WJCP was launched on January 8, 1955, as WOCH by Dorrell Ochs.[3][5] Located in the Ochs' family auto supply business in North Vernon, the station was started with the intent of keeping the local community informed and entertained, while broadcasting Christian programming.[5][9]
Eventually, the station was bought ARS Broadcasting Corporation and carried a middle of the road (MOR) format.[10] At the time, the station carried the WNVI callsign.[4][10] WNVI changed its callsign to WKRP on August 17, 1989, and back to WNVI on August 8, 1997.[4] Findlay Publishing Company purchased WNVI and its then FM sister-stations WRBI and WWWY for $1.9 million in 1997.[10] For a time, after the sale, WNVI carried a talk format, simulcasting then sister-station WCSI.[10]
Findlay Publishing Company sold WNVI, in a swap for WWWY, to Pieratt Communications, Inc. on November 20, 2001.[11] With the sale, the simulcast was WCSI ended and WNVI switched to Adult Standards.[10] In 2003, the station flipped to ESPN Radio-affiliated sports branded as "ESPN 1460".[10]
On May 15, 2006, WNVI became WJCP with its callsign standing for Jennings County Panthers, the latter derived from the county high school's mascot.[4][10] WJCP was sold to Tom and Diana Taylor on October 17, 2014.[12] WJCP added FM translator W249DG, broadcasting on 97.7 FM, on May 9, 2016.[10] The translator simulcasts WJCP's AM signal on the FM band.[13]
Effective October 10, 2019, Tom and Diana Taylor sold WJCP and translator W249DG to Keith Reising's Jennings County Promotion Partners, LLC for $115,000.
Translator
In addition to the main station, WJCP is relayed by an FM translator to widen its broadcast area.[14] Translator W249DG was originally owned by Greenfield, Indiana-based Indiana Community Radio Corporation.[15] It was subsequently sold as part of a package of stations and translators to New Beginnings Movement, Inc., and then acquired by WJCP owners Tom and Diana Taylor effective June 29, 2018.
