WFME

**WFME** (94.7 FM), known on-air as "La Mega 94.7", is a radio station that is licensed to Newark, New Jersey, serving the New York City area, and is owned and operated by Alarcon Media Group (AMG). The station has a tropical format, which consists of such musical styles as salsa, merengue, bachata, and reggaeton. WFME’s studios are located in the combined AMG facility in the Empire State Building, and its transmitter is located in Rutherford, New Jersey.

### Broadcast area

Northern New Jersey - New York City - Westchester County

## Ownership

Alarcon Media Group, Inc(WSKQ Licensing, Inc.)

## History

### Former callsigns

WAAT-FM (1947–1958)
WNTA-FM (1958–1962)

WJRZ-FM (1962–1963)

### Callsign meaning

World Famous Mega

WFME broadcasts in the HD Radio format.

### Early years

The 94.7 FM frequency signed on in 1947 as WAAT-FM, and was owned by the Bremer Broadcasting Company along with sister station WAAT (970 AM). The following year, Bremer launched New Jersey's first television station, WATV on channel 13 transmitting from the WAAT-FM tower. In 1957, the three stations were sold by Bremer to National Telefilm Associates, who changed the operation's call letters to WNTA-FM. During this period, the station had diversified programming such as jazz, classical music, and easy listening music.

National Telefilm split up its holdings in 1961, with WNTA-TV being sold to a New York City-based nonprofit educational group (it is now WNET), and the WNTA radio stations going to Communications Industries Broadcasting. The new owners changed the calls to WJRZ-FM and initially retained the station's previous format, however on April 14, 1963, Family Radio, a Christian broadcaster then based in Oakland, California, began leasing airtime on WJRZ-FM. In 1964, the station was renamed WFME, and in March 1966, Family Radio purchased 94.7 FM outright and began airing its religious programming around-the-clock.

WFME's local programming consisted of community announcements, weekend public affairs, and weather and traffic inserts during Family Radio's *Rise and Rejoice* morning show. WFME originated a portion of the network's overnight program *Nightwatch*, hosted by station manager/chief engineer Charlie Menut. The rest of the station's schedule originated from Family Radio headquarters in Oakland.

WFME's programming was also heard on two translator stations: W213AC (90.5 FM) in Hyde Park, New York; and W247AE (97.3 FM) in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. As a result of WFME's license status change (see below), the translators could no longer legally rebroadcast WFME's broadcast signal; as a result, both translator stations are now carrying a different Family Radio station with a similar feed as of February 2022.

### Sale to Alarcon Media Group

On December 6, 2021, Family Radio applied to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to change the license of WFME from noncommercial to commercial. The application was approved on February 7, 2022.

Sale rumors were confirmed on February 14, 2022, when Family Radio announced that it would sell WFME to Newark-based Alarcon Media Group; the originally undisclosed price was later confirmed to be $40 million. In addition, Family Radio acquired Cumulus' WDVY (106.3 FM) in Mount Kisco, New York. The FCC approved the sale/station trade June 29, 2022, making 94.7 FM a sister station to AMG's four existing New York market stations: WSKQ 97.9, WPAT 93.1, WPAT 930, and WSKQ 620. (The WSKQ stations were later bought by KLR Media)

On July 1, 2022, AMG completed the purchase of WFME. Family Radio programming on 94.7 FM ended at 8:40 a.m. on July 1; prior to signing off of the frequency, station manager Charlie Menut stated that the network's programming would be transferred to WDVY, and that efforts to acquire a frequency that would cover the New York City area were being made; around 9:00 a.m. that day, the station began stunting with a loop of songs featured in their new Spanish contemporary hits format, which debuted July 4 at 5:00 a.m. local time as "La Mega 94.7," with “Se Nos Perdió El Amor” by El Gran Combo De Puerto Rico being the first song played. In early 2023, the station gained a translator in Long Island with the addition of W292BV (106.3 FM) in Long Island City.