In our Middletown area you’re going to find this new station right down at the beginning of the FM radio dial at 88.1. It has great call letters for its jazz music format, WJZZ.
In other areas of the Hudson Valley from Ulster, Dutchess, Southern Orange and Pike County you’ll find the station on at 106.5, 106.3 and 106.1.
It’s part of Hudson Valley Public Radio, a non-profit corporation set up to bring the unique format of Jazz to the Hudson Valley.
The founders of the station, Bud and Juli Williamson, who are pictured above in the studio are already getting hundreds of emails and messages of support.
Their company, Digital Radio Engineering, in Port Jervis is the hub for the broadcasts. From their studios the signal is sent out to the transmitters throughout the listening area.
Before becoming on-the-air broadcasters their company built a nationally known reputation for designing stations and studios and still continues offering those services.
Three years ago they purchased WDLC in Port Jervis which has grown to a group of 5 stations in the tri-states area operating under the banner of the Neversink Media Group. They have won awards including one from the New York State Broadcasters Association for their community service programs.
Bud actually got his start in broadcasting at WDLC back in the 1970’s. He and Juli are glad to be active in keeping local radio alive and thriving in the Hudson Valley. They hope you’ll have a chance to tune into the new station.
I’ve been listening for several weeks now. I find the station very listenable. It’s got a good mix of music. I had it on while cooking–the chicken parmigiano came out great–it must of been the music that inspired the cook. It was good at the holidays when wrapping presents. Try it while driving. It comes in great on Route 84. It makes for a smmmoooth drive. I was even listening while I wrote this post. Give it a try.
This is a link to get more information about the station and listen to it live if you want.
Please feel free to leave a comment below on how you like the new station, WJZZ.
By Art Livesey
Nice article, and WJZZ is a wonderful station and asset for the Hudson Valley and beyond.
please mix in more blues.we love your station and I follow to your other stations while I am driving.pleas e more blues.thank you johnsalewski JR
Bud! First off, happy birthday! (I owe you that)! You’re playing JAZZ? …You wonderful, wonderful man! I will DEFINATELY be listening! Art, I worked for Al Larson in the news department at WALL, briefly, when I was at OCCC. Bud, I would listen to Bruce Wayne Allen in Wurtsboro during the 90s whenever I travelled I-84 back to Port. He got hit with a massive hailstorm one evening that knocked-out his tower. Sounded like the end of the world in his studio. 5 minutes later, that same storm hit I-84, and I had to hide under an overpass until it passed by. R.I.P.