R.I.P.: Former NJ Station Owner Faye Gade

Faye Gade

Faye Gade, the owner of Jersey Shore radio station WHTG, died on Thursday at the age of 65.

According to Diffuser.fm, the New Jersey Broadcasters Association’s statement revealed that she passed “after a long illness”.

WHTG-FM first signed on at the 105.5 MHz frequency on October 11, 1961, as the sister station of WHTG 1410 AM. The station was named for Harold and Theo Gade, its first owners and operators. Eventually, the Gades' daughter Faye became general manager of the station. Faye Gade assumed ownership of the station in 1985.

Interference with WDHA in northern New Jersey resulted in the move to its current 106.3 MHz frequency in 1965.

Gade took over ownership in the ‘80s, handling the station’s transition from "beuatiful music" to alternative rock in 1984 and making it one of only 10 stations at the time to take on the format.

“She was really pleased by it,” said Mike Marrone, WHTG’s music director at the time. “The station back then was really well respected in the industry for our taste in music and our standards – we played the music that we loved and she enjoyed that.”

That music included a heavy rotation of the B-52s, the Smiths, the Cure, R.E.M. and more. It also led to visits from the likes of Gwen Stefani, Jewel, Joey Ramone and others.

Gade went on to sell WHTG to Press Communications in 2000. In 2009, the station flipped formats to Top 40, and in 2010 it went to country with the new call letters WKMK 106.3 FM.