FAQ
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 announcements from non-profit groups and organizations from all over the Tuscarawas Valley. They simply send the information about their events (date, time, place, etc.) in one of the following ways:
- Email: wjer@wjer.com
- Mail: WJER Radio, 646 Boulevard, Dover, OH 44622
- In person to WJER Radio
The information is read on a rotating basis twice per hour on WJER for one week prior to the event. If you would like to submit an announcement, please be sure to get your information to us at least two weeks prior to the event! This free! service is made available only to those who are not purchasing advertising elsewhere.
Q: How old do you have to be to work at WJER?
A: You need to be of legal age to accept employment. High school and college students have always played a big part in the makeup of our staff. Former high school and college student employees and interns now on our staff include Gary Petricola, Amy Smith, Mandy Garver, Hannah Hubbard, and Ryan Pastircak. We always encourage local students to contact us for internship opportunities.
Q: How tall is your tower?
A: Our tower (located behind the radio station) is 420 feet tall.
Q: When did the radio station go on the air?
A: The station went on the air in February of 1950 as a phase of the post World War II 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 DJ, a newsperson, 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 is 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 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 stations’ 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 in Mexico, it’s 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 is explained in the previous question. At the time WJER went on the air, stations were a lot like vanity license plates. They carried initials of people, companies, and so forth. Today, call letters are chosen because of various marketing needs by the stations. 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 you broadcast?
A: Our national news comes to 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 two full-time news people: Jamie Hambach and Ryan Pastircak. Their job is to make news rounds to police stations, the courthouse, and so forth several times per day. They also attend meetings, banquets, and political events and make phone calls to gather the news you hear.
Q: You call yourself the “award-winning News team.” How many awards has WJER actually won?
A: Over the past two decades, WJER has won dozens of awards from the Associated Press at their statewide meeting. Within the past few years, WJER was named the Best Overall Small Market News and Sports Operation in the state of Ohio, an award of which WJER is particularly proud. Hover over “News” and click on “AP News Awards” for a complete list of awards we have won.
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 and 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 choose the game with sports conference significance. The third factor is community support via advertising. Broadcasting local sports is very expensive, and advertising support is 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, newspapers, and magazine articles.