Radio station at Princeton University
WPRB
(103.3
MHz
) is an
FM
radio station
licensed to
Princeton, New Jersey
, and owned by Princeton Broadcasting Service, Inc. It broadcasts a
freeform
radio format
, including
shoegaze
,
slowcore
,
noise music
,
harsh noise wall
,
plunderphonics
,
illbient
,
jazz
,
electronic
,
folk
,
reggae
,
ska
,
metal
,
world
,
soul
,
rap
,
blues
, and rock.
[4]
While the station is non-profit, it is licensed as a
commercial radio
station. It is funded primarily by listener contributions, raised especially during WPRB's annual spring 10-day
Membership Drive
. It also derives funding through community
underwriting
contracts with local businesses. Almost all on-air staff and management are
Princeton University
alumni and students. WPRB's slogan is "New Jersey's Only Radio Station".
The
transmitter
tower
is shared with
WKXW
"New Jersey 101.5".
[5]
It is located in
Lawrence Township
northeast of
Trenton
. WPRB has an
effective radiated power
(ERP) of 14,000 watts. It broadcasts using
HD Radio
technology. The HD2
digital subchannel
carries
Indian
programming and
Oldies
are heard on its HD3 subchannel.
History
[
edit
]
WPRB traces its origins to a campus
AM
station, WPRU, that launched December 6, 1940. WPRU was founded by H. Grant Theis, a Princeton University student at the time. It often is cited as the oldest commercially licensed campus radio station in the United States.
[6]
In 1955, WPRU got its FM license. It
signed on
as WPRB, the first college station on the FM dial in the United States, after the WPRU
call sign
was found to be already in use by a ship.
[1]
It is considered a pioneer in FM stereo broadcasting, transmitting a stereo signal beginning in 1964.
WPRB has broadcast on three different FM frequencies in its history: it first was heard on 103.9 MHz;
[7]
in 1959, it moved to 103.5 MHz;
[8]
and it moved to its current frequency of 103.3 MHz in 1962.
[9]
During the 1960s and 1970s, it joined with other
Ivy League
universities to form the "Ivy Network", sharing some programming and resources. It later was an
affiliate
of the
ABC FM Network
.
[10]
In 1986,
Spin Magazine
named WPRB the best commercial college station in the country.
[11]
After decades of operation under an advertising-supported business model, in 2006 WPRB switched to a listener-supported model (although it remains a commercially licensed station). In 2009, WPRB went on to acquire a Princeton student magazine, the
Nassau Weekly
.
Nassau Weekly
was founded in 1979 by Princeton students including
David Remnick
, who later became the editor of
The New Yorker
.
[6]
One of its disc jockeys,
Jon Solomon
, has hosted a 24-hour+ Christmas music
radiothon
every year but one since 1988.
[12]
WPRB was the first commercial radio station in the United States to play
Lil Nas X
's "Old Town Road" when it debuted on John Weingart's long-running program "Music You Can't Hear on the Radio".
[
citation needed
]
Broadcast signal
[
edit
]
WPRB is a full
class B
signal. Its service contour covers most of
Central Jersey
and portions of the
Philadelphia
and
New York City
radio markets
.
[13]
WPRB is short-spaced to two other class B stations:
WKTU
103.5 KTU
(licensed to
Lake Success, New York
) and
WARM-FM
Warm 103.3
(licensed to
York, Pennsylvania
). Since WPRB dates back to the early days of FM broadcasting (before current rules had been adopted) it is
grandfathered
on its current frequency and power level.
WPRB and WKTU operate on first adjacent channels and the distance between the two stations' transmitters is only 49 miles as determined by
Federal Communications Commission
rules.
[14]
The minimum distance between two Class B stations operating on first adjacent channels according to current FCC rules is 105 miles.
[15]
WPRB and WARM-FM operate on the same channel and the distance between the two stations' transmitters is only 103 miles.
[14]
The minimum distance between two Class B stations operating on the same channel according to current rules is 150 miles.
[15]
Translators
[
edit
]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
Crum, Dana (July 14, 2005).
"In focus: WPRB radio station"
.
Princeton University
. Retrieved
July 25,
2020
.
- ^
"Facility Technical Data for WPRB"
.
Licensing and Management System
.
Federal Communications Commission
.
- ^
"FCC 335-FM Digital Notification [WPRB]"
.
fcc.gov
.
Federal Communications Commission
. November 4, 2011
. Retrieved
June 27,
2018
.
- ^
"About WPRB"
.
wprb.com
. Retrieved
May 12,
2016
.
- ^
"FM Query Results for WKXW"
.
fcc.gov
. Federal Communications Commission
. Retrieved
May 12,
2016
.
- ^
a
b
W. Raymond Ollwerther (March 18, 2009). "WPRB acquires Nassau Weekly".
Princeton Alumni Weekly
.
109
(10): 11.
- ^
Broadcasting Yearbook 1956 page 205
- ^
Broadcasting Yearbook 1961-1962 page B-105
- ^
Broadcasting Yearbook 1962 page B-115
- ^
Broadcasting Yearbook 1977 page C-134
- ^
Waits, Jennifer (May 25, 2016).
"Radio Station Field Trip #100 - WPRB at Princeton University"
.
Radio Survivor
. Retrieved
June 13,
2021
.
- ^
Waits, Jennifer (December 20, 2018).
"WPRB DJ Jon Solomon Celebrates 30 Years of Christmas Marathons"
.
Radio Survivor
. Retrieved
July 26,
2020
.
- ^
"54 dBu Service Contour for WPRB, 103.3 MHz, Princeton, NJ"
.
fcc.gov
.
Federal Communications Commission
. Retrieved
January 11,
2017
.
- ^
a
b
"Reference points and distance computations. 47 CFR § 73.208"
. Retrieved
August 22,
2021
.
- ^
a
b
"Minimum distance separation between stations. 47 CFR § 73.207 (b)(1)"
(PDF)
. Retrieved
May 12,
2016
.
External links
[
edit
]
|
---|
- WBJB
(Brookdale Community College)
- WDBK
(Camden County College)
- WFDU
(Fairleigh Dickinson University)
- WGLS
(Rowan University)
- WKNJ
(Kean University)
- WLFR
(Stockton University)
- WMCX
(Monmouth University)
- WMSC
(Montclair State University)
- WPRB
(Princeton University)
- WPSC
(William Paterson University of NJ)
- WRPR
(Ramapo College of NJ)
- WRRC
(Rider University)
- WRSU
(Rutgers University)
- WSOU
(Seton Hall University)
- WTSR
(The College of New Jersey)
- WVPH
(Piscataway High School / Rutgers University)
- WXPJ
(University of Pennsylvania)
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