WPAT-FM (1949–1951)

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.

This article is about a former FM station in Paterson, New Jersey. For the current station with this call sign, see WPAT-FM.

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 call letters were 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, WGLI-FM (now WKTU).

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