WGHT (1500 AM) is a radio station owned by the Borough of Pompton Lakes, New Jersey and licensed to serve the same municipality.

The station simulcasts Warwick, New York station WTBQ's full-service radio format, and is a "daytimer" signing on at dawn and off at dusk, to protect other stations on the 1500 kHz frequency, i.e. clear-channel stations.

History

Original WKER era

WGHT originally signed on as WKER, with FCC records showing WKER's license being granted as of May 27, 1965, and with station call letters representing its founder, Bob Kerr. Kerr published an industry guide called the KERRadio Album Digest, and provided syndicated programming to stations in the US and Canada. As a result his station, WKER served as a test market station for the nearby, much larger, New York City market in the 1960s. The station initially ran a top-40 format that included local news. until the station was sold to John Silliman's Mariana Broadcasting in 1993, when Bob Kerr's estate sold the radio station. Silliman was formerly an on-air personality at various other radio stations over the years. Upon taking ownership, Silliman applied for a call sign change to WGHT which stood for "Gold HiTs", with the station tagline "Gold Hits 1500.

During this period of time, the station had a history of being a launching pad for syndicated and New York City radio talent, including Fox Sports personality Kevin Burkhardt, singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman and WABC's Noam Laden and Deborah Valentine.

The station was also an NAB Marconi Radio Award finalist and an NAB Crystal Radio Award finalist more than a dozen times, and received Associated Press News Awards. WGHT's local sports department won dozens of awards for their local high school sports coverage and broadcasts. WGHT's news department was honored with awards from the Associated Press and the New Jersey Broadcasters Association in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017. The WGHT Morning Show with Jimmy Howes and Greta Latona was honored with dozens of awards from the Garden State Journalists Association for their celebrity interviews and on-air contests. Pompton Lakes had no plans to operate the station, and looked for a partner to run it. On December 15, 2017, ownership was transferred and the station went silent. John Silliman conducted the signoff.

A low-power FM translator application was granted in May 2018 as part of the FCC's "AM Revitalization Program", but not finished. On December 13, 2018, WGHT began temporarily and sporadically simulcasting Middletown, New York station WALL to keep its broadcast license valid.

Second WGHT era

In March 2019, Frank Truatt, owner of 1110 WTBQ/93.5 W228CG in Warwick, New York, announced plans to begin operating WGHT under a Local Marketing Agreement with the option to purchase the station (and its still-approved construction permit for an FM translator at 98.3, W252ED). WGHT resumed broadcasting in April 2019 and will temporarily simulcast programming from WTBQ/W228CG while local programs are being developed.

The station's FM translator began broadcasting on May 7, 2020.

References

;FM translator