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Jesus, What Happened to WPLJ?

G-Fafif Feb 14 2019 05:50 AM

WPLJ is about to be no more as 95.5 FM on NYC's radio dial gets sold to Educational Media Foundation, which is a broadcasting concern uninterested in airing secular pop, not even the adult contemporary kind that's been the once-influential rocker's calling card these past couple of decades. "We are thrilled to add these stations to the K-LOVE network and for the opportunity to continue to bring people closer to Jesus," said Alan Mason, EMF president and interim CEO, in a statement. "Our mission is to create compelling media that inspires and encourages listeners to have a meaningful relationship with Christ. These are legendary stations that will enable us to enter new markets in Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Savannah and Syracuse and expand our footprint in New York." https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/radio/8498337/cumulus-sells-six-stations-k-love-christian-radio-emf-plj

Johnny Lunchbucket Feb 14 2019 06:48 AM Re: Jesus, What Happened to WPLJ?

What a rocktastrophe. The Doobies' Jesus was Just Alright was about as Jesus-y as it got back then.

41Forever Feb 14 2019 07:04 AM Re: Jesus, What Happened to WPLJ?

There are actually some amazing rocking Christian bands -- Switchfoot, Relient K, Thousand Foot Krutch -- that fill my iPod, though I suspect the station will probably run toward the softer side of the genre. When I was growing up, WBAB and WPLJ were my listening staples. For some reason I thought of WLIR as more of a hippy, Grateful Dead kind of station and WNEW was kind of boring with all the establishment bands we were supposed to like but noting edgy or fun. Here's one of Switchfoot's hits: [YOUTUBE]Tv-5snutHG0[/YOUTUBE]

Lefty Specialist Feb 14 2019 07:57 AM Re: Jesus, What Happened to WPLJ?

Ugh. Radio's already so bad in New York; this just makes it worse. We gave up and got Sirius XM for this reason. Used to love listening to Scott and Todd in the Morning doing the unofficial opening of summer, broadcasting live from Jenkinson's in Point Pleasant on the Friday before Memorial Day. Oh well.

nymr83 Feb 14 2019 10:45 AM Re: Jesus, What Happened to WPLJ?

Switchfoot is a Christian band? I guess I never listened closely to the lyrics

kcmets Feb 14 2019 11:16 AM Re: Jesus, What Happened to WPLJ?

There's only one good classic rock FM station left in the tri-state area. WPDH 101.5 out of Poughkeepsie, NY.

Frayed Knot Feb 14 2019 01:15 PM Re: Jesus, What Happened to WPLJ?

I had no idea WPLJ still existed. Was 95.5 their dial location back in the day? If so it's been even longer than I think because that doesn't ring a bell.

Johnny Lunchbucket Feb 14 2019 03:42 PM Re: Jesus, What Happened to WPLJ?

[YOUTUBE]bNYRklCNsZs[/YOUTUBE]

Frayed Knot Feb 14 2019 04:20 PM Re: Jesus, What Happened to WPLJ?

95.5 just didn't sound right to me, but then I couldn't think of any other frequency which sounded correct either so it just has been that long even though at one time that would have been imprinted on my brain. I do still remember 102.7 which is more recent as that was the one which replaced PLJ as my choice of stations.

HahnSolo Feb 15 2019 11:43 AM Re: Jesus, What Happened to WPLJ?

=kcmets post_id=2911 time=1550168216 user_id=53] There's only one good classic rock FM station left in the tri-state area. WPDH 101.5 out of Poughkeepsie, NY.

You a Smitty guy or a Hopkins guy?

kcmets Feb 15 2019 02:17 PM Re: Jesus, What Happened to WPLJ?

I just like that the station is stuck in a time warp continuum.

Edgy MD Feb 15 2019 03:04 PM Re: Jesus, What Happened to WPLJ?

We Play Lotsa Jars-o'-Clay We Party Like Jehovah Weird Playlists, Lacking Justification White Protestants Lovin' Jesus

RealityChuck Feb 16 2019 11:44 AM Re: Jesus, What Happened to WPLJ?

Frank Zappa isn't happy. [YOUTUBE]fb3Cu_Xrt_g[/YOUTUBE]

Frayed Knot May 09 2019 02:01 PM Re: Jesus, What Happened to WPLJ?

“The rumors you've been hearing are true,” 95.5 PLJ revealed on Twitter Wednesday morning. “As hard as it is to believe, WPLJ will be going away on Friday, May 31.” The New York City-based station was purchased by Education Media Foundation, the owners of K-LOVE Christian radio, earlier this year, according to Billboard magazine. WPLJ signed on to the air in 1971 blasting rock music from artists including Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix and The Doobie Brothers. Their call letters were derived from “White Port and Lemon Juice,” a 1950's rhythm and blues song covered by Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention. https://nypost.com/2019/05/09/iconic-nyc-radio-station-wplj-to-leave-airwaves-at-end-of-may/

Johnny Lunchbucket May 09 2019 02:22 PM Re: Jesus, What Happened to WPLJ?

This should remind you of WPLJ [YOUTUBE]OkbHLXZTTyg[/YOUTUBE]

Willets Point May 09 2019 03:24 PM Re: Jesus, What Happened to WPLJ?

WPLJ was a Top 40 station in my youth, engaged in an epic death struggle with Z100 over who could overplay Whitney Houston, Miami Sound Machine, and Peter Cetera the most.

MFS62 May 09 2019 03:54 PM Re: Jesus, What Happened to WPLJ?

For Western Connecticut and Northern Westchester folks, there's 102.9 for classic rock. And, isn't there a 104.something out of Long Island doing it, too? They are both buttons on my car radio. Homey don't play Sirius. Later

Frayed Knot May 09 2019 04:15 PM Re: Jesus, What Happened to WPLJ? Edited 1 time(s), most recently on May 09 2019 08:04 PM

Willets Point wrote: WPLJ was a Top 40 station in my youth, engaged in an epic death struggle with Z100 over who could overplay Whitney Houston, Miami Sound Machine, and Peter Cetera the most. From the linked NYPost article above: WPLJ signed on to the air in 1971 blasting rock music from artists including Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix and The Doobie Brothers. In 1983 the station transitioned from an album-oriented rock format to contemporary hit radio. Since the early 1990's WPLJ has been playing adult contemporary music – and began to drop the “W” from their name. I'm not quite sure how 'Contemporary Hit Radio' differs from 'Adult Contemporary Music', but whatever. The station started its life as WABC-FM When the FCC ruled that using an FM counterpart to merely simulcast what was going out over the AM side constituted a hogging, if not outright monopolizing, of limited available airwaves, stations were forced to either diversify their programming or risk losing the FM half of their license (AM was still king in those days). So many of them decided it was worth the experiment to turn the FM side over to those 'hippie kids' they had working as low-level newbies and/or interns on the assumption that, since FM radio didn't make money anyway, it's not like they could screw it up. Turned out, of course, that it was the perfect timing for the just then coming-of-age baby boomers and FM quickly became the money-making tail that wagged the AM dog. When Elton John recorded what became his 11/17/70 album it was as a live broadcast over the airwaves of WABC-FM, then still a few months away from morphing into calling itself WPLJ.

Fman99 May 09 2019 07:31 PM Re: Jesus, What Happened to WPLJ?

=kcmets post_id=2911 time=1550168216 user_id=53] There's only one good classic rock FM station left in the tri-state area. WPDH 101.5 out of Poughkeepsie, NY.

I grew up listening to WPDH and attending their fan events. I was born in Po-town, lived there till I was 18 months and my folks moved across the river to Ulster County.

Johnny Lunchbucket May 10 2019 05:56 AM Re: Jesus, What Happened to WPLJ?

I'm gonna write a coming-of-age screenplay about a pimply kid forced to grow up when his radio station abruptly switches formats in 1983.

Ceetar May 10 2019 07:20 AM Re: Jesus, What Happened to WPLJ?

I don't listen to music or the radio, but I think typically we have 92.3 on the radio these days when driving with the wife. Blink 182, Green Day, etc. those guys. I remember my aunt always called in to PLJ to win Rye playland tickets. They had a special PLJ day in the summer and she'd just call in constantly and win as her, her sister in law, etc. and get enough for everyone.

HahnSolo May 10 2019 01:52 PM Re: Jesus, What Happened to WPLJ?

Johnny Lunchbucket wrote: I'm gonna write a coming-of-age screenplay about a pimply kid forced to grow up when his radio station abruptly switches formats in 1983. The switch from AOR devastated one of my buddies growing up. He was socially awkward but not pimply. I wonder what he thinks of the news?

Johnny Lunchbucket May 10 2019 01:58 PM Re: Jesus, What Happened to WPLJ?

I was both

Edgy MD May 11 2019 07:48 AM Re: Jesus, What Happened to WPLJ?

Not to be hyperbolic, but that's the best idea ever.

G-Fafif May 30 2019 02:12 PM Re: Jesus, What Happened to WPLJ?

With the switch to K-LOVE coming to 95.5 FM tomorrow at 7 PM, WPLJ has today devoted itself to its past jocks coming in and reminiscing across formats and eras, dating back to 1971. Your Jim Kerrs, your Carol Millers, your Marc Coppolas and so forth clear through to the Top 40 personalities of the '80s, the Scott Shannon years and some more recent voices as well. I never loved PLJ in any of its incarnations, but am digging this as a radio aficionado. Funny how a person can get a contact buzz of nostalgia for something he was never overly enthusiastic for in the first place.

G-Fafif May 30 2019 02:13 PM Re: Jesus, What Happened to WPLJ?

I'm also impressed that WPLJ's "reunion day" is rolling commercial free.

MFS62 May 30 2019 02:15 PM Re: Jesus, What Happened to WPLJ?

=G-Fafif post_id=11617 time=1559247152 user_id=55] Funny how a person can get a contact buzz of nostalgia for something he was never overly enthusiastic for in the first place.

Y'mean, like finally saying something nice about your late mother-in-law?

Later

G-Fafif May 30 2019 02:22 PM Re: Jesus, What Happened to WPLJ?

Not exactly the mother-in-law allegory. More the thing you appreciate without fully embracing. For me, radio stations I never listened to constantly (WABC and WNEW-AM most notably) and sports leagues I wasn't crazy into would qualify. The latter basically describes my personal relationship with the USFL.

G-Fafif May 31 2019 12:43 AM Re: Jesus, What Happened to WPLJ?

The full WPLJ montage here. The Pavlovian WPLJ cue here: [youtube]OkbHLXZTTyg[/youtube].

G-Fafif May 31 2019 12:52 AM Re: Jesus, What Happened to WPLJ?

Rundown of the on-air talent checking in and saying bye here.

Johnny Lunchbucket May 31 2019 06:30 AM Re: Jesus, What Happened to WPLJ?

Here's a good Q+A with Jim Kerr (who is still hanging with Shelli Sonstein on the Q btw) and embodies the "begin the day with a friendly voice" ideal. As I recall he left PLJ for a while for WPIX which as he mentions was a smarmy kind of rock station, and then came back, costing Jimmy Fink the morning slot. He is correct that the 1979-80 era was the best. At that time the station to borrow another Rush phrase "crackled with life." https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/radio/8513702/wplj-radio-ending-interview

G-Fafif May 31 2019 05:18 PM Re: Jesus, What Happened to WPLJ?

Last full song, "White Port Lemon Juice," Hall & Oates live recording originally performed on the station itself. Last partial song "The End" by the Beatles. Had their format been a blend of the music of the past 48 years like they played these last two days, punctuating all their personalities talking like people, it would have been one of the greatest stations ever. Very jarring to hear the programming that came on after about a minute of dead air. Probably won't be visiting 95.5 unless all other frequencies everywhere are down.

LWFS Jun 04 2019 01:46 AM Re: Jesus, What Happened to WPLJ?

=G-Fafif post_id=11621 time=1559247755 user_id=55] Not exactly the mother-in-law allegory. More the thing you appreciate without fully embracing. For me, radio stations I never listened to constantly (WABC and WNEW-AM most notably) and sports leagues I wasn't crazy into would qualify. The latter basically describes my personal relationship with the USFL.

Getting nostalgic for things I didn't like the first time around is the thing that makes me feel my age the most.

Frayed Knot Jun 04 2019 03:29 AM Re: Jesus, What Happened to WPLJ?

=G-Fafif post_id=11709 time=1559344689 user_id=55]Had their format been a blend of the music of the past 48 years like they played these last two days, punctuating all their personalities talking like people, it would have been one of the greatest stations ever.

Radio stations know how to program interesting and original content. They simply choose not to.