# WJFD-FM

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Portuguese-language radio station in New Bedford, Massachusetts

WJFD-FM New Bedford, Massachusetts United States Broadcast area South Coast Massachusetts Providence, Rhode Island Frequency 97.3 MHz Branding 97.3 FM WJFD Programming Format Portuguese and world music Ownership Owner WJFD-FM, Inc. History First air date February 22, 1949 (1949-02-22) (as WBSM-FM) Former call signs WBSM-FM (1949–1970) WGCY (1970–1975) Call sign meaning Jacinto F. Diniz Technical information[1] Licensing authority FCC Facility ID 18720 Class B ERP 50,000 watts HAAT 152 meters (499 ft) Transmitter coordinates 41°38′15.2″N 70°52′14.8″W / 41.637556°N 70.870778°W / 41.637556; -70.870778 Links Public license information Public file LMS Webcast Listen live Website www.wjfd.com

**WJFD-FM** (97.3 [MHz](/source/Hertz)) is a [commercial radio](/source/Commercial_radio) station [licensed](/source/City_of_license) to [New Bedford, Massachusetts](/source/New_Bedford%2C_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](/source/Transmitter) is located off Arcene Street in [Fairhaven](/source/Fairhaven%2C_Massachusetts).[2] WJFD-FM airs a [Portuguese language](/source/Portuguese_language) music format.[3] It is aimed at the Portuguese, Brazilian and Cape Verdean communities in Southeastern [New England](/source/New_England).

## History

On February 22, 1949, the station [signed on](/source/Sign-on) as WBSM-FM.[4] It was the FM counterpart to [WBSM](/source/WBSM) (1230 AM; now on 1420 AM). WBSM-AM-FM were owned by the Bay State Broadcasting Company. At first, WBSM-FM [simulcast](/source/Simulcast) its AM [sister station](/source/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.[5][6] It was owned by Gray Communications, and continued its Portuguese pop music and talk. In 1975, local prosecutor and political leader [Edmund Dinis](/source/Edmund_Dinis), born in the [Azores](/source/Azores) and of Portuguese descent, acquired the station.

The station was assigned the WJFD-FM call sign by the [Federal Communications Commission](/source/Federal_Communications_Commission)[7] on June 23, 1975.[5] Edmund Dinis wanted to honor his father, [Jacinto F. Diniz](/source/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.[8] On August 2, 2010, ownership of the station was transferred to Dinis' close friend and business partner, Henry M. Arruda.[9] 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](/source/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,[10][11] and in 2023-2024,[12][13] the station has also provided a live broadcast of the [Eurovision Song Contest](/source/Eurovision_Song_Contest) final, with commentary in English and Portuguese.

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FCC-LMS-18720_1-0)** ["Facility Technical Data for WJFD-FM"](https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/public/tv/publicFacilityTechDetails.html?facilityId=18720). *Licensing and Management System*. [Federal Communications Commission](/source/Federal_Communications_Commission).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [Radio-Locator.com/WJFD](https://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/finder?sr=Y&s=C&call=Wjfd&nav=&x=0&y=0)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Winter 2008 Station Information Profile"](http://www1.arbitron.com/sip/displaySip.do?srvy_id=WI08&surveyID=WI08&band=fm&callLetter=W). *Arbitron*.[information no longer available]

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [Broadcasting Yearbook 1950 page 169](https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1950/RADIO%20&%20TV%20AL-MT%20YB%201950%20B&W-11.pdf)[*[dead link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot)*]

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-fcc-cards_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-fcc-cards_5-1) ["WJFD-FM history cards"](https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=81549) (PDF). *CDBS Public Access*. [Federal Communications Commission](/source/Federal_Communications_Commission). Retrieved April 1, 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** [Broadcasting Yearbook 1973 page B-95](https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1973/B%201%20YB%201973.pdf)[*[dead link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot)*]

1. **[^](#cite_ref-fcc1_7-0)** ["Call Sign History"](https://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=18720&Callsign=WJFD-FM). *FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Dennis Hevesi (March 20, 2010). ["Edmund Dinis, Prosecutor in Chappaquiddick Case, Dies at 85"](https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/21/us/21dinis.html). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Application for Consent to Transfer Control of Entity Holding Broadcast Station Construction Permit or License"](https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101393411&formid=315&fac_num=18720). *FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** McCaig, Ewan (May 6, 2018). ["United States: Eurovision 2018 To Be Broadcast On Radio"](https://eurovoix.com/2018/05/06/united-states-eurovision-2018-to-be-broadcast-on-radio/). *Eurovoix*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210413065745/https://eurovoix.com/2018/05/06/united-states-eurovision-2018-to-be-broadcast-on-radio/) from the original on April 13, 2021. Retrieved May 10, 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** Granger, Anthony (May 17, 2019). ["United States: WJFD 97.3 to Broadcast Eurovision 2019 Final"](https://eurovoix.com/2019/05/17/united-states-wjfd-97-3-to-broadcast-eurovision-2019-final/). *Eurovoix*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20190517172014/https://eurovoix.com/2019/05/17/united-states-wjfd-97-3-to-broadcast-eurovision-2019-final/) from the original on May 17, 2019. Retrieved May 17, 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** Granger, Anthony (May 13, 2023). ["Eurovision 2023: Where to Watch the Grand Final"](https://eurovoix.com/2023/05/13/eurovision-2023-where-to-watch-the-grand-final/). *Eurovoix*. Retrieved August 6, 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** ["United States: WJFD Broadcasting Eurovision For a Sixth Contest"](https://eurovoix.com/2024/05/11/united-states-wjfd-broadcasting-eurovision-sixth-contest/). *Eurovoix*. May 11, 2024. Retrieved May 11, 2024.

## External links

- [WJFD-FM official website](http://www.wjfd.com/)

- [Facility details for Facility ID 18720 (WJFD)](https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/public/tv/publicFacilityDetails.html?facilityId=18720) in the [FCC](/source/Federal_Communications_Commission) Licensing and Management System

- [WJFD](https://www1.arbitron.com/sip/displaySip.do?surveyID=SU26&band=fm&callLetter=WJFD) in [Nielsen Audio](/source/Nielsen_Audio)'s FM station database

v t e Radio stations in New Bedford, Fall River, and the South Coast of Massachusetts By AM frequency 1340 1400 1420 1480 By FM frequency 88.1 88.5 91.1 97.3 98.1 107.1 Translators 93.7 95.9 96.5 101.3 Via FM subcarrier 67 kHz Talking Information Center (radio reading service) Digital radio by frequency & subchannel 98.1-1 98.1-2 By call sign W229DC W240EB W243BG W267CY WBSM WCTK HD2 WFHL WFHN WHTB WJFD-FM WNBH WRRS WSAR WTKL Defunct WMAF WPEP (1570 AM) WWTA (88.5 FM) Radio stations in the Providence metropolitan area Providence New Bedford-Fall River Newport Other nearby regions Boston Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard See also List of radio stations in Massachusetts

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