WSJM-FM
Encyclopedia
WSJM-FM is a radio station
broadcasting a simulcast
of WSJM 1400 AM
, a News
-Talk
-Sports station. Licensed to Benton Harbor, Michigan
.
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 System
. 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, 20-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.
The station callsigns had previously been WCNF "The Coast" until the station was moved to the 98.3 FM frequency
on January 24, 2008 in a 3 station swap that started on January 7. The WCSY call letters as well as the "Cosy FM" name, which had been on the 98.3 FM frequency, were moved the 103.7 FM frequency. The WHIT-FM call letters were dropped from 103.7 FM, but the oldies format and "SuperHits" branding were retained.
94.9 FM first began broadcasting in 1998 as WYKL with an oldies
format. Following competitor WHFB-FM
's format change from Hot AC to country
, 94.9 FM changed to a Hot AC format that lasted until the recent change.
Mid-West Family Broadcasting
owns all three stations involved in the format swap.
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...
broadcasting a simulcast
Simulcast
Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
of WSJM 1400 AM
WSJM (AM)
WSJM is a radio station broadcasting a news-talk format. Licensed to St. Joseph, Michigan, it first began broadcasting in 1956....
, a News
News
News is the communication of selected information on current events which is presented by print, broadcast, Internet, or word of mouth to a third party or mass audience.- Etymology :...
-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...
-Sports station. Licensed to Benton Harbor, Michigan
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...
.
History
The WSJM-FM callsign was originally assigned to 107.1 MHz in 1964 as a classical music outlet to sister station WSJM-AM (which, at the time, had a "top-forty" rock-and-roll format) and owned by Mid-West Family Broadcasting (MWF), which is based in Madison, Wisconsin. The callsign was changed to WIRX in 1979 and became dormant until 2008. The station is still managed on a local level to this day, much as it was when it first began broadcasting.It is thought that WSJM-FM was one of the world's first completely automated radio stations, built and designed by Brian Brown
Brian Brown
Brian Brown or Bryan Brown may refer to:* Brian E. Brown, deceased Los Angeles, California, USA police officer* Bryan Brown, Australian actor* Bryan D. Brown, US general* Brian Brown , Australian rules footballer...
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 System
Mutual 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, 20-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.
The station callsigns had previously been WCNF "The Coast" until the station was moved to the 98.3 FM frequency
Frequency
Frequency is the number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit time. It is also referred to as temporal frequency.The period is the duration of one cycle in a repeating event, so the period is the reciprocal of the frequency...
on January 24, 2008 in a 3 station swap that started on January 7. The WCSY call letters as well as the "Cosy FM" name, which had been on the 98.3 FM frequency, were moved the 103.7 FM frequency. The WHIT-FM call letters were dropped from 103.7 FM, but the oldies format and "SuperHits" branding were retained.
94.9 FM first began broadcasting in 1998 as WYKL with an 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....
format. Following competitor WHFB-FM
WHFB-FM
WHFB-FM is a radio station licensed to Benton Harbor, Michigan, broadcasting a country music format and targeting the South Bend, Indiana market...
's format change from Hot AC to 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...
, 94.9 FM changed to a Hot AC format that lasted until the recent change.
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....
owns all three stations involved in the format swap.