WIRX
Encyclopedia
WIRX is a radio station
owned by Mid-West Family Broadcasting
located in Benton Harbor
, Michigan
. The station's city of license is St. Joseph, Michigan broadcasting in HD from a tower at the edge of Benton Township, Michigan.
Since the early 1990s, WIRX has had the format of classic rock
(leaning mainstream
), but now leans Mainstream active rock
, especially at night. Prior to that, the station had a contemporary hits
format, a Country
format, and began with a classical music format.
The station features Catfish Cooper mornings, Juli in middays/evenings, Jellybean in Afternoons, and HardDriveXL in late nights.
(MWF), which is based in Madison, Wisconsin. WSJM-FM began broadcasting in stereo on 107.1 MHz in 1965 and regularly provided stereo remote broadcasts by the Twin Cities Symphony and other events.
In 1969, the station changed its call letters to WIRX(FM) and switched to a completely jockless, automated Country format, tagged "WIRX Country."
1979 began the "Rock 40" format for the station, then dubbed "ROCK 107 WIRX - The Music Works" playing artists from both the current and past years of rock.
The station switched its format slightly to a more AC-leaning rock format and was rebranded as "Magic 107 WIRX" with Jim Gifford and the Champions of Breakfast as the morning show.
WIRX returned to "Rock 107 WIRX" in 1991 and began running a mainstream rock format, which it continues to do to this day.
The station is managed on a local level to this day, much as it was when it first came on the air.
. The heart of the automation was a 8 x 24 telephone stepping relay which controlled two reel-to-reel tape decks, one twelve inch Ampex
machine which provided the main program audio and a second RCA
seven inch machine which provided "fill" music. The tapes that these machines played were originally produced in the MWF's Madison, Wisconsin production facility by WSJM Chief Engineer Richard E. McLemore (and later in-house at WSJM) with special sub-audible cue tones used to signal the end of a song. The stepping relay was "programmed" by slide switches in the front of the two relay racks which housed the equipment. The news feeds were triggered by a microswitch which was attached to a Western Union
clock and tripped by the minute hand of the clock. and then reset the stepping relay. Originally, 30-minute station identification was accomplished by a simulcast switch in the control booth for sister station WSJM-AM, whereupon the disc jockey in the booth would announce "This is WSJM-AM and... (then pressing the momentary contact button) ...WSJM-FM, St. Joseph, Michigan." This only lasted about six months, however, and a standard tape cartridge player was wired in to announce the station identification and triggered by a the Western Union
clock.
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...
owned by Mid-West Family Broadcasting
Mid-West Family Broadcasting
Mid-West Family Broadcasting is an independently owned broadcasting company based in Madison, Wisconsin. The company owns and manages radio stations in Madison and LaCrosse, WI, Benton Harbor/St Joseph, MI, Springfield, IL and Springfield, MO....
located in Benton Harbor
Benton Harbor, Michigan
Benton Harbor is a city in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan which is located west of Kalamazoo. The population was 10,038 at the 2010 census. It is the lesser populated of the two principal cities included in the Niles-Benton Harbor, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. The station's city of license is St. Joseph, Michigan broadcasting in HD from a tower at the edge of Benton Township, Michigan.
Since the early 1990s, WIRX has had the format of classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
(leaning mainstream
Mainstream rock
Mainstream rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations in the United States and Canada.-Format background:...
), but now leans Mainstream active rock
Active rock
Active rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across the United States and Canada. Active rock plays contemporary rock artists with a mix of songs common in the classic rock radio format.-Format background:...
, especially at night. Prior to that, the station had a contemporary hits
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...
format, a Country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
format, and began with a classical music format.
The station features Catfish Cooper mornings, Juli in middays/evenings, Jellybean in Afternoons, and HardDriveXL in late nights.
History
According to the "History of 107.1 FM St. Joseph", the 107.1 frequency was started as a music outlet to sister station WSJM-AM in 1964 by Mid-West Family BroadcastingMid-West Family Broadcasting
Mid-West Family Broadcasting is an independently owned broadcasting company based in Madison, Wisconsin. The company owns and manages radio stations in Madison and LaCrosse, WI, Benton Harbor/St Joseph, MI, Springfield, IL and Springfield, MO....
(MWF), which is based in Madison, Wisconsin. WSJM-FM began broadcasting in stereo on 107.1 MHz in 1965 and regularly provided stereo remote broadcasts by the Twin Cities Symphony and other events.
In 1969, the station changed its call letters to WIRX(FM) and switched to a completely jockless, automated Country format, tagged "WIRX Country."
1979 began the "Rock 40" format for the station, then dubbed "ROCK 107 WIRX - The Music Works" playing artists from both the current and past years of rock.
The station switched its format slightly to a more AC-leaning rock format and was rebranded as "Magic 107 WIRX" with Jim Gifford and the Champions of Breakfast as the morning show.
WIRX returned to "Rock 107 WIRX" in 1991 and began running a mainstream rock format, which it continues to do to this day.
The station is managed on a local level to this day, much as it was when it first came on the air.
Morning shows
The station has had several morning shows, including most recently the Free Beer and Hot Wings show syndicated from Grand Rapids. Previously, the station had aired local shows from Jim Gifford and the Champions of Breakfast, John Jay, Kluck and The Jason Lee Show. In June of 2011, the station made a switch back to local content and returned former Jason Lee Show member "Catfish" to the time slot.Engineering and design
It is thought that WSJM-FM was one of the world's first completely automated radio stations, built and designed by Brian Brown in 1963 when Brown was only 10 years old. The station broadcast in a classical format, called "More Good Music (MGM)" and five minute bottom of the hour news feeds from the Mutual Broadcasting SystemMutual Broadcasting System
The Mutual Broadcasting System was an American radio network, in operation from 1934 to 1999. In the golden age of U.S. radio drama, MBS was best known as the original network home of The Lone Ranger and The Adventures of Superman and as the long-time radio residence of The Shadow...
. The heart of the automation was a 8 x 24 telephone stepping relay which controlled two reel-to-reel tape decks, one twelve inch Ampex
Ampex
Ampex is an American electronics company founded in 1944 by Alexander M. Poniatoff. The name AMPEX is an acronym, created by its founder, which stands for Alexander M. Poniatoff Excellence...
machine which provided the main program audio and a second RCA
RCA
RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
seven inch machine which provided "fill" music. The tapes that these machines played were originally produced in the MWF's Madison, Wisconsin production facility by WSJM Chief Engineer Richard E. McLemore (and later in-house at WSJM) with special sub-audible cue tones used to signal the end of a song. The stepping relay was "programmed" by slide switches in the front of the two relay racks which housed the equipment. The news feeds were triggered by a microswitch which was attached to a Western Union
Western Union
The Western Union Company is a financial services and communications company based in the United States. Its North American headquarters is in Englewood, Colorado. Up until 2006, Western Union was the best-known U.S...
clock and tripped by the minute hand of the clock. and then reset the stepping relay. Originally, 30-minute station identification was accomplished by a simulcast switch in the control booth for sister station WSJM-AM, whereupon the disc jockey in the booth would announce "This is WSJM-AM and... (then pressing the momentary contact button) ...WSJM-FM, St. Joseph, Michigan." This only lasted about six months, however, and a standard tape cartridge player was wired in to announce the station identification and triggered by a the Western Union
Western Union
The Western Union Company is a financial services and communications company based in the United States. Its North American headquarters is in Englewood, Colorado. Up until 2006, Western Union was the best-known U.S...
clock.