WFMW

WFMW

Madisonville, Kentucky
Frequency	730 kHz
Programming
Format	Country music
Affiliations	CBS Radio
Ownership
Owner	Ham Broadcasting, Inc.
Sister stations	WKTG-FM
History
First air date	1947;77 years ago (1947)
Former call signs	WCIF (1947–1950) [1]
Technical information [2]
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	60880
Class	D
Power	500 watts day 215 watts night
Transmitter coordinates	37°21′31″N87°29′45″W / 37.35861°N 87.49583°W / 37.35861; -87.49583
Translator(s)	94.9 MHz (W235AC - Madisonville) 107.7 MHz W299CN (Madisonville)
Links
Public license information	Public file LMS
Webcast	Listen Live
Website	wfmwradio.com

WFMW (730 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a classic country format. Licensed to and serving Madisonville, Kentucky, United States, the station is currently owned by Ham Broadcasting, Inc. and features programming from CBS Radio. ^[3]

History

The station began operation in 1947 as WCIF, which was under ownership of Pierce and Dutch Lackey. Two years later, the station launched its FM companion, WCIF-FM, at 104.9 megacycles. However, that same year, Messenger Broadcasting Company, a unit of the Madisonville Messenger newspaper, built and signed on WFMW-FM at 103.1 megacycles, which became Kentucky's first-ever FM-exclusive radio station. In 1950, the Messenger acquired the Lackey-owned station. As a result, WCIF and WFMW were consolidated to become one radio empire; WCIF-FM was permanently taken off the air, while the AM station was acquired to became WFMW to match the callsign of the surviving FM station (now WKTG), which later increased their power and changed frequencies to 93.9 MHz. ^{[1] : 95}

On November 19, 1970, the station was knocked off the air due to winds blowing down the station's transmission tower. The AM station returned to the air the next day, but the FM was fed on local cable television by means of telephone line until the FM transmitter was repaired. ^{[1] : 95}

The FM station became a separate entity in 1978, when it began broadcasting a classic rock format as WKTG, while WFMW became one of the first stations in western Kentucky to go exclusively country. ^{[1] : 95–96}

WFMW remained in the hands of the original owners until being sold to various companies, including Sound Telecasters, Inc. Sound Telecasters sold WFMW and WKTG in June 2024 to Cadiz, Kentucky-based Ham Broadcasting, Inc. for a reported price of $815,000. Ham Broadcasting took over operation of both stations, beginning July 1. ^[4]

Programming

Programming on WFMW includes Madisonville-North Hopkins Maroons high school sports, a tradio program called "Tell & Sell," a sports-talk program called "Kentucky Sports Radio," Country Gold with Randy Owen , The Country Oldies Show, Classic Country Rewind, and Looking Up Country with Johnny Stone. The local airstaff includes long-time broadcaster Danny Koeber, Aaron Bone, and others.

References

1. Nash, Francis M. (1995). Towers Over Kentucky: A History of Radio and TV in the Bluegrass State (PDF). HOST Communications. pp. 94–96. ISBN   9781879688933 – via World Radio History.
2. "Facility Technical Data for WFMW". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
3. "WFMW Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
4. "Station Sales Week of 6/14". Radioinsight. June 14, 2024. Retrieved June 15, 2024.

External links

• Facility details for Facility ID 60880 (WFMW) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
• WFMW in Nielsen Audio's AM station database