WJFD-FM

{{short description|Portuguese-language radio station in New Bedford, Massachusetts}} {{Use American English|date=February 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox radio station | name = WJFD-FM | logo = 97.3_FM_WJFD_Inc.png | city = [[New Bedford, Massachusetts]] | country = US | area = {{ubl|[[South Coast (Massachusetts)|South Coast Massachusetts]]|[[Providence, Rhode Island]]}} | branding = 97.3 FM WJFD | airdate = {{start date|1949|2|22}} (as WBSM-FM) | frequency = 97.3 [[megahertz|MHz]] | format = [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] and [[world music]] | erp = 50,000 watts | haat = {{convert|152|m|ft|sp=us}} | class = B | facility_id = 18720 | licensing_authority = [[Federal Communications Commission|FCC]] | coordinates = {{coord|41|38|15.2|N|70|52|14.8|W|region:US-MA_type:landmark|display=inline,title}} | callsign_meaning = [[Jacinto F. Diniz]] | former_callsigns = {{ubl|WBSM-FM (1949–1970)|WGCY (1970–1975)}} | owner = WJFD-FM, Inc. | webcast = {{listenlive|http://player.listenlive.co/36771/en}} | website = {{URL|www.wjfd.com}} }} '''WJFD-FM''' (97.3 [[Hertz|MHz]]) is a [[commercial radio]] station [[city of license|licensed]] to [[New Bedford, Massachusetts]]. The station is owned by Henry M. Arruda with the license held by WJFD-FM, Inc. Studio and offices are on Orchard Street in New Bedford. The [[transmitter]] is located off Arcene Street in [[Fairhaven, Massachusetts|Fairhaven]].<ref>[https://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/finder?sr=Y&s=C&call=Wjfd&nav=&x=0&y=0 Radio-Locator.com/WJFD]</ref> WJFD-FM airs a [[Portuguese language]] music format.<ref>{{cite web |title=Winter 2008 Station Information Profile |work=Arbitron |url=http://www1.arbitron.com/sip/displaySip.do?srvy_id=WI08&surveyID=WI08&band=fm&callLetter=W}}<sup>[information no longer available]</sup></ref> It is aimed at the Portuguese, Brazilian and Cape Verdean communities in Southeastern [[New England]].

==History== On February 22, 1949, the station [[sign-on|signed on]] as WBSM-FM.<ref>[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1950/RADIO%20&%20TV%20AL-MT%20YB%201950%20B&W-11.pdf Broadcasting Yearbook 1950 page 169]{{dead link|date=May 2026|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> It was the FM counterpart to [[WBSM]] (1230 AM; now on 1420 AM). WBSM-AM-FM were owned by the Bay State Broadcasting Company. At first, WBSM-FM [[simulcast]] its AM [[sister station]], but with a large Portuguese-speaking population in the region, many of whom came to Coastal New England to work in the fishing industry, management decided to devote WBSM-FM to Portuguese programming.

On September 16, 1970, the callsign switched to WGCY.<ref name="fcc-cards">{{cite web |title=WJFD-FM history cards |url=https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=81549 |website=CDBS Public Access |publisher=[[Federal Communications Commission]] |access-date=April 1, 2024 |format=PDF}}</ref><ref>[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1973/B%201%20YB%201973.pdf Broadcasting Yearbook 1973 page B-95]{{dead link|date=May 2026|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> It was owned by Gray Communications, and continued its Portuguese pop music and talk. In 1975, local prosecutor and political leader [[Edmund Dinis]], born in the [[Azores]] and of Portuguese descent, acquired the station.

The station was assigned the WJFD-FM call sign by the [[Federal Communications Commission]]<ref name="fcc1">{{cite web |title=Call Sign History |work=FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database |url=http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=18720&Callsign=WJFD-FM}}</ref> on June 23, 1975.<ref name="fcc-cards"/> Edmund Dinis wanted to honor his father, [[Jacinto F. Diniz]], by using his initials in the new call sign. (The father used a Z at the end of the family name, while Edmund used an S.)

Edmund Dinis owned the station until his death on March 14, 2010, at age 85.<ref> {{cite news | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/21/us/21dinis.html | title = Edmund Dinis, Prosecutor in Chappaquiddick Case, Dies at 85 | work = [[The New York Times]] | author = Dennis Hevesi | date = March 20, 2010 }}</ref> On August 2, 2010, ownership of the station was transferred to Dinis' close friend and business partner, Henry M. Arruda.<ref>{{cite web |title=Application for Consent to Transfer Control of Entity Holding Broadcast Station Construction Permit or License |work=FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database |url=https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101393411&formid=315&fac_num=18720}}</ref> The station moved its studios and offices from an historical downtown location on Union Street, to the third floor of the Howland Place professional building in the south end of New Bedford shortly after.

In 2015, WJFD-FM joined the [[iHeartRadio]] platform of streaming radio stations, becoming the first and only Portuguese language radio station in the U.S. to be offered. Over time, immigration from Portugal has dropped off, so many of WJFD-FM's newer listeners are of Portuguese-Brazilian-Cape Verdean-descent and non-Portuguese listeners. From 2018-2019,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://eurovoix.com/2018/05/06/united-states-eurovision-2018-to-be-broadcast-on-radio/ |title=United States: Eurovision 2018 To Be Broadcast On Radio |last=McCaig |first=Ewan |date=6 May 2018 |work=Eurovoix |access-date=10 May 2018 |archive-date=13 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413065745/https://eurovoix.com/2018/05/06/united-states-eurovision-2018-to-be-broadcast-on-radio/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://eurovoix.com/2019/05/17/united-states-wjfd-97-3-to-broadcast-eurovision-2019-final/|title=United States: WJFD 97.3 to Broadcast Eurovision 2019 Final|last=Granger|first=Anthony|access-date=17 May 2019|work=Eurovoix|date=17 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190517172014/https://eurovoix.com/2019/05/17/united-states-wjfd-97-3-to-broadcast-eurovision-2019-final/|archive-date=17 May 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> and in 2023-2024,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Granger |first=Anthony |date=2023-05-13 |title=Eurovision 2023: Where to Watch the Grand Final |url=https://eurovoix.com/2023/05/13/eurovision-2023-where-to-watch-the-grand-final/ |access-date=2023-08-06 |website=Eurovoix |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-05-11 |title=United States: WJFD Broadcasting Eurovision For a Sixth Contest |url=https://eurovoix.com/2024/05/11/united-states-wjfd-broadcasting-eurovision-sixth-contest/ |access-date=2024-05-11 |website=Eurovoix |language=en-GB}}</ref> the station has also provided a live broadcast of the [[Eurovision Song Contest]] final, with commentary in English and Portuguese.

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *[http://www.wjfd.com/ WJFD-FM official website] *{{FCC-LMS-Facility|18720|WJFD}} *{{FMARB|WJFD}}

[[Category:Radio stations in Massachusetts|JFD-FM]] [[Category:Portuguese-American culture in Massachusetts]] [[Category:Portuguese-language radio stations in the United States]] [[Category:New Bedford, Massachusetts]] [[Category:Mass media in Bristol County, Massachusetts]] [[Category:Radio stations established in 1949]] [[Category:Non-English-language radio stations in Massachusetts|JFD-FM]] [[Category:1949 establishments in Massachusetts]]