WMCS
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| WMCS | |
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| Broadcast area | Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
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| Branding | "1290 WMCS" |
| Slogan | "Community First" |
| Frequency | 1290 (kHz) |
| Format | African-American talk/sports |
| Power | 5,000 watts |
| Class | B |
| Callsign meaning | W Milwaukee's Community Station |
| Owner | Milwaukee Radio Alliance |
| Website | www.1290wmcs.com www.espnmilwaukee.com |
This article is about the radio station, for the school, see West Memphis Christian School
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 WLDB.
After sunset, the station switches to a syndicated ESPN Radio broadcast, in partnership with WAUK-AM (previously on 1510, now at 540). The 1510 frequency operates on a daytime-only license, and must shut down at sunset, hence the abrupt switch of 1290 from its regular format to ESPN Radio (a former slogan used was "Milwaukee's ESPN Radio...1510 days, 1290 nights"). The sports format is the home of broadcasts for Marquette University men's college basketball and the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals via WAUK [1].
On January 22, 2008, Craig Karmazin, owner of Good Karma Broadcasting's WAUK (1510) in Waukesha, confirmed that he bought Jackson-based religious station WRRD-AM (540) from Salem Communications; on February 5 at midnight, religious programming ended on WRRD and the ESPN Radio/local sports talk format took over on a 24 hours a day/7 days a week basis; on February 12, WAUK's call letters were swapped with WRRD's. It is likely that the current programming agreement with WMCS would be canceled and the station would be able to resume programming the station 24/7, though current plans for WMCS' nighttime schedule are unknown [2].
[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's call letters were WMVP for many years ("MVP" referred to owner Willie Davis' pro football years with the Green Bay Packers). ESPN Radio 1000 in Chicago purchased the call letters from Davis, and 1290 became WMCS in December. 1993. The WMCS call sign stands for "Milwaukee's Community Station", to emphasize the station's heavy community involvement.
Under previous ownership, the station was Top 40 as WZUU, sister to WZUU-FM. At one time, they were oldies as WLZZ ("Solid Gold Wheels"), prior to the station's sale to All-Pro Broadcasting.
[edit] WAWA 1590
Prior to its purchase of WMCS in 1988, All-Pro Broadcasting owned WAWA-AM (1590), a daytime-only AM station licensed to West Allis, Wisconsin. WAWA aired 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. They also simulcast with their FM sister station at 102.1 FM, and at various times from 1979 until 1988, they carried the WLUM call letters, as did their sister station. When All-Pro purchased the much-stronger 1290 frequency in 1988, they signed WAWA 1590 off for good and returned the station's license to the FCC.
[edit] External links
- 1290 WMCS
- 540 ESPN
- Milwaukee radio: a retrospective
- Query the FCC's AM station database for WMCS
- Radio Locator Information on WMCS
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