The history of college radio in the city of North Adams can trace its roots back to the winter of 1968. The entertainment committee for the Winter Carnival was brainstorming ideas to come up with a gimmick to promote the event. In less than a week, a crude setup with a weak AM signal was calling those on campus (and in the immediate neighborhood) to the carnival. With the temporary stunt a huge success, plans were immediately started to get a permanent station on the air by the Fall. After a false start under unofficial call letters WNAS (WNorthAdamsState), the station began regular programming in 1969, using the call letters WTAC, in a nod to the studio’s home base in the basement of the later-demolished Taconic Hall dormitory. Operating with 25 watts at 600 KHZ(AM), the station quickly became a huge success, both as a club, and a fixture on radios across campus and the city. The plan at the time was to upgrade to full-power status at 250 watts, but it would be more than a decade before this came to fruition.
After operating somewhat illegally for more than four years, the time had come in the Fall of 1973 for the station to apply for a broadcast license from the FCC. On Monday, September 24, 1973, the brand new FM signal, which was given the call letters WJJW by the FCC, signed on from the basement of the Taconic building. Operating as a 10-watt Class D signal at 89.5 mhz, the station would quickly establish itself as a primary source for news, information, entertainment, and a wide variety of music. In the Spring of 1975, WJJW made its first move to new studios on the top floor of the newly-constructed Campus Center, where it would stay for almost twenty years. Programming was more popular than ever, as the little ten-watt station was starting to show up in local ratings surveys, much to the chagrin of the commercial stations in the area. Furthermore, as the only daily source for campus news and announcements, WJJW was heavily relied upon by a majority of students, faculty, and community members. Rock music was of course the station’s bread and butter, however the station also carried a variety of syndicated programming and public affairs programs, not to mention the occasional show hosted by academic departments, such as the History Department’s Revista, and the Philosophy Department’s Plato’s Cave.
In the Spring of 1976, a group of WJJW staff members, under the supervision of Engineer Paul Willey, installed a new antenna and mast on the roof of the Campus Center. The new antenna was needed for a frequency change to 91.1 MHZ. A public radio network in Vermont was going to be operating on 89.5, so WJJW needed to relocate to the new dial position. The rest of the decade was pretty quiet in terms of innovation at the station, until February of 1979 when the station finally secured enough funds for an upgrade to a brand new transmitter. With the new equipment in place, WJJW was now operating with an effective radiated power of 423 watts, although still broadcasting in mono. The station was now branding itself as The New Music Authority.
By the late 80’s there was only one thing that was missing from WJJW: a stereo signal. The station would need another new transmitter, processing equipment, and other hardware. Beginning in 1986, the station began procuring donations of equipment and funds for an eventual transition to stereo. Among the generous donations was a sum of almost $4000 given by the listeners of a popular Polka program hosted by Adams resident Lou Daniels. Also, gently used hardware was donated by Worcester powerhouse WSRS. Over the Christmas break in January of 1988, all of the new gear was installed, and WJJW began the Spring semester broadcasting in full FM stereo. The station continued to be an important touchstone in the lives of students.They knew that WJJW was the place to go to for fun call-in shows, top-flight sports programming, and a seemingly endless stream of giveaways, everything from pizzas, hot dogs, and 1-hour tans. There was hardly any other radio station played on campus, and many local shops and businesses also had their radios locked onto 91.1 FM.
With a move to a new studio in the basement of Murdock Hall in November 1994, the station now had production facilities, music library, and main studios all in one four-room space. Longtime adviser Harris Elder was excited, because he now had enough room to teach a full class in the new production room. The spot also included a spacious office for administration and music department use. Unfortunately this impressive complex would only last about 8 years or so.
In 2002, Murdock Hall was closed for a full renovation. The Beacon (MCLA’s Student Newspaper) and WJJW would no longer be in the future plans for the rebuilt building, and WJJW was hastily moved back to its old space on the third floor of the campus center. By this time, interest in the station was waning quickly, as information and entertainment became much more widespread and accessible by other means. The phone in the studio was ringing less and less. Radio was beginning to seem like a lost art. WJJW went through some rough times, and for about ten years had a hard time getting enough people interested to stay on the air. However, since 2008, with another equipment upgrade, and the addition of online streaming, WJJW has been making consistent strides, slowly returning to its former glory. It is now again one of the most popular clubs at MCLA, and dead air is mostly a thing of the past.
– Tim Clark, May 2nd 2016