WPJB
{{Short description|Radio station in Providence, Rhode Island (1941–1954)}}
{{about|an AM radio station|105.1 FM in Providence (1948–1985)|WWLI}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name = WPJB
| logo =
| city = Providence, Rhode Island
| country = US
| area = Providence metropolitan area
| branding =
| frequency = 1420 kHz
| translator =
| repeater =
| airdate = {{start date and age|1941|4|28}} (as WFCI in Pawtucket)
| last_airdate = {{end date and age|1954|10|9}}
| language =
| power = 5,000 watts
| haat =
| class = III
| facility_id =
| coordinates =
| callsign_meaning = Providence Journal-Bulletin
| former_callsigns = WFCI (1941–1951)
| former_frequencies =
| affiliations = {{ubl|NBC Blue|Blue Network|ABC}}
| owner = Providence Journal Company
| licensee =
| sister_stations = {{hlist|WFCI-FM (101.5)|WPJB-FM (105.1)}}
| webcast =
| website =
}}
WPJB (1420 AM) was a radio station in Providence, Rhode Island, which began broadcasting in 1941. It was deleted in 1954 after its owner, the Providence Journal-Bulletin, purchased a second local station, WEAN, because contemporary Federal Communications Commission ownership rules had a limit of a single local station on the AM band.
History
=WFCI (1941–1951)=
The station was first issued a construction permit in the fall of 1940, as WFCI, to the Pawtucket Broadcasting Company on 1390 kHz, with a transmitter site in Lincoln.[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiug.30112106763177&seq=406 "C. List of Broadcasting Stations: (1) Additions to List], Radio Service Bulletin. August 15, 1940, page 20. However, as of March 1941, most stations on 1390 kHz, including the not-yet-operational WFCI, were moved to 1420 kHz, because of the implementation of the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement.[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=osu.32437010939748&view=1up&seq=583 "United States station assignments by frequency"], Arrangement between the United States of America, Canada, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Mexico, comprising recommendations of the North American Regional Radio-Engineering Meeting (supplemental to North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement, Habana, 1937). Signed at Washington January 30, 1941; effective March 29, 1941, page 1439.
The station call letters reflected the station's founder and president, Frank Cook. This was the second Pawtucket station to hold the WFCI call sign, as an earlier WFCI, founded by Cook in 1926, had also been WFCI until changing to WPAW two years later. With the reappearance of the historic WFCI call sign, the 1941 station was commonly referred to as "The New WFCI".[https://archive.org/details/broadcasting20unse/page/n841/mode/1up "The New WFCI"], March 31, 1941, Broadcasting, page 30. The station began regularly scheduled programming on April 28.[https://archive.org/details/broadcasting20unse/page/n1104/mode/1up "New WFCI, Providence, Announces Personnel"], Broadcasting, May 5, 1941, page 39. W. Paul Oury was general manager, and George Sutherland was program director.{{cite news|title=Street Level Studios|url=https://archive.org/stream/variety142-1941-03#page/n27/mode/1up|work=Variety|date=March 5, 1941|page=28}}
WFCI was one of four radio stations in the pre-World War II Providence market (the others being WPRO, WEAN and WJAR). WFCI was an affiliate of the NBC Blue network, which in 1943 became simply the Blue Network, and finally changed to the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in 1945. WFCI added FM service on 101.5 MHz in about 1950; on that frequency today is WWBB.[https://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/finder?sr=Y&s=C&call=WWBB&nav=home "WWBB-FM 101.5 MHz Providence, Rhode Island"], radio-locator.com
The station became a Colonial and Mutual affiliate as of April 5, 1941 (prior to that it had served as WEAN's overflow station).[http://misterk60.com/1942_affils.html Mutual 1942 affiliate list] WFCI moved to the Biltmore Hotel in Providence in 1949 and took over WEAN's ABC affiliation.[https://jeff560.tripod.com/1949am.html 1949 list of A.M. stations and their networks]
WFCI was relicensed to Providence in 1950.
=WPJB (1951–1954)=
Frank F. Cook, owner of 70% of the station, died in an automobile accident on December 1, 1950.[https://archive.org/details/broadcastingtele40moor/page/n207/mode/1up "WFCI Transfer Sought"], Broadcasting, January 15, 1951, page 36. WFCI was sold to the Providence Journal-Bulletin in 1951; the newspaper changed the call sign to WPJB, matching their radio station on 105.1 MHz (now WWLI).{{cite news |title=WFCI Sale: Providence 'Journal' Buys |work=Broadcasting–Telecasting |date=April 9, 1951 |page=22}}{{cite news |title=FCC roundup |work=Broadcasting–Telecasting |date=June 11, 1951 |page=96}}[https://www.fybush.com/sites/2004/site-040917.html North East Radio Watch September 17, 2004 (retrieved July 26, 2010)]
The Journal-Bulletin bought a second local station, WEAN in 1954.{{cite news |title=Sales of WEAN, WTAC, KCSJ-AM-TV Put to FCC |work=Broadcasting–Telecasting |date=August 30, 1954 |page=9}} However, the August 1941 adoption of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)'s "duopoly" rule restricted licensees from operating more than one radio station in a given market.[https://archive.org/stream/broadcasting21unse#page/n304/mode/1up "Ban On Multiple Ownership in Same Area"], Broadcasting, August 11, 1941, pages 6-7. Therefore, WPJB was taken off the air on October 9, 1954, the day the Journal-Bulletin began operating WEAN;{{cite news |title=Journal Takes WEAN Oct. 9, Relinquishes WPJB There |work=Broadcasting–Telecasting |date=October 4, 1954 |page=62}} the FCC canceled the license on October 20.{{cite news |title=Existing Am Stations |work=Broadcasting–Telecasting |date=November 1, 1954 |page=94}} The ABC affiliation returned to WEAN, and WPJB-FM continued operations under its existing call sign.
The vacated assignment for 1420 AM was soon reused, when WBSM in New Bedford, Massachusetts, was given permission to move to 1420 kHz in 1956, where it remains to this day.
Programming
- Buddy & The Gang.[http://www.pawtuckettimes.com/content/lucille-m-mass%C3%A9 January 16, 2012 obituary for Lucille M. Masse who was a child performer on "Buddy & The Gang" (retrieved November 27, 2012)]
- Cavaliere Antonio Pace hosted an Italian program which had originated at WPRO & was also heard at one time on WRIB.[https://books.google.com/books?id=qlEVKAo5yNcC&dq=WFCI+Pawtucket&pg=PA121 Snippet of an Italian-language program on WFCI.]
Personnel
- T.F. Allen: Advertising & Commercial head (1941)
- Frank Cook: Founder.
- W. Paul Oury: general manager (1941)
- Arthur Paquette: Host of the "1420 Club" (1942)[http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB-IDX/40s-OCR-YB/1942-YB/RA-1942-All-Page-0790.pdf List of radio personalities from the 1942 Broadcasting Yearbook, including Arthur Paquette]
- Anita Ramos: Supervisor of foreign broadcasts.[http://www.asu.edu/clas/hrc/POA/profile.anita.html ASU staff profile of Anita Ramos De Schaff]
- Mark Sheeler: Disc jockey (1948)[https://books.google.com/books?id=fPUDAAAAMBAJ&dq=WFCI+Pawtucket&pg=PA21 Listing of Mark Sheeler on WFCI.]
- George Sutherland: program director (1941).
- Howard W. Thornley: chief engineer (1941).
- Wallace A. Walker: General Manager (1946)[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1946/Radio-by-state-BC-YB-1946.pdf 1946 Broadcasting Yearbook, page 158; retrieved April 3, 2019.]
References
{{reflist|30em}}
{{Providence Radio}}
Category:Defunct radio stations in the United States
Category:Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Category:Radio stations established in 1941
Category:1954 disestablishments in Rhode Island
Category:Radio stations disestablished in 1954