WMBZ (FM)

Last updated
WMBZ
92.5 Buzz Country Logo.png
Broadcast areaNorthern Milwaukee suburbs
Frequency 92.5 MHz
Branding92.5 Buzz Country
Programming
Format Country
Affiliations Westwood One
Ownership
Owner
  • David Magnum
  • (Magnum Communications, Inc.)
WRYU, WVTY
History
First air date
September 1958;65 years ago (1958-09) (as WBKV-FM)
Former call signs
WBKV-FM (1958-1988)
WBWI-FM (1988-2015)
WZRK (2/6/2015-2/9/2015)
WBWI-FM (2/9/2015-2/18/2015)
Call sign meaning
W MBuzZ
Technical information
Facility ID 71542
Class B
ERP 17,500 watts
HAAT 164 meters (538 ft)
Links
Webcast Listen Live
Website buzzcountry.com

WMBZ (92.5 MHz "Buzz Country 92.5") is a commercial FM radio station in West Bend, Wisconsin, serving Milwaukee's northern suburbs. WMBZ and sister station WVTY 92.1 FM, which serves Milwaukee's southern suburbs, are co-programmed and air a country music radio format. They are owned by David Magnum, through licensee Magnum Communications, Inc., along with sister WRYU in West Bend.

Contents

WMBZ is a Class B FM station, with an effective radiated power (ERP) of 18,000 watts. The transmitter tower is on Wisconsin Highway 33 at Aurora Road in Addison. [1]

History

The station signed on the air in September 1958;65 years ago. The original call sign was WBKV-FM, co-owned with WBKV 1470 AM. WBKV-FM was an easy listening station, playing quarter-hour sweeps of soft instrumentals and mellow vocals.

WBKV-FM was later known as "V92" and featured an automated mix of adult contemporary and country music. On September 16, 1988, the station picked up the WBWI-FM callsign. WBWI-FM flipped to its current country format in late 1989/early 1990. For a few years it was known as "92 Country Rock" then "92 Country" before it was renamed to "Pure Country". In 2004, the station rebranded to simply "92.5 WBWI."

On June 25, 2014, Bliss Communications announced that it would sell WBWI-FM and WBKV, along with WRJN and WVTY (then WEZY) in Racine. The buyer was David Magnum's Magnum Communications, Inc. Bliss had owned WBWI and WBKV since 1970 (when WBWI was still WBKV-FM). [2] The sale, at a price of $2.25 million, was consummated on October 31, 2014.

On February 9, 2015, WBWI-FM rebranded as "Buzz Country". [3] On February 18, 2015, WBWI-FM’s callsign was changed to WMBZ. WMBZ and co-owned 92.1 WVTY air separate commercials but have the same DJs and play the same country music.

WBWI.gif

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WRXS</span> Radio station in Brookfield, Wisconsin

WRXS is a commercial radio station licensed to Brookfield, Wisconsin, and serving the Milwaukee metropolitan area. The station is owned by Saga Communications, and operates as part of its Milwaukee Radio Group. It broadcasts an oldies radio format, known as "Pure Oldies," concentrating on 1950s, 60s and 70s hits. It switches to Christmas music during the holiday season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CKXA-FM</span> Radio station in Brandon, Manitoba

CKXA-FM is a radio station in Brandon, Manitoba. Owned by Bell Media, it broadcasts a country format.

WIIL is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Union Grove, Wisconsin. The station serves Kenosha, Racine, the southern suburbs of Milwaukee and the northern suburbs of Chicago. WIIL is owned and operated by Alpha Media and airs an active rock radio format.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WKKV-FM</span> Radio station in Racine, Wisconsin

WKKV-FM, also known as V-100.7, is an urban contemporary radio station owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. serving the Milwaukee area. The station broadcasts with an ERP of 50 kW and is licensed to Racine, Wisconsin. Its studios are located in the Milwaukee suburb of Greenfield.

WMIL-FM is a commercial radio station licensed to Waukesha, Wisconsin, and serving the Greater Milwaukee and Southeast Wisconsin radio market. It carries a country music radio format and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. The studios and offices are on West Howard Avenue in the Milwaukee suburb of Greenfield.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WKTI</span> ESPN Radio affiliate in Milwaukee

WKTI – branded 94.5 ESPN Milwaukee – is a commercial sports radio station licensed to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, serving the Milwaukee metropolitan area. Owned by Good Karma Brands, WKTI is an affiliate for ESPN Radio. WKTI is known as ESPN Milwaukee; also jointly identified as ESPN Wisconsin alongside Madison-based sister station WTLX, which simulcasts much of WKTI's local programming. WKTI also serves as the flagship station for the Marquette Golden Eagles; and the radio home of Mark Chmura, Mark Tauscher, Tony Smith and Steve True. WKTI shares its transmitter and tower facility with WTMJ-TV from its former studio located off of Capitol Drive in Milwaukee, an Art Deco facility known as "Radio City", in tribute to the New York complex of the same name. WTMJ radio, WKTI and WGKB moved to a new studio within the Third Street Market Hall in downtown Milwaukee at the end of 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CFIX-FM</span> Radio station in Saguenay, Quebec

CFIX-FM is a French-language Canadian radio station located in Saguenay, Quebec. Its studios are located at Rue Racine Est in the former city of Chicoutimi.

WPXE-TV is a television station licensed to Kenosha, Wisconsin, United States, broadcasting the Ion Television network to the Milwaukee area. It is owned and operated by the Ion Media subsidiary of the E. W. Scripps Company alongside NBC affiliate WTMJ-TV, with engineering and some master control operations run out of WTMJ-TV's Radio City facility on East Capitol Drive in Milwaukee. WPXE's transmitter is located on the WITI TV Tower on East Capitol Drive in Shorewood, Wisconsin.

WVTY is a commercial FM radio station in Racine, Wisconsin. It serves Racine, Kenosha and Milwaukee's southern suburbs. WVTY airs a country music radio format and is co-programmed with sister station 92.5 WMBZ in West Bend. They are owned by David Magnum, through licensee Magnum Communications, Inc., along with WRYU 1470 AM in West Bend.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WSJP-FM</span> Radio station in Port Washington, Wisconsin

WSJP-FM is a listener-supported radio station licensed to Port Washington, Wisconsin, and serving Greater Milwaukee. It is simulcast with sister station WSJP 1640 AM. They air Catholic-based talk and teaching shows and are owned by Relevant Radio, Inc. WSJP-AM-FM carry most of the national Relevant Radio network schedule, but also air some local programming, including Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki's Sunday Mass, and Marquette Golden Eagles men's basketball.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WTKM-FM</span> Radio station in Hartford, Wisconsin

WTKM-FM is a commercial FM radio station in Hartford, Wisconsin, serving the Greater Milwaukee radio market. It is owned by Tomsun Media, LLC, which is operated by David and Connie Stout. The radio studios are on North Main Street at Summer Street. WTKM-FM airs a full service radio format of classic country music, with local news, weather, talk and high school sports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WPTT (AM)</span> Radio station in Hartford, Wisconsin

WPTT is a commercial AM radio station in Hartford, Wisconsin, serving the Greater Milwaukee radio market. It airs an adult hits radio format and is owned by Tomsun Media LLC, which is operated by David and Connie Stout. The radio studios are on North Main Street at Summer Street in Hartford.

WRJN is a progressive talk radio station located in Racine, Wisconsin, and serving the areas of Racine, Kenosha and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The station is owned by Civic Media, through licensee Civic Media, Inc., along with sister station WAUK. Its studios and transmitter are co-located in Racine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WGLB</span> Radio station in Elm Grove, Wisconsin

WGLB is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Elm Grove, Wisconsin, and serving the Milwaukee metropolitan area. It airs an urban contemporary gospel radio format. The license is held by JJK Media, LLC. It is co-owned by the children of founding owner Joel Kinlow, making WGLB one of only a few radio stations that is owned by an African-American family. The studios are on West Burleigh Street in Milwaukee.

WRYU is a commercial AM radio station licensed to West Bend, Wisconsin, and covering Milwaukee's northern suburbs. The station is owned by David Magnum, through licensee Magnum Communications, Inc., and features a classic rock format. The radio studios and offices are on South Main Street in West Bend. WRYU carries the syndicated program John Tesh - Intelligence for Your Life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WXXM</span> Radio station in Sun Prairie–Madison, Wisconsin, United States

WXXM is a commercial radio station licensed to Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, and serving the Madison metropolitan area. The station is owned and operated by iHeartMedia, and broadcasts an adult hits radio format, switching to Christmas music for much of November and December. The station is noted for its runs as an alternative rock station during the 1980s and 1990s and as a progressive talk station in the 2000s and 2010s.

WOGY, known as "Froggy 104", is an American radio station licensed to Jackson, Tennessee, and owned by Forever Media through Forever South Licenses, LLC. As of October, 2007, the programming format is country music. The station is a 100,000 watt radio station that reaches as far north as Kentucky and even covers the eastern suburbs of Memphis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WBFM</span> Radio station in Sheboygan, Wisconsin

WBFM is a country music station licensed to Sheboygan, Wisconsin. WBFM is owned and operated by Midwest Communications under the sub-branding of Sheboygan Radio Group, which owns seven radio stations in Northeast Wisconsin and three other radio stations in the Sheboygan market. It shares studios with WHBL, WXER, and WHBZ on Washington Avenue in Sheboygan, with the station's transmitter and antenna based behind the studios.

WAUN is a radio station broadcasting a mainstream rock format. Known as WPDR for nearly 70 years, the station previously held a news/talk format. Before that, WPDR played oldies and also played country music for many years. Licensed to Portage, Wisconsin, United States, the station is currently owned by Magnum Broadcasting. Co-owned WDDC, formerly WPDR-FM, is located at 100.1 MHz. WAUN is simulcast on FM via two translator stations, 102.1 in Baraboo which covers the majority of the Dells/Baraboo and Portage areas from a transmitter on the Baraboo Range as well as 96.9 in DeForest which covers the northern Madison area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WPJX</span> Radio station in Zion, Illinois

WPJX is a radio station, licensed to Zion, Illinois, that airs a heavy metal format. The station is owned by Polnet Communications, who also owns WKTA Evanston, WNVR Vernon Hills, and WEEF Highland Park-Deerfield. The station transmits with a directional 250 watts of power from 3 towers located on the corner of Delany Road and 21st Street near Wadsworth, Illinois. The station's daytime signal serves northern Lake County, Illinois and Kenosha County, Wisconsin. WPJX was licensed to operate during daytime hours only until May 2009 when it began broadcasting 24 hours a day with a power of 250 watts daytime and 2 watts nighttime.

References

  1. Radio-Locator.com/WMBZ
  2. "Bliss Communications to sell West Bend, Racine radio stations". The Janesville Gazette. June 25, 2014. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
  3. WBWI Relaunches as Buzz Country

43°25′44″N88°18′04″W / 43.429°N 88.301°W / 43.429; -88.301