WMKK
Encyclopedia
WEEI-FM is a radio station licensed to serve Lawrence, Massachusetts
. The station has a sports talk
format, simulcast with WEEI
(850 AM
). Along with its AM sister, it carries Boston Red Sox
baseball, Boston Celtics
basketball, and the Boston College
football and basketball teams. When local programming is not on WEEI, usually ESPN Radio
will air. The call letters WEEI-FM, formerly on a station in Westerly, Rhode Island, were granted on September 21, 2011 as part of a call letter shuffle.
. In 1974 the station evolved into WCGY, an automated Stereo Top 40/oldies station that targeted the Greater Boston
, Massachusetts
area, due to the signal's strength. The call letters were chosen with the owner in mind as Curt Gowdy
and his children owned and operated the station until the sale to American Radio Systems in 1994.
In 1983 WCGY flipped to an oldies format playing hits of the '50s and '60s. The station, however, did not perform well in the Boston ratings. Some early to mid '70s oldies were mixed in by 1984 and by 1985 the '50s music was gone. The station by then was called "Superhits WCGY". By 1986 the station leaned slightly toward classic rock still playing mostly music from 1964 to 1974. By 1987 WCGY evolved to more of a classic rock format and held on to this format until 1994. From 1992-1994 they were called "Rock 93, WCGY"
In 1994, immediately after the station was sold to American Radio Systems, WCGY became '70s-formatted WEGQ "Eagle 93.7", which received many changes over its five year existence. Initially they played music from 1970-79 ranging from classic rock to disco to pop to pop/rock to novelty to easy listening. As time went on they added late '60s and early '80s music. By 1995 they also leaned classic rock. The station's most notable air talent was likely its morning show, Karlson and McKenzie who are now on WZLX
.
After American Radio Systems was acquired by CBS
/Westinghouse, the combined company was required to sell two of their FM
stations, along with three AM
stations. WEGQ, along with WEEI
, WRKO
, and WAAF
, was sold to Entercom Communications
.
After the sale, Entercom changed WEGQ's format, as from April 1, 1999 until April 14, 2005, the station was WQSX "Star 93.7", which was a format that could be described as a combination of '70s and '80s-soul music, dance music, rhythmic hit music, and rhythmic adult contemporary tracks. This format, however, didn't catch any fire in the Arbitron
ratings. The format is also available online as an internet-only station. During 2001, controversial "Survivor" winner Richard Hatch
was a morning host briefly.
On April 14, 2005, WQSX became WMKK, with an adult hits
format branded as "93.7 Mike FM". Inside Radio, a radio industry publication, released information that had this change not taken place, Infinity Broadcasting (interestingly, the group that was prohibited from owning 93.7 itself back in the late 1990s, and is now known as CBS Radio
) reportedly would have transformed either WBMX, WZLX
, or even WODS
to Jack FM
on April 15.
Following the Boston Red Sox
victory in the 2007 World Series
, the station re-branded itself as 93.7 Mike Lowell
FM after the third baseman for one day. Similarly, MIKE FM paid tribute to Michael Jackson
in July 2009 by re-branding themselves as "Michael FM" and playing Jackson's songs for the afternoon on the anniversary of his death.
On September 8th, 2011, it was announced that WMKK will begin simulcasting WEEI's sports radio format on Monday, Sept 12th, 2011. The switch took place at 6:00 AM that Monday after Lynyrd Skynyrd's
"Free Bird
". On September 21, 2011, WMKK changed their call letters to WEEI-FM.
HD2
subcarrier and Internet radio
station belonging to WMKK/Boston, Massachusetts. The station is owned by Entercom Communications
. Its slogan is "The Rhythm of Boston".
Prior to being an HD2 channel, the station was originally on the airwaves as terrestrial FM station WQSX. Its moniker and slogan were "Star 93.7" "Boston's Feel Good Station", where it had a moderate but successful run, from April 1, 1999 to April 14, 2005. That move was criticized by Star's listeners, who were upset that they would flip a week before a concert event that they were sponsoring. Entercom would later bring the format back as an internet-only station, where it still can be heard online today, especially over Windows Media
.
On January 19, 2006, Star would return to the airwaves as an HD2 channel, this time as a commercial-free station with its mix of Dance
, Disco
, and Rhythmic Top 40 hits from the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and today remaining intact. Although it is jockless at times, they have started using a few voice-tracked DJs, most notably former Star and current WRKO
personality Anthony "Pic" Picarello, to the station.
In 2007, WMKK-HD2 changed its moniker from "Star HD" to "Funkytown HD" to reflect its diverse mix of Dance and Disco fare.
Lawrence, Massachusetts
Lawrence is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States on the Merrimack River. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a total population of 76,377. Surrounding communities include Methuen to the north, Andover to the southwest, and North Andover to the southeast. It and Salem are...
. The station has a sports talk
Sports radio
Sports radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A popular format with an almost exclusively male demographic in most areas, sports radio is characterized by an often-boisterous on-air style and extensive debate and analysis by both hosts and...
format, simulcast with WEEI
WEEI
WEEI is a sports radio station in Boston, Massachusetts, that broadcasts on 850 kHz from a transmitter in Needham, Massachusetts, and is owned by Entercom Communications. The station is one of the top-rated sports talk radio stations in the nation. Studios are located in Brighton, Massachusetts...
(850 AM
AM broadcasting
AM broadcasting is the process of radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation. AM was the first method of impressing sound on a radio signal and is still widely used today. Commercial and public AM broadcasting is carried out in the medium wave band world wide, and on long wave and short wave...
). Along with its AM sister, it carries Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
baseball, Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
basketball, and the Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
football and basketball teams. When local programming is not on WEEI, usually ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
will air. The call letters WEEI-FM, formerly on a station in Westerly, Rhode Island, were granted on September 21, 2011 as part of a call letter shuffle.
History
In the station's early days as WGHJ and WCCM-FM, 93.7 aired locally based programming that targeted Lawrence and the Merrimack ValleyMerrimack Valley
The Merrimack Valley is a bi-state region along the Merrimack River in the states of New Hampshire and Massachusetts, United States. The Merrimack is one of the larger waterways in the New England region and has helped define the livelihood and culture of those living along it since native...
. In 1974 the station evolved into WCGY, an automated Stereo Top 40/oldies station that targeted the Greater Boston
Greater Boston
Greater Boston is the area of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts surrounding the city of Boston. Due to ambiguity in usage, the size of the area referred to can be anywhere between that of the metropolitan statistical area of Boston and that of the city's combined statistical area which includes...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
area, due to the signal's strength. The call letters were chosen with the owner in mind as Curt Gowdy
Curt Gowdy
Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,...
and his children owned and operated the station until the sale to American Radio Systems in 1994.
In 1983 WCGY flipped to an oldies format playing hits of the '50s and '60s. The station, however, did not perform well in the Boston ratings. Some early to mid '70s oldies were mixed in by 1984 and by 1985 the '50s music was gone. The station by then was called "Superhits WCGY". By 1986 the station leaned slightly toward classic rock still playing mostly music from 1964 to 1974. By 1987 WCGY evolved to more of a classic rock format and held on to this format until 1994. From 1992-1994 they were called "Rock 93, WCGY"
In 1994, immediately after the station was sold to American Radio Systems, WCGY became '70s-formatted WEGQ "Eagle 93.7", which received many changes over its five year existence. Initially they played music from 1970-79 ranging from classic rock to disco to pop to pop/rock to novelty to easy listening. As time went on they added late '60s and early '80s music. By 1995 they also leaned classic rock. The station's most notable air talent was likely its morning show, Karlson and McKenzie who are now on WZLX
WZLX
WZLX is a prominent classic rock radio station in the Boston, Massachusetts market. WZLX was one of the first classic rock FM stations in America...
.
After American Radio Systems was acquired by CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
/Westinghouse, the combined company was required to sell two of their FM
Frequency modulation
In telecommunications and signal processing, frequency modulation conveys information over a carrier wave by varying its instantaneous frequency. This contrasts with amplitude modulation, in which the amplitude of the carrier is varied while its frequency remains constant...
stations, along with three AM
Amplitude modulation
Amplitude modulation is a technique used in electronic communication, most commonly for transmitting information via a radio carrier wave. AM works by varying the strength of the transmitted signal in relation to the information being sent...
stations. WEGQ, along with WEEI
WEEI
WEEI is a sports radio station in Boston, Massachusetts, that broadcasts on 850 kHz from a transmitter in Needham, Massachusetts, and is owned by Entercom Communications. The station is one of the top-rated sports talk radio stations in the nation. Studios are located in Brighton, Massachusetts...
, WRKO
WRKO
WRKO is a radio station based in Boston, Massachusetts, currently owned by Entercom. Its transmitter is located in Burlington, Massachusetts, next to the Burlington Mall.-1920-1940:...
, and WAAF
WAAF (FM)
WAAF is a Boston, Massachusetts, area commercial Album Oriented Rock/Active rock radio station that mixes music that is popular in the modern rock, heavy metal and classic rock genres....
, was sold to Entercom Communications
Entercom Communications
Entercom Communications Corporation is the fourth-largest broadcasting company in the United States. As of November 2009, Entercom operates 110 radio stations in 23 markets across the United States....
.
After the sale, Entercom changed WEGQ's format, as from April 1, 1999 until April 14, 2005, the station was WQSX "Star 93.7", which was a format that could be described as a combination of '70s and '80s-soul music, dance music, rhythmic hit music, and rhythmic adult contemporary tracks. This format, however, didn't catch any fire in the Arbitron
Arbitron
Arbitron is a consumer research company in the United States that collects listener data on radio audiences. It was founded as American Research Bureau by Jim Seiler in 1949 and became national by merging with L.A. based Coffin, Cooper and Clay in the early 1950s...
ratings. The format is also available online as an internet-only station. During 2001, controversial "Survivor" winner Richard Hatch
Richard Hatch (reality TV)
Richard "Rich" Hatch is the $1,000,000 winner of the first American Survivor series, and was a contestant on The Celebrity Apprentice 4.-Early life:...
was a morning host briefly.
On April 14, 2005, WQSX became WMKK, with an adult hits
Adult hits
Adult hits is a radio format, popular in the early 2000s, that does not adhere to a specific music genre, but instead draws from a wider playlist...
format branded as "93.7 Mike FM". Inside Radio, a radio industry publication, released information that had this change not taken place, Infinity Broadcasting (interestingly, the group that was prohibited from owning 93.7 itself back in the late 1990s, and is now known as CBS Radio
CBS Radio
CBS Radio, Inc., formerly known as Infinity Broadcasting Corporation, is one of the largest owners and operators of radio stations in the United States, third behind main rival Clear Channel Communications and Cumulus Media. CBS Radio owns around 130 radio stations across the country...
) reportedly would have transformed either WBMX, WZLX
WZLX
WZLX is a prominent classic rock radio station in the Boston, Massachusetts market. WZLX was one of the first classic rock FM stations in America...
, or even WODS
WODS
- External links :****...
to Jack FM
Jack FM
JACK FM is the alternative name and on-air brand of 60 radio stations in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Russia. Jack stations play a mix of 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s hits with some current hot adult contemporary singles. Jack's slogan "playing what we want" can also be...
on April 15.
Following the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
victory in the 2007 World Series
2007 World Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 24, 2007 at Fenway Park in Boston, MassachusettsThe Red Sox cruised to a blowout win in Game 1 behind ALCS MVP Josh Beckett, who struck out nine batters, including the first four he faced, en route to his fourth win of the 2007 postseason...
, the station re-branded itself as 93.7 Mike Lowell
Mike Lowell
Michael Averett Lowell is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball third baseman. During a 13-year career, Lowell played for the New York Yankees , Florida Marlins , and the Boston Red Sox...
FM after the third baseman for one day. Similarly, MIKE FM paid tribute to Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
in July 2009 by re-branding themselves as "Michael FM" and playing Jackson's songs for the afternoon on the anniversary of his death.
On September 8th, 2011, it was announced that WMKK will begin simulcasting WEEI's sports radio format on Monday, Sept 12th, 2011. The switch took place at 6:00 AM that Monday after Lynyrd Skynyrd's
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd is an American rock band prominent in spreading Southern Rock during the 1970s.Originally formed as the "Noble Five" in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1964, the band rose to worldwide recognition on the basis of its driving live performances and signature tune, Freebird...
"Free Bird
Free Bird
"Free Bird" is a song by the American southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd...
". On September 21, 2011, WMKK changed their call letters to WEEI-FM.
Funkytown HD2
Funkytown HD2, is a Rhythmic ACRhythmic Adult Contemporary
Rhythmic adult contemporary is a format used on stations in the United States and Canada. It usually gears toward an older audience, ages 25 to 54. Stations using this format play disco from the 1970s and early 1980s, dance/pop music, adult-friendly hip hop/old school tracks, R&B, dance/freestyle...
HD2
HD Radio
HD Radio, which originally stood for "Hybrid Digital", is the trademark for iBiquity's in-band on-channel digital radio technology used by AM and FM radio stations to transmit audio and data via a digital signal in conjunction with their analog signals...
subcarrier and Internet radio
Internet radio
Internet radio is an audio service transmitted via the Internet...
station belonging to WMKK/Boston, Massachusetts. The station is owned by Entercom Communications
Entercom Communications
Entercom Communications Corporation is the fourth-largest broadcasting company in the United States. As of November 2009, Entercom operates 110 radio stations in 23 markets across the United States....
. Its slogan is "The Rhythm of Boston".
Prior to being an HD2 channel, the station was originally on the airwaves as terrestrial FM station WQSX. Its moniker and slogan were "Star 93.7" "Boston's Feel Good Station", where it had a moderate but successful run, from April 1, 1999 to April 14, 2005. That move was criticized by Star's listeners, who were upset that they would flip a week before a concert event that they were sponsoring. Entercom would later bring the format back as an internet-only station, where it still can be heard online today, especially over Windows Media
Windows Media
Windows Media is a multimedia framework for media creation and distribution for Microsoft Windows. It consists of a software development kit with several application programming interfaces and a number of prebuilt technologies, and is the replacement of NetShow technologies.The Windows Media SDK...
.
On January 19, 2006, Star would return to the airwaves as an HD2 channel, this time as a commercial-free station with its mix of Dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
, Disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
, and Rhythmic Top 40 hits from the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and today remaining intact. Although it is jockless at times, they have started using a few voice-tracked DJs, most notably former Star and current WRKO
WRKO
WRKO is a radio station based in Boston, Massachusetts, currently owned by Entercom. Its transmitter is located in Burlington, Massachusetts, next to the Burlington Mall.-1920-1940:...
personality Anthony "Pic" Picarello, to the station.
In 2007, WMKK-HD2 changed its moniker from "Star HD" to "Funkytown HD" to reflect its diverse mix of Dance and Disco fare.