WMCS
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| WMCS | |
 |
|
| Broadcast area | Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
|---|---|
| Branding | "1290 WMCS" (days) "ESPN Radio: 1510 Days, 1290 Nights" (nights) |
| Slogan | "Community First" |
| Frequency | 1290 (kHz) |
| Format | African-American talk/sports |
| ERP | 5,000 watts |
| Callsign meaning | W Milwaukee's Community Station |
| Owner | Milwaukee Radio Alliance |
| Website | www.1290wmcs.com www.espnmilwaukee.com |
WMCS (1290 AM) is an African-American-oriented talk radio station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They are owned by All-Pro Broadcasting, and are part of the Milwaukee Radio Alliance, along with co-owned WLUM-FM and WJZI. After sunset, they switch to a syndicated ESPN Radio broadcast, in partnership with WAUK-AM (1510), which operates on a daylight-only license. The station is also the home of games for Marquette college basketball and the AHL Milwaukee Admirals via WAUK [1], along with being Milwaukee's secondary station for Milwaukee Brewers, Milwaukee Bucks and Wisconsin Badgers sports coverage from WTMJ-AM (620) if that station has a programming conflict (A Brewers game airing at the same time as a Green Bay Packers game, for instance).
[edit] History
WMCS has been playing R&B oldies or urban adult contemporary music, with some local talk shows since 1985. The changeover to an all-talk format happened in 2004. The station was called WMVP for many years ("MVP" referred to owner Willie Davis' pro football years with the Green Bay Packers). ESPN Radio 1000 in Chicago bought the call letters in the mid-1990s, and 1290 became WMCS, which stands for "Milwaukee's Community Station", to emphasize the station's heavy community involvement. Until December 1993, it was WMVP, the station was called Solid Gold Wheels (WLZZ). Prior to that they were WZUU-AM, and a sister station to WZUU-FM.
Prior to All-Pro's purchase of WMCS in 1988, the company also owned 1590 WAWA, a daytime-only AM licensed to West Allis, Wisconsin, which had a traditional R&B format that was popular with Milwaukee's African-American community and was a serious rival to WNOV during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. All-Pro signed the station off for good after the purchase of WMCS.
[edit] External links
- 1290 WMCS
- ESPN Radio: 1510 Days, 1290 Nights
- Milwaukee radio: a retrospective
- Query the FCC's AM station database for WMCS
| AM radio stations in the Milwaukee-Racine, Wisconsin market (Arbitron #36) | |
|---|---|
| By frequency: |
540 | 620 | 860 | 920 | 1050 | 1130 | 1250 | 1290 | 1340 | 1400 | 1460 | 1470 | 1510 | 1540 | 1560 | 1640 |
| By callsign: |
WAUK | WBJX | WBKV | WGLB | WISN | WJYI | WKSH | WLIP | WMCS | WNOV | WOKY | WRJN WRRD | WSSP | WTKM | WTMJ |
 |
This article about a radio station in Wisconsin is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
