New Voice at WRNJ
I must have missed the introduction...who is the new morning voice at WRNJ and what became of Dave Kelber?
Evergreen'69 Who cares. Doc South should still be on that station and Joyce Estey needs to retire already. Katie Moriatry is only there because her stepdad is Bobby Caldwell, the former singer and Great Latonia is way too perky in her delivery.
Time for some new ownership and radio personalities at that channel.
hackres022Burt (Bert?) Baron (Barron, Barren?) is the new WRNJ morning host. He started last Monday 9/20 with his training day with Dave Kelber and was given the reigns for full I believe last Wed for the AM drive time.
Listening to him, I glean the info that he is from the area and was at WRNJ at some time in the late 90's earlier.
Would be nice if the WRNJ website, or even their social media had some updates. Their "Personalities" section of their website leaves a bit to be desired and is woefully out of date. (maybe some of this info is on their site, but hard to find)
Might be useful to have an updated programming guide out there on the website also. (Mr.Worth, I know you read this site, this can be improved).
I like his delivery and style so far. His interaction with the weather and new people seems to have a bit of spark that Dave was lacking.
Dave, as I have previously written, was a steady hand filling in, but the station did need a different voice in the AM at this point. Dave of course, is doing his usual professional job as the PM news person now- but I get the feeling that was not a move that he was thrilled with. None the less, thanks for the AM service Dave, you filled it well for that time.
I also have some minor quibbles with personality selection, but overall, they have a good lineup at this point. Greta in the PM is upbeat, which is what a PM drive time host should be, she does a professional job.
Katie and the other younger news guy, I think his name is Dan, both do a pretty good job, in my opinion. Dan, as I predicted, has become pretty good in a short time. Joyce is an ingrained local news figure, when considering this market and the local news we are looking for, seems to do a quality job there. Sure, the banter at times can be a bit tiresome, but put a microphone in front of me for 5 hours a day, and you may get a similar result. Her and Bert seem to have a good rapport, and it is at least a bit more lively(not Jimmy Howes lively, that is a different animal!)
Sunday morning retro music is a great touch. But, it sounds like the same loop tape they play with the same songs every Sunday. How about changing that up a bit, unless that is going to go stale also.
They still are our only local radio station left, so lets not bash their efforts too much, because none of us are in a position to do it better. Sure, some of the "old personalities" were comfortable- but life sometimes moves on, and sometimes in a work environment, those people cannot always mix as a happy family.
So, short answer, Bert(sorry Burt, Bert) Barron(Baron), no one has quite introduced him to us outside of on the air thus far.
The Rhyme Animal Thanks the Rhyme Animal, or should I say "Norman Worth." You are so off in many ways. Greta can grate on your nerves as she says the same things over and over. Annoying - just play music during the drive time like Chuck does during the daytime.
Joyce comes off as stuffy (sorry, Joyce, but you were never good enough to make the big time) and makes so many mistakes reading the news. Dan Wallace has not been on in weeks, and I wonder if he left as he was actually one of the good people there. Katie, was a high school student of one of my history teacher friends and she barely passed her class and knew nothing about current events - hysterical she is doing news when she knows nothing about it.
Norman is getting up there in age, sell the station, kick Joyce out and go back to making it an oldies station. Was much better when Doc South was there, my opinion on Norman Worth went down after he let him go for no good reason.
mel WRNJ has been a part of Hackettstown and the surrounding area for a long time and I truly appreciate everything that the station offers!
I can remember the great information that it provided during Hurricane Sandy!
The employees there have been a dedicated tight group for many years and applaud their dedication and professionalism in a small town!
Thank you and continued success !!
Hotdogchili Bert Baron is doing a great job as Dave Kelber's replacement. Kelber was there for a long time and it was time to move on from him. Well at least we don't have to hear those crazy horse sounds every
time the station temperatures matched the weather guys temperature reading. Time for WRNJ to just buy a wireless weather station and have the folks at Weather Works install it. Come on Norman Worth let's get it done!
@hackres022 who p*ssed in your cereal this morning? If you don't like it, simply turn the station. No reason to come on here and bash people by name, people who are doing there job. We should be thankful that there's still a radio station up and running that gives us local news on a variety of topics.
Very low blow to remark on someone's high school grades as well I must say.
Get a grip man.
Eye4anEye Still NOT listening anyway, and nobody can make me, unless I'm a captive audience in a place that plays it. Oh yeah, and if they do, where's that dude from the Musician"s Union or BMG or whomever the heck it was that claimed a business doing playing a radio station was infringing on the Artists' Copyright by using the music to supposedly "attract" people into their business.
I have nothing against the DJ's, Newspeople, etc., but have NO urge to listen after the debacle at WNTI.
WOW, problems with trying to edit again on here. I clicked on the popup ad to close it and it both removed my post and took me to the main forum screen!
Phil D. 
Local listener We've been here in this area for over 15 years and have done a lot of business with WMTR/WRNJ. They were great but things always tend to change. They had previously announced our free ticket giveaway for "Sea of Joy" concert some years ago and thy help with missing pets as well: https://wrnjradio.com/online-features/pet-watch/.
They also do good things for the Community like announce the Annual Hospital Fundraiser/Giveaway ticket raffle bid/auction for Hackettstown Hospital.
So, please consider all these things when commenting on the station, just to be fair. Thanks.
AJMS Very well stated Joni. We are blessed to have our own local radio station devoted to our community. Typical online forum, nameless, faceless people spouting their opinions. And that's fine. You would think they were all program managers! Lol. I'd gather most don't have one iota of a clue on how to operate a terrestrial radio station in these times. As someone above so accurately pointed out, turn the knob either on or off, or turn the station. No need to knock something you don't like. In my opinion of course.
Greg I would love a better selection of music. Please don't play "I'm Lovin' It" anymore....ugh...I must be getting old, but I love the Oldies (but only the Goodies).
God Bless WRNJ
bflat4u Wow, no one took a leak in my cereal, but I will stand by my statements. Joyce is old and crabby on the air, Katie was dumb as bricks in high school and is only there because her stepdad is Bobby Caldwell and Greta Latona needs to shut up and just play music during drive time.
Chuck is great in the afternoon as he hardly talks and just plays music. Norman Worth is awful for what he did to Doc South, as the station went south after he let him go. Should just stick to oldies as they are trying to be like a Z100 when it is a station for old people.
New owner needed there and new DJ's and news people who actually went to journalism school and know how to play good music.
pampurr Perhaps someone should call them and share this forum in order to gain some insight on improvements to the station. Candidates, all hands up, please.
Folks there read this forum. However I don't think they require our insight on how to operate or make any perceived improvements to their business model. LOL
Pamela 
Songbird I too do not like the music, they need to play music for their audience. Kids do not listen to this station, the older folks do and we need our music!
Totally agree, Sport! I feel as though the new is geared toward older adults yet the music is geared toward kids.
Ziggy I really don't get the comments on the music just was out driving around and heard songs done 30 to 40 years ago. What are you looking for in music big band ??
JimT hackres022,
Oh no!!! You say such bad things about Joyce and you are so hypercritical of everyone:-(
Joyce has such a warm and trusting voice and I have listened to WRNJ since its first broadcast on AM 1000 in 1976.
Jonathan Stone Oh my god people! Shame on all you whiny critics! Turn the station off if you don't like it, but to take the time to trash people is just pathetic.
WRNJ is a small radio station that does a lot of good for the community. Norman and many of the folks who have been there a long time are dedicated hard working individuals. They may sometimes be a little old fashioned, but in difficult times (Sandy, Covid) they are a constant source of updated information. Personally I find it refreshing and often comforting to hear familiar voices of people I know personally on the radio.
Anyone of you critics remember the adage "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." Use a little restraint, and cultivate some class.
MAN Great point MAN !! Every buddy is a critic now a days. It's like the parent of sports player that is sitting in the bleachers. They say the coach isn't any good but they are not will to put the time and effort actually doing the job.
Bernie I have been a listener to the WRNJ morning program since 1986. I love waking up to Dave Kelber and Joyce Estey each morning. Hearing their voices is a great comfort during these challenging times. I will miss Dave and hope that he remains with WRNJ in some capacity. Bert (Burt) sounds like he will fit in well and I wish him all the best. Thank you WRNJ for your ongoing commitment to the community.
Big Al Thanks AL. That kind of sums it up. My mom nominated my Dad back in the day for person of the day with Russ Long and my Dad won! Ever since then I was a fan, being Russ and Doc South. I listened and have enjoyed it ever since. I want to know local traffic ,weather, closings, etc and this is my go to station . So please stop knocking these long time favorites and today's .They are great people at their best!
.,
I have been listening since day 1. Who remembers Lou Simon? If memory serves me correctly, he was the first announcer on the station. They would ask trivia questions often throughout the day and then all the winners would go to lunch together. When they started they were on the air from dawn to dusk. So their broadcast day was much shorter in the winter. I enjoy the local news and information given on our little radio station.
Parental Unit @ Parental Unit...I am one of the "oldsters" who remember Lou Simon and also way back then Russ Long was with WRNJ too...He left and came back years later and the rest is history. Have been a fan of that station for so long (lived in Hackettstown most of my life). They also did the advertising commercials for the business I owned back in the 70s . To this day...first thing in the morning the radio goes on and is on all day long tuned into WRNJ. Still the best source for local news and information of happenings in and around Hackettstown.
joyful I think the "winner" in this entire thread, positive or negative is... WRNJ.
As they say, to paraphrase, "if they aren't talking about you, then your not worth talking about" (not sure if that paraphrases anyone or I just made that up)
Keep the comments coming. Mr. Worth I am sure has thick enough skin to handle any negative comments, he wouldn't survive in that business otherwise. And, he probably appreciates some positives also.
I have met him before at an event, and I honestly think he reads and takes all feedback into consideration- after all- we do represent part of his audience and advertiser dollar target group.
"Back in the day", WRNJ was the main source of communication to the "locals". They handled 100% of the advertising and did so effectively. They also reached out to people who might have an interest, hobby, or similar to share same with their listeners. I never was a regular listener preferring WNTI and similar but my wife was and is. Accordingly, swap and shop, the trivia (won Broadway tickets once), and various other programs were enjoyable. Bottom line, you cannot be all things to all folks, WRNJ hits on some things and misses on others, which is a good business plan for longevity if not widespread acceptance. Keep it up.
New2this May God bless our rural community here in northwest NJ. Let us speak with kindness and truth. I will pray for all of you, including you (hackres022). I hope we all receive many blessings and much love. Sincerely, Mary Moriarty-Caldwell
MaryCaldwell Hi Hackres022,
Hope you are doing well. Since you are so concerned about my credentials, I encourage you to connect with me on various platforms.
Below is a link to my Linkedin (highlighting my career):
https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-moriarty-68334845
Or perhaps you ought to view at least one of my news reels on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/Xc_OIukpmpw
https://youtu.be/pKfbc6i1ogg
https://youtu.be/TdyGF_L8oLI
Then of course, I am proud of the article published about me in Inside Warren:
http://www.insidewarren.com/horsing-around-in-great-meadows/
If you have any questions, please view my contact information on WRNJ’s website.
As for the management and my colleagues at WRNJ, I cannot praise them enough. They are a staple to the Hackettstown Community, and have been a beacon of information and entertainment for 40+ years. They are truly a great organization.
Sincerely,
Katie Moriarty
Katie Moriarty Katie-
Bravo to you for putting yourself out there and answering a critic. I think our informal poll here shows that a high majority of people support your work and the station in general.
As I said in my above post- put a live mic in front of me 5 hours a day- I may occasionally bore or exasperate you. Hence- I am not worthy of being on air talent- which you obviously are skilled at. (My 50 plus years of AM radio listenership in the NYMetro market do qualify my opinions- as I was schooled on WABC-WOR-WINS-WCBS-WMCA since I started listening as a young boy)
I would still appreciate if someone could get a Bert Baron bio update on the WRNJ website (at least how to spell his name)out here.
Mr Worth- you have commented here before. Katie bravely came here to defend against (unjust) criticism.
What’s your take on this?
Thanks, Rhyme Animal. You’ve always had a cogent take on the radio biz, especially WRNJ’s place in it. You’re right that we can’t please all the people all the time. What radio station could? And I do appreciate you pointing to areas where some improvement is needed. We do listen. (Bert Baron’s bio will be up in a few days on our website. That’s Bert with an “e”.) Bert spent 17 years at WCTC in New Brunswick and hosted a very successful morning program. Notably, he is in the New Jersey Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
Regarding Dave Kelber, he served very well as the RNJ morning host but as an experienced news veteran he was honestly the best choice to replace Dan Wallace anchoring the afternoon news.
And thank you for your perspective on Katie Moriarty. After proving herself in other markets as a top notch news talent she decided to return to her Jersey roots. She’s a highly capable broadcaster and we’re lucky to have her on our team.
We appreciate all comments (OK, most comments) on HL and are always looking for ideas that will help us better serve our community.
Norman Worth Kudos to Katie!!! I listen to you all the time and love your voice....A refreshing and "young" sound now on WRNJ!!
To those Ripping people apart at this news station, do you even know what it takes to be a reporter? The things they deal with, some of the people they deal with? You know nothing... so spread your negativity else where. WRNJ is very professional and up to date and the new voices like Katie Or Dan are doing a fantastic job. I wonder if you even work for a living or just troll the internet for things to make fun of just to fill the void in your empty soul....
Kristina M Katie
Thank you so much for being a part of the WRNJ Family! Your experience and professionalism is a a breath of fresh air! Wish that you were on TV because you are very attractive and beautiful!
And one of my favorite songs is What I wont Do for Love by your amazing Stepfather!
Continued success Katie and WRNJ Family!!
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