For the radio station at Towson University that had same name, see XTSR.
WTSR
CityTrenton, New Jersey
CountryUS
Area
FormatCollege radio
AffiliationsPacifica Radio Network
OwnerThe College of New Jersey
LicenseeThe College of NJ Radio System
AirdateOctober 26, 1966
Former frequencies(1966–1972)
Callsign meaning"Trenton State Radio"
Licensing authorityFCC
Facility id67625
ClassA
Erp1,500 watts
Haat11 meters (36 ft)
Coordinates40.2715°N 74.7815°W
Websitewtsr.org

WTSR (91.3 FM) is a student-run non-commercial radio station broadcasting from The College of New Jersey (formerly Trenton State College), servicing Mercer County and Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The station's call letters originally reflected the college's former name: "Trenton State Radio".

History

In June 1966, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted the college permission to use 89.7 FM at a power of 10 watts under the callsign WTSR.[1] WTSR first went on the air on October 26, 1966, from two studios in Armstrong Hall following a ceremony from then-new college president Dr. Virgil W. Gillenwater.[2][3] In March 1968 the radio station moved from Armstrong into Kendall Hall.[4]

On November 1, 1974, following months of testing, WTSR changed frequency to 91.3 FM when the station was granted an increase in power by the FCC to broadcast at 1,500 watts.[5] This upgrade provided the station with a 30-mile broadcast radius and the capability to reach a potential audience of 750,000 to 800,000 listeners. Following a stint to The Brower Student Center, WTSR moved into brand new facilities inside Kendall Hall at the beginning of the 1993–94 academic year.[6]

In 2011 the Trenton Thunder, then the Double A affiliate of the New York Yankees, announced WTSR as the new flagship station of the Trenton Thunder Radio Network.[7] The agreement saw WTSR broadcast all Thunder Eastern League regular season games and playoff games. In 2017, the Thunder announced a new broadcast deal with WNJE.[8]

WTSR Underground

Once per semester, WTSR collaborates with Lions Television (LTV) to bring underground alternative artists to The College of New Jersey. Each band performs a live set, which is recorded and later uploaded to the WTSR Underground YouTube channel. Artists are also interviewed by WTSR's News Staff. Turnover, Citizen, and Tiny Moving Parts have all performed at Underground.[9]

Management

WTSR is completely student-run consisting of two boards: the executive board (e-board) and the board of directors. The e-board is made up of the station manager, operations manager, and the program manager. The board of directors includes the rest of the board, for a total of 11 student members who operate the station along with the general manager.[10]

Awards

Intercollegiate Broadcasting System Awards[11]
YearAwardEntryAwardee(s)Result
2022Best Station Blog91.3FM BlogZach Rich, Haley WrightFinalist
Best Sports UpdateSports Talk!Jay KatzFinalist
Best News InterviewInterview with Dr. Gary ChapmanNancy BowneFinalist
Best College/University Radio Station (under 10,000 students)91.3FM WTSRWTSR Executive BoardFinalist
Best Community Volunteer Program/PersonalityGet Funked UpDennis Bereznyak "D-Menace"Finalist
2023Best Talk ProgramSlumber PartyCassie Malnick, Bella TruccoWinner
2024Best Use of Video in Radio StudioWTSR UndergroundEmily Dougherty, DJ Landau, Robert Andersen, Annalise Kelly, Catherine Burns, Delaney Smith, Maddy Breeze, Christopher Ortiz, Sam HermanFinalist
Best Liner/SweeperThe Pond Splash ZoneZach Rice, Jake BrancatoFinalist
Best Program Director, Radio91.3FM WTSRMadeline BreezeFinalist
2025Best Community Volunteer ProgramTransmission ControlThomas KelleyWinner
Best Political NewsLive Election Coverage 11/7/24Delaney Smith, Sarah Neil, Kevin Potucek, Skye Frawley & Jenna RittmanFinalist
Best Program Director, Radio91.3FM WTSRDelaney SmithFinalist
Best Production Director, RadioThe College of New JerseySamuel HermanWinner
Best Music Director, Radio91.3FM WTSRAddie DiPietroFinalist
Best Sports Director, Radio91.3.FM WTSRMatthew PostFinalist
Best Business Director, Radio91.3FM WTSRDaniel LandauFinalist

See also

References

  1. ^ "Trenton State to Operate FM Station". The Evening Times. June 28, 1966. p. 6. Retrieved August 11, 2025. – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "Trenton State Going on the Air". The Sunday Home News. October 23, 1966. p. 29. Retrieved August 11, 2025. – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "WTSR Radio On At Trenton State". The Evening Times. October 27, 1966. p. 20. Retrieved August 11, 2025. – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "TSC Student Radio Gets New Quarters". Sunday Times Advertiser. March 3, 1968. p. 28. Retrieved August 11, 2025. – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Action Line". The Evening Times. November 22, 1974. p. 42. Retrieved August 11, 2025. – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Williams, Kerry (December 4, 1993). "The quest to air alternative music is paramount at TSC". The Times. p. B4. Retrieved August 11, 2025. – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "WTSR 91.3 FM Becomes New Flagship Station of the Thunder Radio Network". MiLB.com. February 23, 2011. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
  8. ^ Fybush, Scott (April 14, 2017). "NERW 4/17/17: Unpacking the Repack". Fybush.com An update to last week's Baseball on the Radio – the class AA Trenton Thunder have a new radio deal this season that puts the team on WNJE (920 Trenton). When "920 the Jersey" is tied up with weekday Fox Sports Radio coverage, conflicts will move to WCHR (1040 Flemington).
  9. ^ "WTSR Underground". Retrieved January 21, 2026. – via YouTube.
  10. ^ "Contact Us - WTSR 91.3FM". wtsr.org. Archived from the original on October 18, 2012.
  11. ^ "Awards". IBS Media. Retrieved January 21, 2026.