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WPAT-FM (originally WNNJ) was a short-lived Paterson, New Jersey, commercial radio station, which operated from 1949 until early 1951. The station ended operations after its transmitter tower was destroyed in a windstorm, and the owners concluded that it would be too expensive to repair the damage.

History

WNNJ was originally authorized as a Class B FM station on 103.5 MHz to Donald Flamm and James V. Cosman, who also owned AM station WPAT. In mid-1948 the Passaic Herald-News purchased a 90 percent interest in WPAT and the not-yet built WNNJ.^[1] This sale was approved by the Federal Communications Commission in December 1948.^[2]

At this time the Herald-News already owned a Paterson FM station, WWDX on 107.1 MHz, and contemporary FCC regulations did not permit licensees to operate more than one FM station in a given community. WWDX was only authorized to transmit with 190 watts, while WNNJ was authorized for 8,000 watts.^[3] The decision was made to shut down WWDX, which made its final broadcast on January 9, 1949, with station management reporting that the "outstanding program features [of WWDX] will be incorporated into the schedule of WNNJ".^[4] WWDX was formally deleted on January 18, 1949, "in fulfillment of condition to grant of purchase by Daily News of WPAT (AM) and WNNJ (FM) Paterson".^[5]

WNNJ made its formal debut broadcast on February 1, 1949.^[6] A few months later, the station's callsign was changed to WPAT-FM.^[7]

In late November 1950 WPAT-FM's transmitter tower on Garret Mountain was blown down during the Great Appalachian Storm of 1950.^[8] The station was subsequently deleted on March 8, 1951, with a contemporary report giving the reason as "Tower destroyed by storm; too expensive to replace."^[9] In 1957 a new WPAT-FM debuted, operating on 93.1 MHz. In 1958, the original WPAT-FM's vacated frequency of 103.5 MHz was assigned to a new station licensed the New York City suburb of Lake Success, New York, WGLI-FM (now WKTU).

References

^ "WPAT 90% Stock Sold to Newspaper" (PDF). Broadcasting. June 21, 1948. p. 75. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
^ "WPAT, FM Sale" (PDF). Broadcasting. December 20, 1948. p. 54. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
^ "New Jersey: FM Stations", Broadcasting (Marketbook edition), October 11, 1948, page 152.
^ "WNNJ-FM", Broadcasting, January 24, 1949, page 80.
^ "Station Mortality" by Larry Christopher, Broadcasting, March 28, 1949, page 27. WWDX's former 107.1 frequency assignment is now used by WXPK.
^ "WNNJ-FM Opens", Broadcasting, February 7, 1949, page 77.
^ "FCC Roundup: Call Assignments (FM)", Broadcasting, June 6, 1949, page 73.
^ "Great Damage in Towns In Lower Passaic County", Passaic Herald-News, November 27, 1950, page 20.
^ "FCC Roundup: Deletions", Broadcasting, March 26, 1951, page 85.