WFCJ

WFCJ (93.7 FM "93.7 The Light") is a radio station licensed to Miamisburg, Ohio, serving the Dayton metropolitan area. Owned by Strong Tower Christian Media, it broadcasts a Christian talk and teaching radio format. The station is funded by both advertising and listener donations. Some of the national religious leaders heard on WFCJ include Charles Stanley, David Jeremiah, Chuck Swindoll, Jim Daly and Rick Warren. Strong Tower Christian Media operates two 50,000 watt Christian radio stations in Ohio. WFCJ and 100.7 WEEC in Springfield serve the cities of Dayton, Middletown, Cincinnati and parts of Northern Kentucky and Eastern Indiana.

WFCJ
Broadcast areaDayton metropolitan area
Frequency93.7 MHz (HD Radio)
Branding93.7 The Light
Programming
FormatChristian talk and teaching
Ownership
Owner
  • Strong Tower Christian Media
  • (Miami Valley Christian Broadcasting Association)
WEEC
History
First air date
January 7, 1961
Call sign meaning
Witnessing for Christ Jesus[1]
Technical information
Facility ID41457
ClassB
ERP50,000 watts
HAAT150 meters (492 feet)
Transmitter coordinates
39°39′35.00″N 84°18′53.00″W
Links
WebcastListen live
Website937thelight.com

WFCJ broadcasts in the HD Radio hybrid format.[2] Its HD2 channel carries religious music branded as Worship!. NOAA Weather Radio station WXJ46 also transmits from the WFCJ tower. WFCJ's studios and offices are off Home Avenue (U.S. Route 68) in Xenia, Ohio, and the transmitter is off Manning Road in Miamisburg.[3]

History
Clair Miller (left) and Tracy Figley (at podium) accepting the Milestone Award at the 2012 National Religious Broadcasters Convention

WFCJ first signed on the air on January 7, 1961.[4] It was owned by the Miami Valley Christian Broadcasting Association and at first was powered at only 6,800 watts.

According to its website, WFCJ was the second Christian radio station to go on the air in Ohio and the first in the Dayton area. The organizers, Wilbur Powell, Vernon Wilson, Ray Emby and others, originally sought an AM license but had to settle for an FM outlet, not realizing that in a few decades, most radio listening would be on the FM dial.

One of the first announcers when the station went on the air on January 7, 1961, was a University of Dayton student named Clair Miller. Miller was also one of the first voices heard on Springfield's Christian station WEEC later that year, returning to WFCJ in May 1980 to serve as the station's General Manager for the next 30 years. In 2007, WFCJ and WEEC agreed to merge under the name Strong Tower Christian Media. WEEC General Manager Tracy Figley served as president of the new corporation and Miller as vice-president. On February 13, 2008, the merger was consummated.

For more than 20 consecutive years, WFCJ was home to the same weekday hosts: Bill Nance (1989-2011) and Melody Morris (1999-2011) 6-9 AM; Jim Williams (1979-2015) 6 AM-3 PM; Stan Ellingson (1986-2014) 3-6 PM, Robin Walton (1988–2018) 6 PM - midnight and Mike Hill from midnight to 6 AM.

In 2012, Strong Tower Christian Media announced that WFCJ and WEEC would consolidate their operations into new facilities in Xenia, Ohio.[5] The stations are housed on the campus of Legacy Christian Academy.

In July 2019, WFCJ switched entirely to spoken-word Christian programming and rebranded as The Light 93.7, leaving music programming exclusive to WEEC (which later re-launched as the worship music station Hope 100.7).[6]

References
  1. "Call Letter Origins". Radio History on the Web.
  2. http://hdradio.com/station_guides/widget.php?id=58
  3. Radio-Locator.com/WFCJ
  4. Broadcasting Yearbook 1963 page B-142
  5. McGinn, Andrew. "Springfield radio station moving to Xenia in 2013". Dayton Daily News. Retrieved 2019-07-08.
  6. "WEEC & WFCJ Dayton Rebrand Amidst Programming Cleanup". RadioInsight. 2019-07-08. Retrieved 2019-07-08.
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