WJOK
Relevant Radio station in Kaukauna, Wisconsin, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
WJOK (1050 AM) is a Roman Catholic Christian formatted radio station licensed to Kaukauna, Wisconsin, that serves the Green Bay and Appleton-Oshkosh areas. The station is owned by the Green Bay-based Relevant Radio network. To improve its local reach, the station broadcasts via FM translators W239CV (95.7 FM) in Oshkosh and W300CM (107.9 FM) in Appleton.
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| Broadcast area | Green Bay-Appleton-Oshkosh |
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| Frequency | 1050 kHz |
| Programming | |
| Format | Christian radio |
| Network | Relevant Radio |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
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| History | |
First air date | September 25, 1965 |
Former call signs |
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Call sign meaning |
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| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 19879 |
| Class | B |
| Power |
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Transmitter coordinates | 44°14′51″N 88°18′0.4″W |
| Translators |
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| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live |
| Website | relevantradio |
History
The station first signed on the air on September 25, 1965, using the call letters WKAU.[2] During this era, it operated with a Top 40 format and was frequently associated with its FM sister station, WKAU-FM. [3] In 1984, Milwaukee-based broadcaster Quinn Martin purchased the station and changed the call letters to WQWM (reflecting his initials) to launch an oldies music format.[4]
Ownership changed again in 1993, at which point the call sign was updated to WSGC to accommodate a "Positive Country" music format.[5] By 1999, the station pivoted to an all-sports identity branded as "1050 The Jock" under the call letters WJOK.[6] During its time as a sports station, it carried syndicated programming from the Sports Fan Radio Network and served as the local affiliate for Wisconsin Timber Rattlers baseball.[7]
In 2000, the station was acquired by Starboard Broadcasting, a group of Catholic businessmen that included Bob Atwell and John Cavil.[8] On November 26, 2000—the Solemnity of Christ the King—WJOK broadcast a Catholic Mass from the Cathedral of St. Francis Xavier in Green Bay, marking the official start of the Relevant Radio network.[9] The station is often cited as the "birthplace" of the network, which has since grown to more than 200 stations across the United States. [10][11]
After switching to Catholic programming, the station owners re-designated the "WJOK" call sign to stand for "Jesus Our King," a religious interpretation of the letters originally chosen for the former "Jock" sports format.