WJMC-FM
Radio station in Rice Lake, Wisconsin, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
WJMC-FM (96.1 FM) is a radio station broadcasting a country music format.[2] Licensed to Rice Lake, Wisconsin, United States, the station serves the Rice Lake-Spooner area. The station is currently owned by TKC, Inc., and features programming from Westwood One.[3]
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| Broadcast area | Rice Lake-Spooner |
|---|---|
| Frequency | FM 96.1 MHz |
| RDS | PS: WJMC-FM |
| Branding | 96.1 WJMC |
| Programming | |
| Format | Country |
| Affiliations | Westwood One |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | TKC, Inc. |
| WJMC (AM), WAQE (AM), WAQE-FM, WKFX | |
| History | |
First air date | 1947 |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 67197 |
| Class | C2 |
| ERP | 50,000 watts |
| HAAT | 147.0 meters (482.3 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 45°37′14.00″N 91°44′44.00″W |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | wjmcradio.com |
The station broadcast on 96.3 FM during the 1980s as "Magic Country 96.3, WJMC."
WJMC-FM began broadcasting on December 1, 1947, as a sister station to WJMC (AM).[4] The station was established by the McGenty family, who were broadcast pioneers in Northwest Wisconsin. In its early years, the FM signal was used to expand the reach of the AM station's full-service programming, which included agricultural news and local talk. During the 1980s, the station was branded as "Magic Country 96.3" and broadcast on the 96.3 MHz frequency before moving to its current dial position at 96.1 MHz to allow for regional signal realignments. [5] The station was originally owned by the McGenty family before being sold to the Janesville Gazette (Bliss Communications), which operated the station for several decades. In 1989, the station was purchased by Tom Koser through his company, TKC, Inc., and it became a cornerstone of the Koser Radio Group.[6] This long period of local, family ownership ended in October 2023, when Armada Media (AMC Partners Rice Lake LLC) officially acquired WJMC-FM along with its sister stations in a $4.95 million deal.[7] The acquisition included a commitment from former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson, an owner of Armada, to maintain the station's focus on local community service.
