WTJU

WTJU

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City of license	Charlottesville, Virginia
Broadcast area	Charlottesville, Virginia Albemarle County, Virginia
Branding	"91.1 WTJU"
Slogan	"The Sound Choice in Central Virginia"
Frequency	91.1 FM MHz
First air date	May 10, 1957
Format	Variety
Power	1,500 Watts
HAAT	325 meters (1,066 ft)
Class	B1
Facility ID	69145
Transmitter coordinates
Callsign meaning	W Thomas Jefferson's University
Owner	University of Virginia
Sister stations	WXTJ-LP
Webcast	WTJU Webstream
Website	WTJU Online

WTJU is a Variety formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Charlottesville, Virginia, serving Charlottesville and Albemarle County, Virginia. WTJU is owned and operated by University of Virginia.

History

File:WTJU-FM 2014.PNG

Logo used prior to February 1, 2015.

A WTJU DJ hosts a show during the 2013 Rock Marathon

WTJU hosts a live remote broadcast from the "Rally on the Lawn," where thousands of students, faculty, alumni, and community members had gathered to support recently ousted University of Virginia President Teresa Sullivan.

WTJU was founded in 1955 when UVA’s Department of Speech and Drama decided to start a UVA-based educational radio station. The fraternity Kappa Delta Pi put up a large part of the funds necessary to get the station off the ground. On May 10, 1957, WTJU went on the air at 91.3 FM with a classical music format. It was able to broadcast throughout Charlottesville, building a small but dedicated group of listeners.

In 1959, the station aired its first ever music marathon: the Classical Marathon, held during U.Va.’s exam period. In 1963, WTJU became a full-fledged student organization, separate from the UVA Department of Speech and Drama. By 1971, WTJU began broadcasting rock music, as well as some jazz and folk programs. By 1974, WTJU is broadcasting 24 hours a day. It also allowed non-students to be DJs in order to keep the station broadcasting 24/7 year-round.

In 1993, the Dean of Students office prompted WTJU to hire its first paid staff member: General Manager Chuck Taylor. In the same year, WTJU changed its frequency from 91.3 to 91.1 FM. In the late 1990s, planned construction at U.Va.'s Peabody hall forced WTJU to relocate. In 2000, WTJU moved into its current studios in Lambeth Commons. By 2010, WTJU had also started streaming its radio programming over the internet.

General Manager Chuck Taylor retired in 2010, and was replaced by Burr Beard. After stepping into his position, Beard tried to enact sweeping changes to the station’s operation and was met with major backlash from station volunteers and listeners. By fall of that same year, Beard resigned and the station began its search for a new manager. In 2011, Nathan Moore was hired and is the current General Manager of the station.

In 2011, WTJU participated in the first-ever [College Radio Day]. And in 2012, WTJU aired a live remote broadcast of the "Rally on the Lawn" demonstration against the ouster of U.Va. President Teresa A. Sullivan. Also in 2012, WTJU aired a special modern adaptation of The War of the Worlds on Halloween night.

The percentage of students hosting shows on WTJU declined through the late 1990s and 2000s. So in October 2013, WTJU launched a second radio station called WTJX, which is entirely student-run and student-staffed. The station operates within WTJU's building and primarily consists of rock, hip hop, and electronic music. Several student DJs host programs on both WTJX and WTJU. (WTJX changed its name to WXTJ-LP in mid-2015 upon receiving a LPFM Construction Permit.)

In addition to its on-air activities, WTJU also produces a variety of music and educational events such as an annual block party & record sale, film screenings, and youth radio camps.

Among the well-known artists who have been DJs at WTJU are Pavement's Stephen Malkmus, Dave Matthews Band's Boyd Tinsley, Rolling Stone critic Rob Sheffield, Yo La Tengo's James McNew, and blues musician Corey Harris.

Broadcasting to Richmond

In February 2015, WTJU began simulcasting its programming on Ashland, Virginia-based WHAN and its translator W275BQ-FM 102.9. WTJU operates the station as part of a three-year local marketing agreement. WTJU will have the option to buy the WHAN and translator W275BQ in the future. WTJU is in negotiations with Virginia Commonwealth University webcaster WVCW to broadcast on WHAN from 6pm to 1am daily.

Programming

WTJU is unusual in a number of ways. It is a public radio station, yet it is not part of the NPR system. The station allows its volunteer DJs to play nearly anything they choose, as long as it does not violate Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules for decency. All of WTJU's DJs are volunteers from the community, including U.Va. students, faculty, and staff, alumni, and community members with no other UVA affiliation.

Most of the shows feature music, with the bulk of the music being in the genres of classical, folk, jazz and rock. The music across all genres tends to be highly eclectic, with a heavy emphasis on music that is rarely, if ever, heard on commercial radio stations. WTJU's schedule also includes a daily news and public affairs program called Soundboard, which airs weekdays 9-10am.

See also

• "Radioheads: locals succumb to the call of the airwaves" 2007 article in The Hook
• "After time of turmoil, WTJU reprograms, increases fundraising" 2012 article in The Daily Progress
• "WTJU keeps it eclectic" 2013 article in The Daily Progress

External links

• 91.1 WTJU Online
• Query the FCC's FM station database for WTJU
• Radio-Locator information on WTJU
• Query Nielsen Audio's FM station database for WTJU