• Citadel's Timeless Favorites format ends (02.15.2010)
• WYTE Rebrands (02.11.2010)
• WTAQ-FM Signs On (02.05.2010)

Facts About WI Radio

Interesting Facts

• WHA in Madison calls itself “The First Station in the Nation”, fighting with a few other stations who was actually the first broadcast station in the US. Known then as 9XM.
• WMYX in Milwaukee was the first station in the US to use the “Mix” slogan, it is used everywhere now.
• WKLH in Milwaukee was credited with being the first Classic Rock Station.
• WCCN Neillsville Studios are in the Wisconsin Worlds Fair building from 1966. WEKZ Monroe Studios are in a Swiss chalet.
• WIBU in Poynette was powered by a Wind Mill at one time. When they had their Polka format they were featured on CBS news program in the early 90’s.
• WTKM in Hartford is the only full time Polka Station operating in Wisconsin, and one of only a few in the US.
• WTMJ was the reason for the first directional transmitting array. In 1932 WFLA in Florida was interfering with WTMJ so the FCC require WFLA to install a directional antenna system to push their signal away from WTMJ. Upgraded to 5kW day and night. And in 1998 upgraded to a new transmitter site with 50kW days using 4 towers and 10kW nights using six towers.
• Gordon Hinkley is the only Milwaukee radio personality in the national Radio Hall of Fame.
• WTMJ won the Marconi Award in 2000 as the News/Talk/Sports Station of the Year. But if you listen to Brewers or Bucks games on the station, you still hear about the 2000 award at the top of almost every hour.
• WFMR (Classical, Brookfield, 2001), WAXX (Country, Eau Claire, 2002), WIXX (Green Bay, top 40, 90’s), WIAL (Eau Claire, top 40, 2002), and WMCS (Urban, Milwaukee, 2002) were all finalists for the Marconi’s radio award, in their respective category.
• Former Green Bay Packer Willie Davis once owned two Milwaukee Stations, WMCS, and WLUM and is still part of the stations Management today. WMCS was once WMVP (those calls were sold to a Chicago Station).
• In 1982, Bob Reitman and Gene Mueller teamed up for the morning show, and they've been there ever since, still hanging at or near the top of the ratings. Although recent departures of longtime staffers Danny Clayton and Leonard Peace have broken the trend, WKTI has a remarkable record of staff longevity. Lips LaBelle, who does afternoons, has been at the station for 18 years.

Unique Radio Stations

These were posted on message boards, some were written by me, some were written by other people.

WGLB-FM (No longer exists) their 70's format is something different, they play 70's rock/70's Urban Oldies/70's Pop/Disco, just anything 70's, along with other unique songs, like the theme song for Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, and other older TV shows, along with comedy songs like Camp Granada", the DJ's are fun to listen to and get to pick ALL the music they play on their shows, the music is great. Several of the people that work at the station work there for free, they have a dedicated staff, something you do not see that often in commercial radio anymore. In sorts this was the nearest thing the Milwaukee area had to a community type radio station, on the weekend Ray Styles had a Best of the Big Bands and Polka show, and Classic Country show. Sundays featured the Sunday Morning Bluegrass show, and the Singer-Songwriter showcase. Other shows the station had in the past were Hometown Pic's, that featured local bands, and the Retroactive dance party. Oh, and you can't forget Outlaw Mike Yuhas's Hour in the Shower. This station was fun to listen to because the variety of music, anything could be played at anytime, the DJ's were fun to listen to, this station was unlike any other commercial station, too bad to see it go.

WBJZ Berlin (Station No Longer exists) the only station in the state that had a jazz, blues, R&B, classic jazz standards, soft ballads, reggae, Latin jazz, Motown, light adult contemporary format, very little commercial/DJ interruption, the music they play is good, this station took the chance to do something different, and they have been around a few years. The music has a good beat to it, and it is not an all jazz station, so it plays more variety of music. Now WBJZ is country, though there is still the chance of Jazz returning to the airways. This was unlike any other "Smooth Jazz" (Light AC/Jazz/Elevator Music, such as WJZI, WCJZ) stations.

WMCS Greenfield (Music format no Longer Exists) has a unique Urban AC/Oldies format, this station is liked by many, sounds nothing like other Urban stations in Wisconsin.

WTKM AM-FM Hartford, one of the few stations in the country that devotes most of its airtime to polka and "old time" music. Its signal into Milwaukee is fair to weak, but it still pulls a good showing in the Milwaukee book! WTKM-the one of the only full time Polka station left in the country, Well over 12 hours of Polka Programming each day, lots of local artists are played, and other good programming. Beside WTKM here is the only other station I have learned of that devotes most of its airtime to polka. http://oe.edzone.net/~woes/woes.htm

WOJB Reserve - owned by the Lac Courtes Orielle tribe - one of the few 100kW stations owned by a tribe. Contrary to popular belief, the station's format does not consist solely of native drum songs, but they are there, along with folk, blues, alternative rock, and public affairs programming.

WEVR AM-FM River Falls - an odd mix of Easy Listening and mainstream AC. Since this station is so close to the Twin Cities, you better listen now, because the mix of Yanni and Eddie Money probably won't be around a whole lot longer.

WCFW Chippewa Falls - a mainstream AC most of the time, except for their "chore time" polka show. Listen for the vintage jingle, "This is W-C-F-W, where F-M means 'Fine Music!'"

WECB 104.3 (Station no longer exists)- This is another station (WECB) with a 70s-only all-over-the decade format. I hear songs on here I never hear anyplace else. It also carries local sports, notably the hockey Green Bay Gamblers. The ECB is for Earl C. Brooker, an old top-40 jock on the long-lost WYNE in the Fox Cities. Of course all things must come to an end, the station is now Gold Based AC.

WRCO Richland Center- Ron and the gang there are nice folks...they have a unique format...WRCO in Richland Center plays a mix of country and AC, plus they have specialty shows. On any given day you could hear Celion Dion, Tim McGraw, or you catch a specialty show you could hear the thong song.

WBDK Algoma- This station has a different format, it consists of the "Light AC" hits of the 50's-80's, Oldies, and other lighter music of that era.

WMDC Mayville- For a small town station, they have great personality. "Big Sky", "Silky", Norm Grey, among others are fun to listen to. Tune in each night for the "Big Market Radio Show" and listen to the greatest hits of the 60's, 70's, and 80's.

Two Stations, Many Similarities