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J-Wave facts for kids

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For the J wave on an ECG, see Osborn wave.
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JOAV-FM
J-WAVE logo (2020 - ).svg
Broadcast area Greater Tokyo Area
Frequency 81.3 MHz
Branding 81.3 J-Wave
Programming
Language(s) Japanese
Format J-pop/C-pop/CHR
Affiliations Japan FM League
Ownership
Owner J-Wave Inc. (owned by Credit Saison, Nippon Broadcasting System, Kyodo News, and other stakeholders)
History
First air date
 August 1, 1988; 36 years ago (1988-08-01)
Call sign meaning
 J-WAVE
Technical information
Power 7,000 watts
ERP 57,000 watts
HAAT 632.2 meters
Transmitter coordinates
 35°42′35.93″N 139°48′38.35″E / 35.7099806°N 139.8106528°E / 35.7099806; 139.8106528
Repeater(s) Minato 88.3 MHz
Links
Webcast J-Wave on radiko
J-Wave on Ustream

J-Wave is a popular radio station in Tokyo, Japan. It broadcasts on 81.3 FM from the Tokyo Skytree. J-Wave plays mostly music, including J-pop (Japanese pop), C-pop (Chinese pop), and Western music. It offers many different music styles.

J-Wave is known as the most popular FM station in Tokyo. In 2008, it even became more popular than an AM station, which was a big surprise in the radio world. J-Wave started in October 1988. Its official callsign is JOAV-FM. It is part of the Japan FM League (JFL), a group of commercial radio stations.

What Makes J-Wave Special?

J-WAVE's main saying is "The Best Music on the Planet." The people who host the shows are called "navigators" ("navigators" (ナビゲーター, nabigētā)). Their music style is like the "Top 40" or "Contemporary Hit Radio" (CHR) you might hear in Western countries. This means they play the most popular songs right now.

The station uses hundreds of short musical sounds, called jingles, to separate programs from commercials. These jingles usually have the same tune and volume. Since 1994, J-Wave has also broadcast its shows by satellite. Some of its programs are even played on smaller community radio stations across Japan.

J-Wave's History

J-WAVE officially became a company on December 10, 1987. It began testing its broadcasts on August 1, 1988, using the 81.3 MHz FM band. On October 1, 1988, at 5:00 a.m., J-Wave started its regular broadcasts from Tokyo Tower. It was the 27th FM radio station to launch in Japan and the second in Tokyo.

The name "J-WAVE" came from a record store called WAVE in Roppongi. This store was part of the "Saison Group" of companies. While other radio stations talked a lot, J-WAVE chose a "more music less talk" style. This different way of doing things made it very popular. They played music almost non-stop, with only short breaks for news, traffic, and weather. At that time, Japanese law said that radio shows had to be at most 80% music and at least 20% talk. J-WAVE also helped create the term "J-pop" for Japanese popular music. This later led to the term K-pop for Korean popular music.

Around 1995, J-WAVE brought in new hosts to make the station feel fresh. The term "J-POP" became widely used for popular Japanese music, not including traditional Japanese music. The station also started airing special shows to attract more listeners, which helped them get more money from advertisements.

On October 1, 2003, J-WAVE moved its main office to the 33rd floor of the Roppongi Hills Mori Tower in Minato, Tokyo. On April 23, 2012, J-WAVE moved its broadcasting equipment from Tokyo Tower to the Tokyo Skytree. This new location allowed them to broadcast with more power.

Famous Navigators (DJs)

Here are some popular navigators who hosted daily shows on J-Wave between 1988 and 1993:

  • Jon Kabira
  • Carole Hisasue
  • Chris Peppler
  • Cara Jones
  • Barry White
  • Mike Rogers (producer)

Popular Programs

Tokio Hot 100 Chart

J-WAVE creates a weekly chart called the Tokyo Hot 100. This chart lists the top 100 singles. It uses information from Billboard Japan, including how many times songs are streamed, downloaded, or watched as music videos. It also looks at CD sales and how many times songs are mentioned on Twitter. This chart is different from the national Japanese single charts like Oricon. There is also a TV show version of the Tokyo Hot 100 on MTV Japan.

Other Shows

  • Saude Saudade

Top Songs of the Year (Slam Jam)

J-Wave also announces a "Song of the Year" (Slam Jam) each year. Here are some of the past winners:

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: J-Wave para niños

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