WPMI-AM

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

WPMI-AM

Broadcast area	Mobile, Alabama
Branding	NewsRadio 710 WPMI
Slogan	Mobile's 24-Hour News Source
First air date	September 26, 1946
Frequency	710 kHz
Format	News/Talk
ERP	1000 watts
Class	B
Callsign meaning	"Pensacola, Mobile, Independent"
Former callsigns	WKRG (1946-1994) WNTM (1994-2004)
Owner	Clear Channel Communications
Website	www.newsradio710.com

WPMI-AM "NewsRadio 710" is a talk radio station based in Mobile, Alabama, broadcasting on 710 kHz. The station was originally owned by movie theater owner, architect, and broadcasting pioneer Kenneth R. Giddens, whose family-owned WKRG-TV Inc. put WKRG 710 AM on the air on September 26, 1946. The station would have an FM companion broadcasting on 99.9 MHz within the next couple of years, followed by television partner WKRG-TV on September 5, 1955. Like competitor WABB's FM station, WKRG-FM was a simulcast of the AM station before finding its own format of beautiful music in 1965. In March 1970, the Federal Communications Commission enforced new rules preventing future radio and television ownership combinations in the same market, which allowed the stations of WKRG-TV, Inc. to remain standing, or "grandfathered".

For much of its history, the former CBS-affiliated WKRG-AM had a format of middle of the road music and talk shows. Such talk shows included an afternoon program hosted by future WKRG-TV sports director Randy Patrick, but the talk radio format would soon dominate the schedule later in the 1980s as FM reigned with its superior sound. The next change for WKRG Radio in the 1980s was a new location, as WKRG-TV, Inc. moved from its long time home on downtown Mobile's St. Louis Street to its current facility close to the city's two malls, Springdale Mall and Colonial Mall Bel Air. WKRG Radio, including both 710 AM and 99.9 FM were sold off in late 1994. A new journey awaits these two legendary stations.

On October 12, 1994, WKRG-AM became known as WNTM, with call letters standing for "News Talk of Mobile, making it clear that the new owners at Capital Broadcasting want to keep the talk radio format. Along with radio programs such as "The Rush Limbaugh Show", some former WKRG Radio staff would stay in this midst of change. The station's owners would also inherit studio & office space on the third floor of WKRG-TV's facility. Clear Channel Communications would take ownership of 710 AM and 99.9 FM in 1997. Interesting enough, Clear Channel also owns what would become WKRG-TV's biggest rival in decades, the new NBC affiliate WPMI. After WPMI started its news operation in January 1996, the resources of this new addition to the Mobile-Pensacola news media would be put to good use for WNTM in the years to come.

On August 12, 2004, WNTM received another change in call letters, this time to WPMI due to the station's close relationship with WPMI-TV. The station has also seen an expansion of local news from WPMI-TV, along with the timeslots of regularly scheduled programs. The new partnership also meant the end of affiliation with ABC News Radio, meaning no more of Paul Harvey's daily and weekend broadcasts for listeners on the central Gulf Coast. Since the change in call letters, WPMI-AM has changed its radio network affiliation twice. After almost a year with NBC News Radio, WPMI 710 became affiliated with FOX News Radio. Ironically, WPMI-TV was affiliated with FOX Broadcasting before joining NBC in 1996.

Numerous radio personalities have been heard over Mobile's 710 AM, including a few voices from the WKRG Radio years still around today. Former WKRG-FM disc jockey Scott O'Brien hosts "Mobile's First News" and "Ask the Expert" in the morning. Michael P. Sloan is a newsbreak reader and Daniel Shane McBryde hosted his own afternoon program during the WNTM years, both are WABB veterans. Long time radio personality Yvonne Morrison hosted "The Garden Show" alongside reporter Charlie Moss on Saturday mornings. Local media personality and former WABB host Uncle Henry hosts the most popular program on WPMI-AM's current lineup.

WKRG-TV has virtually moved on from its former stations with different radio ambitions at work, but the memories shall live on in the listeners and the people who kept those stations running until it was decided to set them free for a new owner willing to take care of them too.

The current weekday line up on WPMI-AM is

6:00AM-8:30AM         "Mobile's First News"
8:35AM-9:30AM         "Ask the Expert"
9:35AM-11:00AM        "The Uncle Henry Show"
11:05AM-2:00PM        "The Rush Limbaugh Show"
2:05PM-7:00PM         "The Paul Finebaum Show" 
7:05PM-10:00PM        "The Dave Ramsey Show" (delayed)
10:05PM-12:00AM       "The Savage Nation" (delayed)
12:05AM-4:00AM        "Coast to Coast AM" (George Noory)
4:05AM-5:00AM         "Coast to Coast AM" (repeat)
5:05AM-6:00AM         "America in the Morning"

[edit] External links

• WPMI-AM's Official Site