WCJW ( “CJ Country”) is a radio station in western New York state. Its AM facility broadcasts at 2500 watts on 1140 kHz from studios in Warsaw, New York during daytime hours only; however, four co-owned FM translators provide fulltime service. A construction permit was recently granted to allow a daytime power increase to 8000 watts. The station’s format is centered around country music with a strong emphasis on local news, weather, high school sports, and agriculture. Other popular weekday features include WCJW’s daily Tradio program and weekend coverage of NASCAR races.

Coverage area

WCJW is the only AM station licensed in Wyoming County and the only broadcast station in the county with a local studio (WLKK is licensed to Wethersfield in Wyoming County but simulcasts WBEN from Buffalo). In addition to the county seat of Warsaw, targeted communities include Perry, Silver Springs, Castile, Gainesville, Arcade, and Attica, along with the Livingston County villages of Geneseo, Mount Morris, Nunda, Avon and Caledonia, and the Genesee County municipalities of Batavia and Le Roy. Although WCJW’s 2 mV/m primary service contour extends into a portion of Monroe County and its 0.5 mV/m secondary contour encompasses the entire city of Rochester, the station directs its service towards the rural communities of the Genesee Valley region.

Translators

In June 2008, WCJW began simulcasting its programming on FM Translator W279BO in Warsaw, a 250 watt facility collocated with the studio and AM transmitter, and in November 2008, W288BZ began operating on 105.5 MHz from the Genesee County public safety tower in Batavia. In January 2009, W265BX began serving southern Wyoming County and Livingston County, and in November 2011, WCJW’s fourth translator W282BQ commenced service to Le Roy, northern Livingston County, and southwestern Monroe County, including the Interstate 390 corridor from Geneseo to Henrietta. All four translators transmit in stereo and employ the Radio Data System.

Call sign MHz City of license Power
(W)		 Class Additional Information
W265BX 100.9 Nunda, New York 250 D FCC
W279BO 103.7 Warsaw, New York 250 D FCC
W282BQ 104.3 Avon, New York 110 D FCC
W288BZ 105.5 Batavia, New York 180 D FCC

History

WCJW began broadcasting on May 16, 1973 as a 1 kW daytime facility under the ownership of broadcast engineer John Weeks, who had spent much of his career on the engineering staff of WJR in Detroit. Weeks envisioned a family-oriented operation, with his wife Catherine and daughters Carolyn and Jill filling early staff positions at the station. WCJW’s original music format took an easy listening / MOR approach, later dubbed “The Heart of Western New York”.

Upon Weeks’ retirement in September 1984, the station was purchased by Warsaw resident Lloyd Lane and a group of local investors. A format change to country music in 1986 brought increased support from listeners in this rural region of upstate New York with a local economy based primarily on dairy farming. In 1999, the station’s nominal power was increased to 2,500 watts.

Prior to adding the FM translators in 2008, WCJW was a daytime-only station.

Personalities

  • Jimi Jamm
  • Steve Weber
  • Kelli Carson
  • Greg Ireland
  • Chris Taylor