WJMR-FM
Encyclopedia
WJMR-FM is an urban adult contemporary
radio station
serving the Milwaukee, Wisconsin
, area. They are known on-air as "Jammin' 98.3", and are licensed
to Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin
.
The 98.3 frequency was home for many years to WZMF, which signed on the air in July, 1966. At its inception, the station aired a MOR
format. WZMF was located in a small house on Shady Lane in Menomonee Falls.
WZMF's pop music programming eventually became more experimental, and the station evolved into a freeform
progressive rock
format by October 1968, one of the first stations to do so in the midwest. The station was moderately successful with the format for the next eleven years, pushing rival WTOS
into a different format and staying competitive with leading rocker WQFM. When WISN-FM switched from beautiful music
to rock as WLPX in January 1978, immediately becoming a ratings success, WZMF began to tighten their format, amid protests from the station's on-air staff, and ratings dropped.
WZMF was sold, and changed format on March 23, 1979. The station returned to the air with an easy listening
format as WXJY (Joy FM 98). In 1983, it became home to WFMR and its classical music format.
"Downstairs Dan", a former WZMF air talent from it's rock days now with 98.3 FM's current sister station WKLH
, currently airs a "ZMF Flashback" feature on Friday afternoons.
owned the trademark for the phrase "Jammin' Oldies", so the station was referred to as "Jammin' Hits" and the call letters (which stood for Milwaukee's Jammin' Oldies) were changed to WJMR, and the station was known as "Jammin' 106.9".
The station stayed at 106.9 FM until December 2000, when current owner Saga Communications
moved WJMR's format and call letters to 98.3 in a swap with WFMR
. This was done primarily to put WJMR's on a signal that more effectively covered the urban areas of Milwaukee, and to target WFMR toward the western and northern suburbs. Soon after WJMR moved to 98.3, the "Jammin' Oldies" trend was winding down, and the station tweaked its format to urban adult contemporary
, a format it retains to this day. The station still refers to itself as "Jammin' 98.3", and has had success with its format since moving to the new frequency. The station is a probable rival to WKKV, though the station's focus on an older audience and type of music means their formats rarely clash.
WJMR is the Milwaukee affiliate of the Tom Joyner Morning Show
.
Urban Adult Contemporary
Urban adult contemporary is the name for a format of radio music, similar to an urban contemporary format. Radio stations using this format usually would not have rap music on their playlists. The format was designed by Barry Mayo when he, Lee S. Simonson and Bill Pearson organized Broadcast...
radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
serving the Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
, area. They are known on-air as "Jammin' 98.3", and are licensed
City of license
A city of license or community of license, in American and Canadian broadcasting, is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator....
to Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin
Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin
Menomonee Falls is a village in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States, and is part of the Greater Milwaukee area. The population was 35,626 at the 2010 census, making it the most populous village in Wisconsin. It is the fourth largest community in Waukesha County...
.
98.3 FM History
MOR
Mor or MOR may refer to:In publications:* Mathematics of Operations Research, a quarterly publication on the mathematics of operations research.In mechanics:...
format. WZMF was located in a small house on Shady Lane in Menomonee Falls.
WZMF's pop music programming eventually became more experimental, and the station evolved into a freeform
Freeform (radio format)
Freeform, or freeform radio, is a radio station programming format in which the disc jockey is given total control over what music to play, regardless of music genre or commercial interests. Freeform radio stands in contrast to most commercial radio stations, in which DJs have little or no...
progressive rock
Progressive rock (radio format)
Progressive rock is a radio station programming format that prospered in the late 1960s and 1970s, in which the disc jockeys are given wide latitude in what they may play, similar to the freeform format but with the proviso that some kind of rock music is almost always what is played...
format by October 1968, one of the first stations to do so in the midwest. The station was moderately successful with the format for the next eleven years, pushing rival WTOS
WXSS
WXSS-FM is a top 40 radio station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The station was created and is programmed by Brian Kelly. It is licensed to Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. They are known as "103.7 Kiss FM" and are owned by Entercom, along with WMYX-FM and WSSP. KISS FM has taken 3rd place for the past 4...
into a different format and staying competitive with leading rocker WQFM. When WISN-FM switched from beautiful music
Beautiful music
Beautiful music is a mostly instrumental music format that was prominent in American radio from the 1960s through the 1980s...
to rock as WLPX in January 1978, immediately becoming a ratings success, WZMF began to tighten their format, amid protests from the station's on-air staff, and ratings dropped.
WZMF was sold, and changed format on March 23, 1979. The station returned to the air with an easy listening
Easy listening
Easy listening is a broad style of popular music and radio format that emerged in the 1950s, evolving out of big band music, and related to MOR music as played on many AM radio stations. It encompasses the exotica, beautiful music, light music, lounge music, ambient music, and space age pop genres...
format as WXJY (Joy FM 98). In 1983, it became home to WFMR and its classical music format.
"Downstairs Dan", a former WZMF air talent from it's rock days now with 98.3 FM's current sister station WKLH
WKLH
WKLH is a classic rock-formatted radio station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The station is owned by Saga Communications.-History:The station received its Federal Communications Commission license on November 30, 1955...
, currently airs a "ZMF Flashback" feature on Friday afternoons.
WJMR-FM History
WJMR started out on 106.9 FM as WMJO, playing a Jammin' Oldies format. Chancellor BroadcastingClear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
owned the trademark for the phrase "Jammin' Oldies", so the station was referred to as "Jammin' Hits" and the call letters (which stood for Milwaukee's Jammin' Oldies) were changed to WJMR, and the station was known as "Jammin' 106.9".
The station stayed at 106.9 FM until December 2000, when current owner Saga Communications
Saga Communications
Saga Communications is a broadcasting company that owns and operates stations in 26 markets in the United States. The company, which is based in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, primarily operates radio stations , but it also operates 9 television stations Saga Communications is a broadcasting...
moved WJMR's format and call letters to 98.3 in a swap with WFMR
WFMR (defunct)
WFMR was a classical music station that existed on three different FM frequencies in the Milwaukee area during its 51-year history. Its last frequency was 106.9 MHz.-History:...
. This was done primarily to put WJMR's on a signal that more effectively covered the urban areas of Milwaukee, and to target WFMR toward the western and northern suburbs. Soon after WJMR moved to 98.3, the "Jammin' Oldies" trend was winding down, and the station tweaked its format to urban adult contemporary
Urban Adult Contemporary
Urban adult contemporary is the name for a format of radio music, similar to an urban contemporary format. Radio stations using this format usually would not have rap music on their playlists. The format was designed by Barry Mayo when he, Lee S. Simonson and Bill Pearson organized Broadcast...
, a format it retains to this day. The station still refers to itself as "Jammin' 98.3", and has had success with its format since moving to the new frequency. The station is a probable rival to WKKV, though the station's focus on an older audience and type of music means their formats rarely clash.
WJMR is the Milwaukee affiliate of the Tom Joyner Morning Show
Tom Joyner
Thomas "Tom" Joyner is an American radio host, host of the nationally syndicated The Tom Joyner Morning Show, and also founder of REACH Media Inc., the Tom Joyner Foundation, and BlackAmericaWeb.com.-Early life:...
.