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WBHX

WBHX (99.7 FM, "The Boss") is a commercial radio station licensedtoTuckerton, New Jersey. It is owned by Press Communications and it is simulcast with co-owned WWZY 107.1 FMinLong Branch. The two stations air a classic rock format known as "The Boss." (Popular Jersey Shore musician Bruce Springsteen is often called "The Boss.") The studios and offices are on West Bangs Avenue in Neptune City, New Jersey.

WBHX is a Class A station. It has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 650 watts. The transmitter tower is on Hartley Lane in Little Egg Harbor Township.^[2]

History[edit]

Classic Rock[edit]

The station signed on the air on August 10, 1999; 24 years ago (1999-08-10).^[3] It aired a mostly automated classic rock format. Two live DJs were heard: "Radio Rohn" in mornings and Mike Jarmus in afternoons, including his "Woodstock Lunch" show featuring music from the Woodstock Festival period. Specialty shows included "The Dead At Midnight", "Blues Deluxe" and "The Dr. Demento Show". WBHX studios and offices were constructed by Beach Haven Communications.

On July 22, 2002, WBHX was sold to Press Communications for $2.75 Million. On October 2, 2002, "Radio Rohn" did his last morning show. On October 4, 2002, the station switched to an adult contemporary format known as "The Breeze". The final song played by Radio Rohn before the switch from classic rock to The Breeze was "Another One Bites the Dust" by Queen. The final song played at midnight was "Nights in White Satin" by the Moody Blues. At that point, WBHX began stunting with songs featuring the theme of "Breeze" or "Wind". Wind sound effects were also played between songs.

WWZY simulcast and 99.7 The Island[edit]

WBHX began a simulcast with WWZY 107.1 FM on June 30, 2003. WWZY covered the northern part of the Monmouth-Ocean radio market while WBHX covered the southern end. In addition to 107.1 and 99.7, the station was also heard in parts of Ocean County on WCAT-TV, the public-access television cable TV channel based at Pinelands Regional High School.

Starting November 1, 2015, WBHX ended its simulcast with WWZY. It began playing Christmas music as "99.7 The Island." That continued through Christmas day. On December 26, 2015, WBHX changed its format to classic hits, still under the "99.7 The Island" branding.^[4]

On March 3, 2017, WBHX ended its classic hits format. It returned to a simulcast of classic rock-formatted WWZY 107.1 FM in Long Branch. The two stations use the moniker "The Boss". The wake-up show is known as "Robby and Rochelle in the Morning." Robbie and Rochelle Bridges are a married couple. He also serves as vice president of programming.

Attempted move to 99.3[edit]

Beginning in 2010, Press Communications attempted to move WBHX inland and to 99.3 MHz. The intent was to force WZBZ, broadcasting on 99.3 from Atlantic City, to move to 99.7 in return. However, stations that are 10.6 or 10.8 MHz apart (near the typical 10.7 MHz intermediate frequency of FM receivers) must be physically separated by 10 km to avoid causing interference for listeners.

WZBZ's transmitter site is 2 km from that of WAJM (88.9 FM), and moving to 99.7 would separate the two stations by 10.8 MHz. Press' contention was that the frequency swap was possible, since WAJM's license expired in 2006 and it was legally nonexistent. The company stated WAJM did not file for renewal until after WBHX's application, four years later. The FCC's assertion was that precedent favored WAJM, as a proposed facility could not take precedence over an operating station, even if such operation was unlawful.^[5] Unusually, Press appealed the FCC's decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, who upheld the decision, and later the Supreme Court of the United States, who declined to hear the case.^[6][7]

Little Egg Harbor tower[edit]

Verizon Communications owned the unused telephone tower and former telephone switch building in Beach Haven which WBHX leased for its transmitter equipment and tower. WBHX paid Verizon rental fees. In mid-2017, Verizon announced it would be auctioning the real estate, requiring WBHX to vacate the property and relocate to a different tower.

On December 4, 2017, WBHX began operating on a tower at the nearby Beach Haven municipal parking lot. This tower was temporary and was subject to wind and rain storms affecting its signal. In November 2018, WBHX relocated to an antenna on a former TV tower in Little Egg Harbor Township near Tuckerton. That site eventually became the present home of the WBHX transmitter. In November 2021, WBHX installed a new antenna at 178 meters (584 feet) in height above average terrain (HAAT) at the tower in Little Egg Harbor Township.

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• WBHX in the FCC FM station database
• WBHXinNielsen Audio's FM station database