"WJER FAQ"
PLEASE TELL ME...

Q: How do you get your Community News information, and how often are the announcements read on the air?

A: We obtain our community news information from people all over the Tuscarawas Valley. They simply write their information down on a post card, send via e-mail (330) 364-4538, via mail (646 Boulevard, Dover, Ohio wjer@tusco.net), send via fax 44622) or deliver in person to WJER Radio. The information is read (on a rotating basis) twice per hour on WJER AM 1450. There is NO CHARGE for public service to be read on WJER.

Q: How old to you have to be to work at WJER?

A: You need to be the legal age to accept employment. High School students have always played a big part in the makeup of our staff. Former High School students now on our staff include Gary Petricola and Amy Smith. Some of these employees are now in college and still with WJER on a part time basis. We encourage local high school students to become a part of our staff.

Q: How tall is your tower?

A: Our tower (located behind the radio station) is 420 feet tall. .

Q: When did the radio stations go on the air?

A: The station went on the air in February of 1950 as a phase of the post World War 2 broadcast expansion by the government. This would then allow smaller areas to have their own broadcast outlet.

Q: Do you have to go to school to be a DJ?

A: Although education is always beneficial in any job, formal education is not required by law to become a D.J., a news person, or an advertising account representative.

Q: Why do radio stations play commercials?

A: Commercial radio and TV stations provide free entertainment to millions of people all over the world. In order to remain "free" entertainment, commercials are necessary for these media outlets to pay salaries, expenses and so forth. It's a great "trade off" for the public. You pay for this entertainment by hearing or seeing the commercials.

Q: Why are you at 1450 on the AM dial ?

A: Frequency allocations (where a radio station is located on your radio dial) are granted by the Federal Communications Commission, a federal government agency, when the stations go on the air. These locations are determined by transmitter power, market size and how long a station has been in business.

Q: Why do all radio and TV station's call letters (i.e. WJER) begin with the letter W?

A: They don't. Most stations in the United States east of the Mississippi River begin with W. Those west of the Mississippi begin with K. In Canada, it's C and Mexico X. This was part of the big Radio treaty signed between the United States, Mexico and Canada years ago.

Q: What do the letters W-J-E-R stand for?

A: The "W" was explained in the previous question. At the time WJER went on the air, stations were a lot like vanity license plates. The carried initials of people, companies and so forth. Today, call letters are chosen because of various marketing needs by the stations. As WJER was owned by Greer Steel, and owner Agnes Greer wanted to honor her father, she chose the call letters bearing her father's name, Jeremiah E. Reeves.

Q: Where do you get "The News" that you broadcast?

A: Our National News reaches us via the Associated Press wire service as well as the Associated Press Radio Network. State News also comes to us via the A.P. wire and through the Ohio News Radio Network. Locally, WJER has 4 full time News people, Jennifer Clark, Jamie Hambach, Jessica Eggan & Amy Smith. It is their job to make news rounds to police stations, the courthouse and so forth several times per day. In addition, they also attend meetings and banquets, political events and make phone calls to gather the News that you hear.

Q: You call yourself the "award winning news team". How many awards has the WJER actually won?

A: Over the past decade, WJER has won dozens of awards from the Associated Press at their state wide meeting. This past year, WJER won the Best overall small market News and Sports operation in the state of Ohio, an award WJER is particularly proud of.

Q: Why do you broadcast so many Dover and New Philadelphia football and basketball games compared to other schools in Tuscarawas County?

A: WJER would like to carry all of the games. However, this is impossible. Scheduling is based on several factors, the first being our city (cities) of license, Dover and New Philadelphia. The Federal Communications Commission licenses WJER to serve these cities first, Tuscarawas County second. Therefore, we must commit to cover these two schools first. The second consideration is game importance. If there is a choice between a game with sports conference significance and one without, WJER will chose the game with sports conference significance. The third factor is community support, via advertising, Broadcasting local sports is very expensive, and advertising support is very necessary to allow these broadcasts.

Q: Where do you get your questions for contests like the Wendy's "What Year Was It?

A: Questions for these contests come from various trivia books, newspaper and magazine articles. 

Ask us YOUR question. E-Mail WJER at: [questions@wjer.com]