WPRB

WPRB
City Princeton, New Jersey
Broadcast area Central Jersey
Delaware Valley
Frequency 103.3 MHz (also on HD Radio)
First air date December 6, 1940 (campus AM broadcast)
November 10, 1955 (FM broadcast)
Format Analog/HD1: Freeform
HD2: Indian (Radio Chai)
ERP 14,000 watts
HAAT 222 meters
Class B
Facility ID 53567
Owner Princeton Broadcasting Service, Inc.
Webcast Listen Live
Website http://www.wprb.com/

WPRB (103.3 FM) is a commercial, non-profit FM radio station licensed to serve Princeton, New Jersey. The station is owned by Princeton Broadcasting Service, Inc., and broadcasts a free-form format, including classical, jazz, electronic, folk, metal, world, soul, blues, rock and opera.[1] Its broadcast tower is shared with WKXW "New Jersey 101.5"[2] and is located in Lawrence Township northeast of Trenton at (40°16′58.0″N 74°41′10.0″W / 40.282778°N 74.686111°W / 40.282778; -74.686111).[3]

The majority of on-air and management staff consists of Princeton University students, in addition to a board of trustees comprising Princeton University alumni. WPRB also provides coverage of many of Princeton University's varsity sporting events and is in the process of restarting its news department. One of its disc jockeys, Jon Solomon, has hosted a 24-hour Christmas music marathon every year but one since 1988.

WPRB uses HD Radio, and broadcasts Indian-formatted "Radio Chai" on its HD2 channel.[4]

History

WPRB was founded as WPRU in 1940 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.[5] WPRU became WPRB in 1955, and in that same year became an FM station, making it the first college FM station in the United States. WPRB was a pioneer in FM Stereo broadcasting, transmitting a stereo signal beginning in 1964.

In 1986, Spin Magazine named WPRB the best commercial college station in the country.

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.[5]

Signal Note

WPRB is a full class B signal. Its service contour covers all of Central New Jersey and portions of the Philadelphia and New York City media markets.[6]

WPRB is short-spaced to two other stations: WKTU "103.5 KTU" (licensed to serve New York City) and WARM-FM "Warm 103.3" (licensed to serve York, Pennsylvania). WPRB and WKTU operate on adjacent channels and are only 51 miles apart.[7] The minimum distance between two Class B stations operating on adjacent channels according to current FCC rules is 105 miles.[8] WPRB and WARM-FM operate on the same channel and are only 101 miles apart.[9] The minimum distance between two Class B stations operating on the same channel according to current FCC rules is 150 miles.[8]

References

  1. ↑ "About WPRB". wprb.com. Retrieved 2016-05-12.
  2. ↑ "FM Query Results for WKXW". fcc.gov. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved 2016-05-12.
  3. ↑ "FM Query Results for WPRB". fcc.gov. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved 2016-05-12.
  4. ↑ "Radio Chai". radiochai.com. Retrieved 2016-05-12.
  5. 1 2 W. Raymond Ollwerther (March 18, 2009). "WPRB acquires Nassau Weekly". Princeton Alumni Weekly. 109 (10): 11.
  6. ↑ "54 dBu Service Contour for WPRB, 103.3 MHz, Princeton, NJ". bing.com. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved 2016-05-12.
  7. ↑ "How Far is it Between Lawrence Township, NJ, United States and 350 5th Avenue, New York, Ny, United States". Free Map Tools. Retrieved 2016-05-12.
  8. 1 2 "Minimum distance separation between stations. 47 CFR 73.207 (1)" (PDF). Retrieved 2016-05-12.
  9. ↑ "How Far is it Between Lawrence Township, Nj, United States and Hellam, Hallam, Pa, United States". Free Map Tools. Retrieved 2016-05-12.

Coordinates: 40°16′58″N 74°41′10″W / 40.2829°N 74.6860°W / 40.2829; -74.6860

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