Midwest Communications is a Wausau, Wisconsin-based

radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transm ...

broadcasting company. It owns 82 radio stations located primarily within the Midwest United States, in

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the List of U.S. states and territories by population, 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minne ...

North Dakota North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minnesota to the east, S ...

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota people, Lakota and Dakota peo ...

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Roc ...

and

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

. The company is a family-owned business and is headed by Duke Wright.

History

1950s-1960s

Midwest Communications began in Wausau, Wisconsin, with WRIG, Inc. and the acquisition by the Duey E. Wright family of a 1400 kHz, 250 watt AM facility from the Wisconsin Valley Television Corporation. The call letters WRIG (for Wright) were assigned and on August 1, 1958, top forty-formatted WRIG signed on the air. Power was increased to 1,000 watts in 1961 and WRIG-FM (now WDEZ) signed on in 1964.

1970s

Midwest started station WROE in Appleton/Oshkosh, Wisconsin in 1971. Founder Duey E. Wright Sr. died at 75 on November 24, 1971, with Duey E. Wright Jr. taking over the company his father founded. In 1975 Midwest purchased WBAY-AM and FM, Green Bay, Wisconsin. Due to FCC rules at that time, WROE was sold. The Green Bay call letters were changed to WGEE-AM (now WTAQ-AM) and WIXX-FM. The 1980s saw the acquisition by Midwest of KIOA/KMGK, Des Moines, Iowa, WKKQ/WTBX, Hibbing, Minnesota and KLMS/KFMQ, Lincoln, Nebraska. In addition WRIG moved to 1390 kHz and increased power to 5000 watts day and night.

1990s

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 allowed Midwest to consolidate the Green Bay-Appleton/Oshkosh and Wausau-Stevens Point markets. The consolidation brought about the sale of the Des Moines, Lincoln and Hibbing stations and the acquisitions of WROE, WOZZ, WLTM (now WZBY), WNCY and WNFL in Green Bay-Appleton/Oshkosh and WSAU, WIFC, WOFM and WIZD in Wausau-Stevens Point. In addition four stations WTVB, WNWN AM/FM and WFAT were acquired in the Kalamazoo-Battle Creek, Michigan market.

2000s

In the beginning of the 2000s, Midwest acquired WHBL, WWJR (now WHBZ) and WBFM IN Sheboygan, Wisconsin and WHTC and WEVS (now WYVN) in Holland, Michigan as well as the Duluth Minnesota/Superior Wisconsin market stations KDAL AM/FM, KRBR, WDSM, KTCO and KXTP (now WGEE). On June 30, 2004, Midwest Communications, Inc. acquired an additional six stations in the Hibbing Minnesota market, WNMT, WMFG AM/FM, KMFG, WTBX and WUSZ. On June 14, 2005 Midwest Communications, Inc. acquired WMGI and WWSY in Terre Haute, Indiana and on December 16, 2005 added WACF and WPRS licensed to Paris, IL to the Terre Haute Indiana market. On January 6, 2006 Midwest Communications, Inc. expanded in the Sheboygan Wisconsin market with the addition of WXER. On May 1, 2006 Midwest Communications, Inc. acquired three additional properties in the Kalamazoo, Michigan market, WKZO, WQLR (now WVFM) and WQSN (now WQLR).

2010s

The company continued to grow when Midwest Communications added stations in the Lansing market. 94.1 FM WVIC, 106.1 FM WJXQ, 92.1 FM WQTX and 92.9 FM WLMI joined the Midwest Communications family in July 2010. Midwest Communications Fargo Location

On November 1, 2012, Midwest Communications acquired six additional radio stations in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Those stations included 103.7 FM KRRO, 95.7 FM KQSF, 92.5 FM KTWB, 101.9 FM KELO-FM, 1320 AM KELO-AM and 1230 AM KWSN. May 1, 2013 saw the acquisition of six more radio properties in Fargo, North Dakota. 101.9 FM KRWK, 104.7 FM KMJO, 93.7 FM WDAY, 740 AM KVOX, 99.9 FM KVOX and 790 AM KFGO “The Mighty 790”. On September 1, 2014, Midwest Communications expanded to three new markets with the acquisition of stations in the Nashville, Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee and Evansville, Indiana markets. In this acquisition Midwest added nine more radio properties. In Nashville, Tennessee, Midwest acquired 96.3 FM WCJK and 92.9 FM WJXA. In Knoxville, Tennessee, 103.5 FM WIMZ, 97.5 FM WJXB and 95.7 FM WVRX. The Evansville, Indiana stations include 93.5 FM WLFW, 107.5 FM WABX, 96.1 FM WSTO and 104.1 FM WIKY. On December 30, 2016, Midwest sold Hibbing, Minnesota-based KMFG to Refuge Media Group. On December 31, 2016, Midwest acquired KAOD, KGPZ, KQDS-FM, WEVE-FM, and WXXZ in the Duluth and Hibbing markets from Red Rock Broadcasting. Effective September 22, 2017, Midwest sold WXXZ and KAOD to Aurora Broadcasting, L.L.C.

List of stations

Battle Creek, Michigan

* WNWN - 98.5 FM -

Country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, o ...

* WFAT - 930 AM/102.7 FM -

Classic hits Classic hits is a radio format which generally includes songs from the top 40 music charts from the late 1960s to the early 2000s, with music from the 1980s serving as the core of the format. Music that was popularized by MTV in the early 198 ...

Coldwater, Michigan

* WTVB - 1590 AM/95.5 FM

Classic Hits Classic hits is a radio format which generally includes songs from the top 40 music charts from the late 1960s to the early 2000s, with music from the 1980s serving as the core of the format. Music that was popularized by MTV in the early 198 ...

Duluth, Minnesota

* KDAL - 610 AM/103.9 FM - News Talk * KDAL-FM - 95.7 FM -

Adult contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quiet ...

* KDKE - 102.5 FM -

Classic Country Classic country is a music radio format that specializes in playing mainstream country and western music hits from past decades. Repertoire The radio format specializes in hits from the 1950s through the early 1980s, and focus primarily on inn ...

* KTCO - 98.9 FM -

* KQDS-FM - 94.9 FM -

Classic rock Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, prim ...

* WDSM - 710 AM -

Sports radio Sports radio (or sports talk radio) is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sport, sporting events. A widespread programming genre that has a narrow audience appeal, sports radio is characterized by an often-low comedy ...

* WDUL - 970 AM/98.1 FM -

Top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or "conte ...

Evansville, Indiana

* WABX - 107.5 FM -

* WIKY-FM - 104.1 FM -

Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quiet ...

* WLYD - 93.5 FM -

Country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, whil ...

* WSTO - 96.1 FM - CHR/Top 40

Fargo, North Dakota

* KFGO - 790 AM/94.1 FM - News Talk * KFGO-FM - 104.7 FM - News Talk * KNFL - 740 AM/107.3 FM -

Sports Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, ...

* KOYY - 93.7 FM - Top 40 (CHR) * KRWK - 101.9 FM - Adult Hits * KVOX-FM - 99.9 FM -

Green Bay, Wisconsin

* WGEE - 93.1 FM/93.1 FM -

* WDKF - 99.7 FM -

* WIXX -101.1 FM - Top 40/CHR * WNCY-FM - 100.3 FM/92.1 FM -

* WNFL - 1440 AM -

Sports Radio Sports radio (or sports talk radio) is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sport, sporting events. A widespread programming genre that has a narrow audience appeal, sports radio is characterized by an often-low comedy ...

* WTAQ - 1360 AM - Conservative Talk * WTAQ-FM - 97.5 FM - News Talk * WYDR - 94.3 FM - Adult Hits

Hibbing, Minnesota

* WMFG - 1240 AM - Adult Standards * WMFG-FM - 106.3 FM -

Classic Rock Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, prim ...

( KQDS-FM simulcast) * WNMT - 650 AM - News Talk * WTBX - 93.9 FM - Hot AC * WDKE - 96.1 FM/98.3 FM/103.9 FM -

* WEVE-FM - 97.9 FM/92.1 FM -

* WUSZ - 99.9 FM -

Holland, Michigan

* WHTC - 1450 AM/99.7 FM - News Talk * WYVN - 92.7 FM -

Jackson, Michigan

* WWDK - 94.1 FM -

Classic country Classic country is a music radio format that specializes in playing mainstream country and western music hits from past decades. Repertoire The radio format specializes in hits from the 1950s through the early 1980s, and focus primarily on inn ...

Kalamazoo, Michigan

* WKZO - 590 AM/106.9 FM - News Talk * WTOU - 1660 AM/95.5 FM - Urban adult contemporary * WVFM - 106.5 FM - Adult Hits * WZOX - 96.5 FM -

Modern AC Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quiet sto ...

Knoxville, Tennessee

* WDKW - 95.7 FM -

* WIMZ-FM - 103.5 FM -

* WJXB-FM - 97.5 FM/107.3 FM -

* WNFZ - 94.3 FM - Adult Hits

Lansing, Michigan

* WJXQ - 106.1 FM - Rock * WLMI - 92.9 FM -

* WQTX - 92.1 FM - Rhythmic Adult Contemporary

Peoria, Illinois

* WIRL - 1290 AM/95.9 FM - Conservative Talk * WKZF - 102.3 FM - Rhythmic Classic Hits * WMBD - 1470 AM/100.3 FM -

News/Talk Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often featur ...

* WSWT - 106.9 FM -

Hot Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quiet ...

* WPBG - 93.3 FM -

* WXCL - 104.9 FM -

Nashville, Tennessee

* WCJK - 96.3 FM - Adult Hits * WJXA - 92.9 FM -

* WNFN - 106.7 FM -

Contemporary Hit Radio Contemporary hit radio (also known as CHR, contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format that is common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by ...

Sheboygan, Wisconsin

* WBFM - 93.7 FM -

* WHBL - 1330 AM/101.5 FM News Talk * WHBZ - 106.5 FM -

Active Rock Active rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across the United States and Canada. Active rock stations play a balance of new hard rock songs with valued classic rock favorites, normally with an emphasis on the harder edge ...

* WXER - 104.5 FM/96.1 FM -

Hot adult contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quiet ...

Sioux Falls, South Dakota

* KELO - 1320 AM/105.1 FM - News Talk * KELO-FM - 101.9 FM - Soft Rock * KELQ - 107.9 FM -

* KQSF - 95.7 FM -

* KRRO - 103.7 FM -

* KTWB - 92.5 FM -

* KWSN - 1230 AM/98.1 FM -

Terre Haute, Indiana

* WBOW - 102.7 FM -

* WIBQ - 1230 AM/97.9 FM -

* WIBU - 1440 AM -

* WMGI - 100.7 FM -

Contemporary hit radio Contemporary hit radio (also known as CHR, contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format that is common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by ...

* WTHI-FM - 99.9 FM -

* WWVR - 98.5 FM -

Wausau, Wisconsin

* WDEZ - 101.9 FM -

WIFC WIFC (95.5 FM) is a top 40 (CHR) radio station located in Wausau, Wisconsin. The station is owned and operated locally by Midwest Communications, previously owned by Journal Communications, Dave Raven (Raven Broadcasting) and originally For ...

- 95.5 FM - Top 40/CHR * WOZZ - 94.7 FM/102.9 FM - Adult Hits * WRIG - 1390 AM/93.9 FM -

* WSAU - 550 AM/95.1 FM - Conservative Talk * WSAU-FM - 99.9 FM - Conservative Talk

Notable Talent

Joel Heitkamp Joel Curtis Heitkamp (born November 2, 1961) is an American talk radio host and politician who served as a member of the North Dakota Senate for the 26th district from 1994 to 2008. Education Heitkamp was born in Breckenridge, Minnesota and r ...

- talk show host

References

External links

Corporate Website
{{Wausau, Wisconsin Wausau, Wisconsin Companies based in Wisconsin Radio broadcasting companies of the United States Midwest Communications radio stations