WMKM (1440

kHz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose expression in terms of SI base units is s−1, meaning that on ...

) is a

commercial Commercial may refer to: * a dose of advertising conveyed through media (such as - for example - radio or television) ** Radio advertisement ** Television advertisement * (adjective for:) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and s ...

radio station Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radio ...

licensed A license (or licence) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another party (licensee) as an element of an agreeme ...

Inkster, Michigan Inkster is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2010 census, the city population was 25,369. History The area was originally inhabited by Native Americans. It was settled by non-indigenous people in 1825. A post offi ...

, and serving the

Detroit metropolitan area The Detroit metropolitan area, often referred to as Metro Detroit, is a major metropolitan area in the U.S. State of Michigan, consisting of the city of Detroit and its Southeast Michigan, surrounding area. There are varied definitions of the a ...

. Owned by Timothy Gallagher, through licensee Great Lakes Radio—Detroit, LLC, the station airs an

Urban Gospel Urban/contemporary gospel is a modern subgenre of gospel music. Although the style developed gradually, early forms are generally dated to the 1970s, and the genre was well established by the end of the 1980s. The radio format is pitched prima ...

radio format A radio format or programming format (not to be confused with broadcast programming) describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. The radio format emerged mainly in the United States in the 1950s, at a time when Radio broadcasting, ...

branded as Gospel 1440 AM. The

radio studio A recording studio is a specialized facility for sound recording, mixing, and audio production of instrumental or vocal musical performances, spoken words, and other sounds. They range in size from a small in-home project studio large enoug ...

s and offices are on East Grand Boulevard in Detroit. WMKM broadcasts with 1,000

watt The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantify the rate of energy transfer. The watt is named after James Wa ...

s of power using two different directional signal patterns for day and night. Its six-

tower array A tower array is an arrangement of multiple radio towers which are mast radiators in a phased array. They were originally developed as ground-based tracking radars. Tower arrays can consist of free-standing or guyed towers or a mix of them. Tower a ...

is located near Ecorse and Merriman Roads in

Romulus, Michigan Romulus is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 23,989 at the 2010 census. Romulus is a western suburb of Metro Detroit and is also considered part of the Downriver collection of communities. It is most nota ...

History

From 1956 to 1990, the

1440 Events January–December * February 21 – The Prussian Confederation is formed. * April 9 – Christopher of Bavaria is elected King of Denmark. * April – Murad II lays siege to Belgrade. The city is heavily damaged, but the defende ...

spot on the AM dial was the home of WCHB. It was the Detroit area's first radio station to be built from the ground up by, and programmed one hundred per cent to,

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

s. WCHB played a

soul music Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in the African American community throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It has its roots in African-American gospel music and rhythm and blues. Soul music became po ...

format through the 1960s and 70s. In the late 1970s, the station called itself "Detroit's original

disco music Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric piano ...

station".WCHB Disco Top Ten, December 20, 1978
/ref> In February 1990, WCHB abandoned 1440 for the 1200 kHz frequency licensed to

Taylor, Michigan Taylor is a city in Wayne County, Michigan, Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Its population was 63,409 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Taylor is the fifth most-populated city in Wayne County and the 17th List of municipa ...

, a more powerful signal. (That station today is WMUZ.) At that point, the station on 1440 AM took the

call sign In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally assigne ...

WMKM and began broadcasting brokered urban gospel and Christian programming aimed at the

community. Eventually the station added a few hours of brokered

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

programming during the afternoon hours. The station's owner, Davidson Media Group, specialized in Gospel/Inspirational and Latino formats. In November 2005, the station's call letters temporarily changed to WRJD to match the new "Rejoice" slogan (Rejoice Detroit). The call sign switched back to WMKM, the following month, and then to WDRJ in April 2006. In the summer of 2007, Davidson Media sold WDRJ to Communicom Corporation of America (CCA). CCA also owned

WLNO WLNO (1060 AM) – branded ''WLNO 1060 AM'' – is a commercial urban gospel radio station licensed to serve New Orleans, Louisiana. Owned by Eternity Media Group LLC, the station serves the New Orleans metropolitan area. The WLNO transmitter sit ...

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

, and

KXXT KXXT (1010 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a Christian talk and instructional format. Licensed to Tolleson, Arizona, United States, the station serves the Phoenix area. KXXT uses the slogan "Family Values Radio" and is owned by Salem Media ...

KXEG KXEG (1280 AM) is a radio station licensed to Phoenix, Arizona, United States, it serves the Phoenix area. The station is currently in receivership, licensed to Stephen C. Sloan, Media Services Group, Receiver. First put on the air on October 23 ...

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...

. WDRJ's gospel and Christian talk and teaching format did not change. On October 6, 2014, the call letters returned to WMKM. At the same time, the station was sold by Communicom to Great Lakes Radio—Detroit, LLC.

References

External links

{{coord, 42, 15, 22, N, 83, 21, 48, W, type:landmark_region:US_source:FCC, display=title MKM Gospel radio stations in the United States MKM

History

See also

References

External links