In conjunction with its 35th anniversary on the air, WDVR community public radio station is expanding its listener base with the addition of a new frequency.
WPNJ-FM 90.7 in Harmony Township, N.J. has gone live, serving to “improve and increase our on-air signal reach in southern and central Warren County, New Jersey and also in the eastern Pennsylvania communities along the river,” according to WDVR board member Chris Poh, who hosts two music programs.
Since its founding in February 1990, WDVR has offered a cornucopia of sound ranging from programs on musical theater, community centered talk, gardening, technology and any and all other engaging topics along with bluegrass, indie, alt country, rock, Celtic, big band, doo wop and blues tunes.
The vast array of offerings stems from the station being run by more than 50 volunteer DJs, who base their shows on their own personal interests, offering an eclectic collection of podcast-style interview programs, discussions and, of course, music. The station broadcasts throughout Hunterdon, Mercer, Somerset and Warren counties in New Jersey; and Bucks, Montgomery, Northampton and Lehigh counties in Pennsylvania and streaming globally via WDVRFM.org and many popular radio apps.
WPNJ-FM 90.7 will replace 90.5 WPNJ in Easton, Pa.
Boodles, the most cherished member of WDVR’s all-volunteer air staff
Submitted
“We’re moving that station to a mountaintop in Warren County, New Jersey,” Poh said, adding that between the new station and existing W294BQ-FM 106.7, the station will continue to “blanket” Easton. “We have good listenership in Easton.”
Having grown from the original 500-watt standalone terrestrial station to an operation that now includes internet broadcasting along with several satellite-FM transmitters in both New jersey and Pennsylvania, the costs to run the community-funded station and off-site infrastructure have continued to spiral.
In response, WDVR is kicking off a fundraising drive on May 5, which will continue through May 18. Sometime following the drive, two open houses are planned to allow community members to tour the station and pick up swag in exchange for their donations. The open houses are tentatively planned for late spring or early summer, Poh said. The goal is to continue to grow the Sergeantsville, N.J.-based station through listener support.
“We are thankful for the community’s support throughout our 35 years on the air,” said Carla Van Dyk, WDVR’s station manager. “We hope to continue to grow our base of listeners and meet new friends during our upcoming open houses.”
Click here to learn more or contribute to WDVR’s fundraising drive.
WDVR FM hit the air waves on Feb. 19, 1990 as a newly established, non-commercial station. It is licensed to Penn-Jersey Educational Radio, a New Jersey, 501 (c) (3), nonprofit corporation. WDVR is a full-service FM station operating 24 hours a day at WDVR-FM 89.7 Delaware Twp, N.J., W222BV-FM 92.3 Harmony Township, N.J., W245CC-FM 96.9 Trenton, N.J., W294BQ-FM 106.7 Easton, Pa., W240CY-FM 95.9 Mount Bethel, N.J. and WPNJ-FM 90.7 in Harmony Township, N.J. The station can be heard in Hunterdon, Mercer, Somerset, and Warren counties in New Jersey, and Bucks, Montgomery, Northampton and Lehigh counties in Pennsylvania, as well as those who tune in around the world on WDVRFM.org.
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