WRWM
Encyclopedia
WRWM is a hot adult contemporary music-formatted radio station
licensed
to serve Fishers, Indiana
, and broadcasting in the Indianapolis
area. WRWM was recently granted a construction permit
to move its city of license to Lawrence, Indiana
, and upgrade its power from 2.95 kW to 6.9 kW in order to provide better and wider coverage. WRWM's main competition is WNOU and WZPL
.
format similar to the original WXTZ (formerly at 103.3) several years prior. The format lasted until the mid-90s when Easy Listening was dropped in favor of ABC Radio's now-defunct Solid Gold Soul 24/7 format (Urban Oldies) as "Gold 93.9." The calls were changed to WGLD in February 1996 to reflect this change. Solid Gold Soul was short-lived, however, and by the fall of 1996, the format was dropped and WGLD flipped to Jones Radio Network's Smooth Jazz
24/7 format.
The license to 93.9 was sold to Susquehanna Broadcasting in 1997. It was decided that Susquehanna's modern country "flanker," WGRL "104.5 The Bear," would be moved to 93.9 while a new format, under 93.9's WGLD calls, would be placed on 104.5. To smooth over the transition, the two stations simulcasted "The Bear" for the first few weeks of June 1997. Once the move was complete, the WGLD calls moved to 104.5 and became Oldies
"Gold 104.5." The frequency switch did not help WGRL's ratings as it experienced a substantial ratings drop once The Bear moved to 93.9. As a result, the station became more music-intensive and personalities were let go. By 2001, WGRL simulcasted WFMS in morning drive while Donnie Claw, the lone survivor from the 104.5 days, hosted the afternoon drive shift. The end of The Bear came in November 2001 when the format was dropped for Christmas music as "93.9 The Christmas Channel."
On December 25, 2001, 93.9 flipped to an 80s Hits format as "Retro 93.9." The format lasted until August 2004 when - following a brief stunting
period playing TV themes as "TV 93.9" - the station flipped to Contemporary Christian
as "93.9 The Song." Calls were also changed at this time to WISG. "The Song" lasted for a couple of years and saw modest success. However, on December 26, 2006, "The Song" was moved to 93.9's HD2 channel while a new talk
format, known as "FM Talk 93.9," moved to the main channel. The station's call letters were changed to WWFT.
WWFT aired syndicated talk
programming, featuring Mancow, Sean Hannity
, Dave Ramsey
, and others until Friday, November 16, 2007, when programming was replaced with the return of "93.9 The Christmas Channel." As of noon on Christmas Day, WWFT dropped Christmas music and stunted again, repeating the tracks "Lonesome Road" by Dean Elliot & His Big Band and "Swans Splashdown" by Jean-Jacques Perrey
.
A new format, adult contemporary "Warm 93.9," debuted at 9:39 a.m. on January 2, 2008, with a commitment to play 93 hour
s of commercial
-free music during its first week. The first song played on "Warm 93.9" was The Police
's "Every Breath You Take
". On March 3, 2008, WWFT changed call letters to WRWM. The program director and morning drive host was Fritz Moser. During the Warm era, "The Song" returned to the main station for six hours on Sunday mornings.
At 12:01 AM on July 2, 2009, the station abandoned its eighteen-month-old adult contemporary format; the station had finished 21st in the most recent Arbitron ratings and never mounted a serious challenge to main rival WYXB
. The last song heard on Warm 93.9 was The Beach Boys
' Kokomo
. The station began stunting again, this time with construction sounds.
At 9:40 AM on July 3, 2009
, the station flipped to CHR
as "Indy's Hit Music Station, i94" and launched with 94 songs commercial free. The format change marks the frequency's sixth new format since 2001. i94's first song was The Black Eyed Peas
' Boom Boom Pow
. Additionally, it was the one of the first remaining i stations to be used in Indianapolis.
On July 2, 2011
, the station adjusted its daytime format to hot adult contemporary while retaining the top 40 format at night.
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...
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 serve Fishers, Indiana
Fishers, Indiana
Fishers is a town located in Fall Creek and Delaware townships, Hamilton County, Indiana, with a population of 76,794, according to the 2010 census. A suburb of Indianapolis, Fishers has grown rapidly in recent decades: about 350 people lived there in 1963, 2,000 in 1980, and only 7,200 as recently...
, and broadcasting in the Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
area. WRWM was recently granted a construction permit
Construction permit
A construction permit or building permit is a permit required in most jurisdictions for new construction, or adding on to pre-existing structures, and in some cases for major renovations. Generally, the new construction must be inspected during construction and after completion to ensure compliance...
to move its city of license to Lawrence, Indiana
Lawrence, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 38,915 people, 14,853 households, and 10,337 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,937.8 people per square mile . There were 16,292 housing units at an average density of 811.3 per square mile...
, and upgrade its power from 2.95 kW to 6.9 kW in order to provide better and wider coverage. WRWM's main competition is WNOU and WZPL
WZPL
WZPL is a radio station based in Greenfield, Indiana, and serving the Indianapolis metropolitan area. The station, known as "99-5 WZPL", airs an Adult Top 40 format. WZPL is owned by Entercom.-History:...
.
History
The station signed on in 1993 as WXTZ "Ecstasy 93.9." WXTZ ran an Easy ListeningBeautiful music
Beautiful music is a mostly instrumental music format that was prominent in American radio from the 1960s through the 1980s...
format similar to the original WXTZ (formerly at 103.3) several years prior. The format lasted until the mid-90s when Easy Listening was dropped in favor of ABC Radio's now-defunct Solid Gold Soul 24/7 format (Urban Oldies) as "Gold 93.9." The calls were changed to WGLD in February 1996 to reflect this change. Solid Gold Soul was short-lived, however, and by the fall of 1996, the format was dropped and WGLD flipped to Jones Radio Network's Smooth Jazz
Smooth jazz
Smooth jazz is a genre of music that grew out of jazz fusion and is influenced by R&B, funk, rock, and pop music styles ....
24/7 format.
The license to 93.9 was sold to Susquehanna Broadcasting in 1997. It was decided that Susquehanna's modern country "flanker," WGRL "104.5 The Bear," would be moved to 93.9 while a new format, under 93.9's WGLD calls, would be placed on 104.5. To smooth over the transition, the two stations simulcasted "The Bear" for the first few weeks of June 1997. Once the move was complete, the WGLD calls moved to 104.5 and became Oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
"Gold 104.5." The frequency switch did not help WGRL's ratings as it experienced a substantial ratings drop once The Bear moved to 93.9. As a result, the station became more music-intensive and personalities were let go. By 2001, WGRL simulcasted WFMS in morning drive while Donnie Claw, the lone survivor from the 104.5 days, hosted the afternoon drive shift. The end of The Bear came in November 2001 when the format was dropped for Christmas music as "93.9 The Christmas Channel."
On December 25, 2001, 93.9 flipped to an 80s Hits format as "Retro 93.9." The format lasted until August 2004 when - following a brief stunting
Stunting (broadcasting)
In radio broadcasting, stunting occurs when a station abruptly airs programming that is seemingly uncharacteristic compared to what they normally play...
period playing TV themes as "TV 93.9" - the station flipped to Contemporary Christian
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
as "93.9 The Song." Calls were also changed at this time to WISG. "The Song" lasted for a couple of years and saw modest success. However, on December 26, 2006, "The Song" was moved to 93.9's HD2 channel while a new talk
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
format, known as "FM Talk 93.9," moved to the main channel. The station's call letters were changed to WWFT.
WWFT aired syndicated talk
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
programming, featuring Mancow, Sean Hannity
Sean Hannity
Sean Hannity is an American radio and television host, author, and conservative political commentator. He is the host of The Sean Hannity Show, a nationally syndicated talk radio show that airs throughout the United States on Premiere Radio Networks. Hannity also hosts a cable news show, Hannity,...
, Dave Ramsey
Dave Ramsey
David L. Ramsey III is an American financial author, radio host, television personality, and motivational speaker.Ramsey's syndicated radio program The Dave Ramsey Show is promoted with a tagline that "It's about your life and your money," and it is heard on over 450 radio stations throughout the...
, and others until Friday, November 16, 2007, when programming was replaced with the return of "93.9 The Christmas Channel." As of noon on Christmas Day, WWFT dropped Christmas music and stunted again, repeating the tracks "Lonesome Road" by Dean Elliot & His Big Band and "Swans Splashdown" by Jean-Jacques Perrey
Jean-Jacques Perrey
Jean-Jacques Perrey is a French electronic music producer and was an early pioneer in the genre. He is best known within the sphere of popular music as a member of the influential electronic music duo Perrey and Kingsley, and for his unusually light-hearted style of music.-Biography:Perrey was...
.
A new format, adult contemporary "Warm 93.9," debuted at 9:39 a.m. on January 2, 2008, with a commitment to play 93 hour
Hour
The hour is a unit of measurement of time. In modern usage, an hour comprises 60 minutes, or 3,600 seconds...
s of commercial
Radio commercial
Commercial radio stations make most of their revenue selling “airtime” to advertisers. Of total media expenditures, radio accounts for 6.9%. Radio advertisements or “spots” are available when a business or service provides valuable consideration, usually cash, in exchange for the station airing...
-free music during its first week. The first song played on "Warm 93.9" was The Police
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
's "Every Breath You Take
Every Breath You Take
"Every Breath You Take" is a song by The Police on the band's 1983 album Synchronicity, written by Sting and Andy Summers . The single was one of the biggest hits of 1983, topping the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for eight weeks and the UK Singles Chart for four weeks. It also topped the...
". On March 3, 2008, WWFT changed call letters to WRWM. The program director and morning drive host was Fritz Moser. During the Warm era, "The Song" returned to the main station for six hours on Sunday mornings.
At 12:01 AM on July 2, 2009, the station abandoned its eighteen-month-old adult contemporary format; the station had finished 21st in the most recent Arbitron ratings and never mounted a serious challenge to main rival WYXB
WYXB
WYXB branded as "B105" is an FM radio station owned by Emmis Communications in Indianapolis, Indiana. The station operates on the FM radio frequency of 105.7 MHz, FM channel 289. The studios are located on Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis...
. The last song heard on Warm 93.9 was The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
' Kokomo
Kokomo
-Places:* Kokomo, Indiana, a city located in Howard County, Indiana, United States, that is also its county seat** Indiana University Kokomo* Kokomo, Mississippi, United States* Kokomo, Hawaii, United States - on the island of Maui...
. The station began stunting again, this time with construction sounds.
At 9:40 AM on July 3, 2009
2009 in radio
The following events occurred in radio in 2009.- Events :* January 1: Kurdish TV starts broadcasting in Turkey.* January: Michael Smerconish, morning host at talk radio WPHT Philadelphia, begins syndication of his morning show to WHFS in Washington and WOR in New York City.* January 17: Two well...
, the station flipped to CHR
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
as "Indy's Hit Music Station, i94" and launched with 94 songs commercial free. The format change marks the frequency's sixth new format since 2001. i94's first song was The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
' Boom Boom Pow
Boom Boom Pow
"Boom Boom Pow" is a song by The Black Eyed Peas released as the lead single from their fifth studio album, The E.N.D. The song uses the auto-tune vocal effect, and blends the genres of Electro-rap, dance-pop, electro hop and hip hop....
. Additionally, it was the one of the first remaining i stations to be used in Indianapolis.
On July 2, 2011
2011 in radio
The following events occurred in radio broadcasting in 2011.-Events:*January 1: 2 Knoxville stations change formats as WDLF and WYLV flip to K-LOVE and Air 1 , and a few Pittsburgh station change formats, as ESPN Radio moves from WEAE to WBGG, and Radio Disney moves from WWCS to the renamed WDDZ,...
, the station adjusted its daytime format to hot adult contemporary while retaining the top 40 format at night.