Radio station makes new home in West Windsor
By Stephanie Booth
Princeton Packet Staff Writer
Tuesday, September 15, 1998
On the 35th anniversary of its first broadcast, WHWH radio station broadcast Friday for the final time in Princeton Borough.
The AM station, part of the Nassau Broadcasting Company, is not being disbanded. It is just moving from Witherspoon Street to the company's new Alexander Road offices in West Windsor.
Herb W. Hobler, Nassau Broadcasting founder and Mercer Street resident, was on hand Friday morning to reminisce about the station and reveal little known trivia, such as the origin of the station's call letters.
"After I had gotten approval from the Federal Communications Commission, my lawyer in Washington, D.C. asked me for the call letters, and because the station was going to be in Princeton I suggest WMCR for Mercer County, or possibly WPNJ or WTIG," he said.
However, all those combinations were in use. So Mr. Hobler improvised and used his initials. "I was a little wary about it at the next stockholder's meeting, but the (investors) didn't mind," he recalled.
Mr. Hobler sold Nassau Broadcasting, which included sister FM station WPST, to Lou Mercantani
Mr. Hobler, who founded the company in 1958, wanted a radio station in Princeton Borough to cover Princeton's news and sporting events. Over the years, Mr. Hobler hosted a classical pops music program on Sunday nights and joined sports color commentators to cover Princeton University athletic events. He played a few minutes from some of those broadcasts Friday morning.
During his tenure, Mr. Hobler also had the opportunity to work with a convicted murderer and interview British royalty.
WHWH news reporter Bill Schirmann
Mr. Schirmann and Mr. Hobler were impressed with the prisoner's intellect and drive - he was studying for a law degree - and set up a 15-minute radio program from within the prison which was broadcast Monday nights.
Eventually, Mosiello was allowed to leave the prison daily on a work program. He would come to Princeton and file a two-minute segment for WHWH every day, Mr. Hobler said.
The fondest memory Mr. Hobler had of the unusual situation was when Mosiello covered a talk at Princeton University, given by Lord Louis Mountbatten
When asked by Mosiello, Lord Mountbatten agreed to come to the station on Witherspoon Street for an interview, Mr. Hobler said.
"I'll never forget Lord Mountbatten coming to the studio in a black limousine and Hank Mosiello, serving life for murder, stepping out with him," Mr. Hobler said.
Mosiello eventually escaped prison and was found by the FBI a year-and-a-half-later. He served an additional two years before being released in the late 1980s; he died in 1996, Mr. Hobler said.
Despite the memories conjured by the Witherspoon Street offices, Mr. Hobler said he no longer feels sad about the station's move. "I did miss it at first, but I got over it," he said.
But the brief return to the airwaves has led Mr. Hobler to consider broadcasting on a regular basis.
"I might be inclined to do it again," he said, smiling.