. August 4, 1993. p. 4.
  14. ^ "Translators/Boosters/Synchronous Xmtr: Grants". The M Street Journal. January 8, 1997. p. 4.
  15. ^ "Changing Hands". Broadcasting & Cable. August 16, 1999. p. 56.
  16. ^ "Call Letter Changes". The M Street Journal. July 28, 1999. pp. 4–5.
  17. ^ "Connoisseur Divests Youngstown Duo". Radio & Records. October 24, 1997. pp. 8, 11.
  18. ^ "Format Changes & Updates". The M Street Journal. August 4, 1999. p. 2.
  19. ^ "Format Changes & Updates". The M Street Journal. October 20, 1999. p. 2.
  20. ^ Fybush, Scott (October 22, 1999). "The WMEX Follies". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  21. ^ Fybush, Scott (June 25, 2002). "Battaglia Sells WALE, Vox Sells WKXL". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  22. ^ "Format Changes and Updates". M Street Journal. September 18, 2002. pp. 6–7.
  23. ^ Fybush, Scott (September 4, 2002). "Labor Day Follies". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  24. ^ Fybush, Scott (September 10, 2002). "North East RadioWatch". Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  25. ^ Fybush, Scott (June 6, 2005). "WCBS-FM: The End". NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  26. ^ Fybush, Scott (August 22, 2005). "So Long, Toronto 1". NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  27. ^ Fybush, Scott (August 29, 2005). "WPEN Heads For The Locker Room". NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  28. ^ Fybush, Scott (September 24, 2018). "NERW 9/24/18: Heading For the Radio Show". Fybush.com. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  29. ^ Rock 103.3 Launches in Burlington Radioinsight - October 17, 2019
  30. ^ Venta, Lance (April 22, 2020). "Rock 103.3 Burlington Expands To Montpelier/Barre". RadioInsight. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  31. ^ Venta, Lance (November 6, 2022). "FCC Report 11/6: WECU Fined $8000 For Multiple Violations". RadioInsight. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  32. ^ Rock 103.3 Burlington On the Move Radioinsight - September 12, 2024
  33. ^ Venta, Lance (November 19, 2024). "Air 1 Expands In Burlington VT Ahead Of Station Purchase". RadioInsight. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
  34. ^ Venta, Lance (January 17, 2025). "Station Sales Week Of 1/17". RadioInsight. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  35. ^ Reynolds, Matt (January 23, 2025). "Form 380 - Transfer/Assignment Request". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved March 23, 2025.