WJBT (93.3
FM "93.3 The Beat") is a
commercial
Commercial may refer to:
* a dose of advertising conveyed through media (such as - for example - radio or television)
** Radio advertisement
** Television advertisement
* (adjective for:) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and s ...
radio station
Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radio ...
licensed
A license (or licence) 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 party (licensee) as an element of an agreeme ...
to
Callahan, Florida
Callahan is a town in Nassau County, Florida, United States, adjacent to Duval County. The population was 1,123 at the 2010 census. It is one location of the Northeast Florida Fair.
The Battle of Alligator Bridge took place around Callahan on J ...
, and serving the
Jacksonville metropolitan area
The Jacksonville Metropolitan Area, also called the First Coast, Metro Jacksonville, or Northeast Florida, is the metropolitan area centered on the principal city of Jacksonville, Florida and including the First Coast of North Florida. According ...
. It airs an
urban contemporary
Urban contemporary music, also known as urban music, hip hop, urban pop, or just simply urban, is a music radio format. The term was coined by New York radio DJ Frankie Crocker in the early to mid-1970s as a synonym for Black music. Urban contem ...
radio format
A radio format or programming format (not to be confused with broadcast programming) describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. The radio format emerged mainly in the United States in the 1950s, at a time when Radio broadcasting, ...
and is owned by
iHeartMedia, Inc.
iHeartMedia, Inc., formerly CC Media Holdings, Inc., is an American mass media corporation headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It is the holding company of iHeartCommunications, Inc. (formerly Clear Channel Communications, Inc.), a company fou ...
The
studio
A studio is an artist or worker's workroom. This can be for the purpose of acting, architecture, painting, pottery (ceramics), sculpture, origami, woodworking, scrapbooking, photography, graphic design, filmmaking, animation, industrial design ...
s and offices are on Central Parkway in the
Southside neighborhood.
WJBT has an
effective radiated power
Effective radiated power (ERP), synonymous with equivalent radiated power, is an IEEE standardized definition of directional radio frequency (RF) power, such as that emitted by a radio transmitter. It is the total power in watts that would hav ...
of 100,000
watt
The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantify the rate of energy transfer. The watt is named after James Wa ...
s, the highest permitted for non-
grandfathered
A grandfather clause, also known as grandfather policy, grandfathering, or grandfathered in, is a provision in which an old rule continues to apply to some existing situations while a new rule will apply to all future cases. Those exempt from t ...
FM stations. The
transmitter
In electronics and telecommunications, a radio transmitter or just transmitter is an electronic device which produces radio waves with an antenna (radio), antenna. The transmitter itself generates a radio frequency alternating current, which i ...
is off Hogan Road in the
Arlington neighborhood. WJBT broadcasts using
HD Radio
HD Radio (HDR) is a trademark for an in-band on-channel (IBOC) digital radio broadcast technology. It generally simulcasts an existing analog radio station in digital format with less noise and with additional text information. HD Radio is used ...
technology. The HD2
digital subchannel
In broadcasting, digital subchannels are a method of transmitting more than one independent program stream simultaneously from the same digital radio or television station on the same radio frequency channel. This is done by using data compress ...
carries iHeart's
Black Information Network
Black Information Network (BIN) is a radio network and content brand owned by iHeartMedia. Launched on June 30, 2020, it is an all-news radio network of stations targeting the African American community, carrying mostly important national news hea ...
, which feeds
FM translator
A broadcast relay station, also known as a satellite station, relay transmitter, broadcast translator (U.S.), re-broadcaster (Canada), repeater (two-way radio) or complementary station (Mexico), is a broadcast transmitter which repeats (or tran ...
W281AM at 104.1 in
Macclenny
Macclenny is a city in Baker County, Florida . Located just west of Jacksonville, it is one of the principal municipalities comprising Greater Jacksonville. The population was 7,304 at the 2020 census, up from 6,374 in 2010. It is the county seat ...
. The HD3 subchannel airs a simulcast of
WSOS-FM
WSOS-FM (94.1 Hertz, MHz) is commercial radio station that broadcasts to the Jacksonville, Florida area. The station is licensed in Fruit Cove, Florida, Fruit Cove to Chesapeake-Portsmouth Broadcasting Corporation. It is branded as Jax Country an ...
, which airs a
classic country
Classic country is a music radio format that specializes in playing mainstream country and western music hits from past decades.
Repertoire
The radio format specializes in hits from the 1950s through the early 1980s, and focus primarily on innov ...
format.
History of the 93.3 frequency
In 1995, WAIA switched from
Triple-A to
modern rock
Modern rock is an umbrella term used to describe rock music that is found on college rock radio stations. Some radio stations use this term to distinguish themselves from classic rock, which is based in 1960s–1980s rock music.
Radio format
Mod ...
, becoming "Planet Radio 93.3".
Station history
WJBT has been in its current format since 1992 (when it was at 92.7), playing
Hip Hop and
R&B music. It was home to the nationally syndicated
Doug Banks Morning Show (who was replaced with
Steve Harvey
Broderick Stephen Harvey Sr. Also aired August 16, 2015. (born January 17, 1957) is an American television host, producer, actor, and comedian. He hosts ''The Steve Harvey Morning Show'', ''Family Feud'', '' Celebrity Family Feud,'' the Miss U ...
after its move to 93.3, and later,
The Breakfast Club
''The Breakfast Club'' is a 1985 American teen coming-of-age comedy-drama film written, produced, and directed by John Hughes. It stars Emilio Estevez, Paul Gleason, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, and Ally Sheedy. The film t ...
). Its only other competitor is its own sister station,
Urban AC
Urban adult contemporary, often abbreviated as urban AC or UAC, (also known as adult R&B,) is the name for a format of radio music, similar to an urban contemporary format. Radio stations using this format usually would not have hip hop music on ...
-formatted
WSOL-FM
WSOL-FM (101.5 MHz) is a commercial radio station known as V101.5. It is licensed to Yulee, Florida, and serves the Jacksonville metropolitan area and Southeast Georgia. Owned and operated by iHeartMedia, Inc., it broadcasts an Urban Adult Conte ...
. WJBT was the second urban radio station to adopt "The Beat" branding after
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
'
KKBT.
When it was at 92.7, it served the Jacksonville area, but it did not have enough power to serve the northernmost and westernmost portions of the metro because its frequency was licensed to
Green Cove Springs, Florida
Green Cove Springs is a city in and the county seat of Clay County, Florida, United States. The population was 5,378 at the 2000 census. As of 2010, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 6,908.
The city is named after the portio ...
. However, it had no effect on the
Arbitron
Nielsen Audio (formerly Arbitron) is a consumer research company in the United States that collects listener data on radio broadcasting audiences. It was founded as the American Research Bureau by Jim Seiler in 1949 and became national by mergin ...
ratings as it is still among the Top 5 (sometimes 10) most listened to stations in the city.
On November 2, 2007, Clear Channel spun off the 92.7 frequency to a private company (which moved the signal to the Palm Coast area as
WBHQ
WBHQ (92.7 MHz) is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Beverly Beach, Florida, and serving Flagler County. It is owned by Flagler County Broadcasting and broadcasts an adult hits radio format known as "Beach 92.7." Unlike other adult ...
) and on the evening of December 25 of that same year, moved the station and its format to the more powerful 93.3 signal (formerly the home of Country outlet WROO). The reason for this was to comply with FCC ownership rules, since WJBT was in a waiver status in which Clear Channel was allowed to own six FMs and one AM in the market. But because of Clear Channel Communications being sold to a private investment group, WJBT's current frequency had to be divested. After Christmas Day 2007, 92.7 and 93.3 were simulcasting. However, on January 11, 2008, a new urban gospel station debuted on the 92.7 frequency named "Hallelujah FM", which is a moniker currently used for many Clear Channel-owned gospel stations nationwide. Also, the call letters were switched, with 92.7 becoming WROO and 93.3 becoming WJBT.
[http://www.radioinsight.com]
With the move to a more powerful signal, WJBT also received an upgrade in power as well, going from 50 kW to 100 kW, thus covering most of Jacksonville and Northeastern Florida.
On-air personalities
*
The Breakfast Club
''The Breakfast Club'' is a 1985 American teen coming-of-age comedy-drama film written, produced, and directed by John Hughes. It stars Emilio Estevez, Paul Gleason, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, and Ally Sheedy. The film t ...
* Uptown Angela
* T-Roy
* Easy E
* DJ Q45
* DJ Ian
* Big Sue
* Lil Tree Hugger
Mixers
* DJ Q45
* DJ Dr. Doom
Station management
* Program Director G-Wiz
References
External links
93.3 The Beat Facebook93.3 The Beat*
{{coord, 30.2811, N, 81.5701, W, type:landmark_region:US_source:FCC, display=title
Urban contemporary radio stations in the United States
JBT
Radio stations established in 1983
IHeartMedia radio stations