WJFP

For 91.1 FM in Fort Pierce, Florida (1995–2021), see WQCP.
"WVCH" redirects here. For county history of Wiltshire, England, see Wiltshire Victoria County History.
WJFP
Broadcast areaPhiladelphia metropolitan area
Frequency740 kHz
BrandingLiberty Radio
Programming
FormatConservative talk
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
  • John Fredericks
  • (Disruptor Radio, LLC)
History
First air date
April 4, 1948; 76 years ago (1948-04-04)
Former call signs
WVCH (1947–2022)
Call sign meaning
"John Fredericks Philadelphia" (owner and target city)
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID74166
ClassD
Power
  • 1,000 watts (day)
  • 6 watts (night)
Transmitter coordinates
39°52′38.00″N 75°24′24.00″W / 39.8772222°N 75.4066667°W / 39.8772222; -75.4066667
Translator(s)103.3 W277DL (Chester)
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen Live
Websitewjfpradio.com

WJFP (740 AM) is a commercial radio station broadcasting a conservative talk format. It is licensed to Chester, Pennsylvania, and serves the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The station is owned by John Fredericks, with the license held by Disruptor Radio, LLC. Fredericks hosts a syndicated weekday morning talk show and also owns three stations in Virginia.[2] Other syndicated shows on WJFP include "The War Room with Steve Bannon," "The Ramsey Show with Dave Ramsey" and "Red Eye Radio."

By day, WJFP transmits with 1,000 watts. 740 AM is a clear channel frequency reserved for Class A CFZM Toronto, so to avoid interference at night, WJFP reduces power to 6 watts. It uses a non-directional antenna at all times. The transmitter is off Dutton Mill Road in Brookhaven, Pennsylvania.[3] Programming is also heard on FM translator 103.3 W277DL in Chester.

History

On April 4, 1948; 76 years ago (1948-04-04), the station first signed on the air.[4] The call sign from its founding until early 2022 was WVCH, standing for the "Voice of Chester". It was originally a 250-watt daytimer. It later boosted its power to 1,000 watts and got nighttime authorization at low power.

For most of its history, WVCH carried a Christian talk and teaching format branded as simply "WVCH, The Christian Station." One of the programs carried on WVCH in the 1950s was George A. Palmer's popular Morning Cheer weekday broadcast.[5]

On November 15, 2021, RadioInsight.com reported that WVCH and translator W277DL would be sold to John Fredricks of the MAGA Radio Network through Disruptor Media, LLC, for $500,000. On February 16, 2022, the station flipped to a conservative talk format as "Liberty Radio".[6][7] The sale was consummated on March 1, 2022, with the station's call sign changing to WJFP the following day.

References

  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WJFP". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ JohnFredericksRadio.com/about
  3. ^ Radio-Locator.com/WJFP
  4. ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1950 page 255, Broadcasting & Cable
  5. ^ "Statement Issued by 'Cheer' Head". Courier-Post. Camden, New Jersey. July 1, 1959. p. 30 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  6. ^ Venta, Vance. "John Fredericks To Expand Conservative Network To Suburban Philadelphia". radioinsight.com. RadioInsight. Retrieved 2021-11-16.
  7. ^ Liberty Radio Debuts in Philadelphia