WMRN (1490

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 ...

broadcasting a

talk radio 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 ...

format Format may refer to: Printing and visual media * Text formatting, the typesetting of text elements * Paper formats, or paper size standards * Newspaper format, the size of the paper page Computing * File format, particular way that informatio ...

. It is

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 ...

Marion, Ohio Marion is a city in and the county seat of Marion County, Ohio, Marion County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in north-central Ohio, approximately north of Columbus, Ohio, Columbus. The population was 35,999 at the 2020 United S ...

, ("MRN" stands for Marion Radio News) and is owned by

iHeartMedia, Inc. iHeartMedia, Inc., formerly CC Media Holdings, Inc., is an American mass media corporation headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It is the holding company of iHeartCommunications, Inc. (formerly Clear Channel Communications, Inc.), a company fou ...

, through licensee iHM Licenses, LLC. It features programming from

Fox News Radio Fox News Radio is an American radio network owned by Fox News. It is syndicated to over 500 AM and FM radio stations across the United States. It also supplies programming for three channels on Sirius XM Satellite Radio. History In 2003, ...

and

Premiere Networks Premiere Networks (formerly Premiere Radio Networks, shortened as PRN) is an American media company, a wholly owned subsidiary of iHeartMedia, for which it currently serves as its main original radio content distribution and production arm. It ...

History

WMRN

signed on Signing may refer to: * Using sign language * Signature A signature (; from la, signare, "to sign") is a handwritten (and often stylized) depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on do ...

the air on December 23, 1940. It was the first radio station to broadcast from Marion. In its early years, it was an affiliate of the

ABC Radio Network Cumulus Media Networks was an American radio network owned and operated by Cumulus Media. From 2011 until its merger with Westwood One, it controlled many of the radio assets formerly belonging to the American Broadcasting Company (ABC), which w ...

, carrying its dramas, comedies, news, and sports during the "

Golden Age of Radio The Golden Age of Radio, also known as the old-time radio (OTR) era, was an era of radio in the United States where it was the dominant electronic home entertainment, entertainment medium. It began with the birth of commercial radio broadcastin ...

."Broadcasting Yearbook 1951
page 243,

Broadcasting & Cable ''Broadcasting & Cable'' (or ''Broadcasting+Cable'') is a weekly telecommunications industry trade magazine published by Future US. Previous names included ''Broadcasting-Telecasting'', ''Broadcasting and Broadcast Advertising'', and ''Broadcast ...

In May 1953, WMRN's owners launched an FM sister station, 106.9

WMRN-FM WMRN-FM is a country music radio station in Marion, Ohio, currently owned by iHeartMedia. Station history The previous WMRN-FM had served the nearby Marion, Ohio area at 106.9 MHz with a country music format under the on-air monikers “FM-1 ...

, initially operating as a

simulcast Simulcast (a portmanteau of simultaneous broadcast) is the broadcasting of programmes/programs or events across more than one resolution, bitrate or medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at exactly the same time (that is, simultane ...

of the AM station. In the 1960s, it switched to

automated Automation describes a wide range of technologies that reduce human intervention in processes, namely by predetermining decision criteria, subprocess relationships, and related actions, as well as embodying those predeterminations in machines ...

beautiful music Beautiful music (sometimes abbreviated as BM, B/EZ or BM/EZ for "beautiful music/easy listening") is a mostly instrumental music format that was prominent in North American radio from the late 1950s through the 1980s. Easy listening, elevator musi ...

until its format was flipped to

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, ...

on April 1, 1981. It moved to 94.3 MHz in 2008. When network programming shifted from radio to television in the 1950s, WMRN 1490 switched to a full-service, middle of the road format of popular adult music, news, and sports, branding itself "Hometown Radio 1490." Over time, talk shows were added and music programming was removed. By the late 1980s, WMRN's weekday schedule consisted largely of locally-produced talk shows accompanied by the nationally syndicated ''

The Rush Limbaugh Show ''The Rush Limbaugh Show'' is an American conservative talk radio show hosted by Rush Limbaugh. Since its nationally syndicated premiere in 1988, ''The Rush Limbaugh Show'' became the highest-rated talk radio show in the United States. At its ...

'', with the last vestiges of its non-religious music schedule, largely consisting of weekend

oldies Oldies is a term for musical genres such as pop music, rock and roll, doo-wop, surf music (broadly characterized as classic rock and pop rock) from the second half of the 20th century, specifically from around the mid-1950s to the 1980s, as we ...

programming, removed by 1999. WMRN-AM-FM were acquired by

Jacor Communications Jacor Communications was a media corporation, existing between 1987 and 1999, which owned many radio stations in the United States. In 1998, Jacor was purchased by Clear Channel Communications, now iHeartMedia, for $2.8 billion. Jacor Communicat ...

in the 1990s, which later merged into

Clear Channel Communications iHeartMedia, Inc., formerly CC Media Holdings, Inc., is an American mass media corporation headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It is the holding company of iHeartCommunications, Inc. (formerly Clear Channel Communications, Inc.), a company fou ...

, the forerunner to today's iHeartMedia. Under Clear Channel's ownership, WMRN's traditional full-service/hometown format featuring a variety of locally-produced content was phased out, as syndicated talk programming began filling the station's afternoon and evening weekday schedule. Since the June 2019 retirement of longtime local morning host Jeff Ruth, WMRN airs no locally-produced weekday programming, except for local newscasts.

Current programming

All programming is syndicated from co-owned

and aired live unless otherwise noted. National news updates from

air at the beginning of each hour. Local newscasts are heard at the bottom of each hour and following Fox News, a few minutes past each hour on weekdays.

Weekdays

* ''

This Morning, America's First News with Gordon Deal ''This Morning: America's First News'' (formerly ''The Wall Street Journal This Morning'') is a two-hour radio news/talk program hosted by Gordon Deal and Jennifer Kushinka, who replaced long-serving co-host Gina Cervetti on January 2, 2015. In a ...

'', 5:00 a.m.–9:00 a.m. (

Compass Media Networks Compass Media Networks is an American radio network. The company launched in January 2009. It is owned by former Westwood One CEO and former COO of Connoisseur Media, Peter Kosann. The company focuses on radio and offers representation and ma ...

) * ''

The Glenn Beck Radio Program ''The Glenn Beck Radio Program'' is an American conservative talk radio show, hosted by commentator Glenn Beck on over 400 radio stations across America, his company's own TheBlaze Radio Network, with a live television simulcast weekdays on TheB ...

'', 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. * ''

The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show ''The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show'' is an American radio program hosted by former Fox Sports Radio personality Clay Travis and former '' America Now/The Buck Sexton Show'' host Buck Sexton. It is broadcast on over 400 talk radio stations n ...

'', 12:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m. * ''

The Sean Hannity Show ''The Sean Hannity Show'' is a conservative talk radio show hosted by Sean Hannity. The program is broadcast live every weekday, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET. The show is produced in the New York City studios of radio station WOR and is sometimes ...

'', 3:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m. * ''

The Jesse Kelly Show ''The Jesse Kelly Show'' (formerly known as ''America Now'' and ''The Buck Sexton Show'') is a three-hour early evening conservative talk radio show hosted by Jesse Kelly, and carried by Premiere Networks, a subsidiary of iHeartMedia, Inc. It is ...

'', 6:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m. * ''The

Joe Pags Joseph John Pagliarulo (born August 1, 1966), also known on the air as Joe Pags, is an American nationally syndicated conservative television and radio talk show host. Biography Born in Amityville, New York, Pagliarulo later lived in nearby Co ...

Show'', 9:00 p.m.–12:00 a.m. (tape delayed; Compass Media Networks) * ''

Coast to Coast AM ''Coast to Coast AM'' is an American late-night radio talk show that deals with a variety of topics. Most frequently the topics relate to either the paranormal or conspiracy theories. It was hosted by creator Art Bell from its inception in 19 ...

with

George Noory George Ralph Noory (born June 4, 1950) is an American radio talk show host. Since January 2003, Noory has been the weekday host of the late-night radio talk show ''Coast to Coast AM''. The program is syndicated to hundreds of radio stations in ...

'', 12:00 a.m.–5:00 a.m. (till 6:00 a.m. on Saturdays)

Saturday

* '' In the Garden with Ron Wilson'', 6:00 a.m.–9:00 a.m. * '' At Home with Gary Sullivan'', 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. * '' The Weekend with Michael Brown'', 12:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m. * ''

Leo Laporte Leo Laporte (; born November 29, 1956) is the host of ''The Tech Guy'' weekly radio show and a host on TWiT.tv, an Internet podcast network focusing on technology. He is also a former TechTV technology host (1998–2008) and a technology author. O ...

–

The Tech Guy ''The Tech Guy'' was a widely syndicated US radio show hosted by Leo Laporte, formerly of TechTV and later with TWiT.tv. The show, which was first exclusively broadcast on KFI 640 AM in Los Angeles, was picked up for syndication by Premiere Netw ...

'', 3:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m. * '' Bill Handel on the Law'', 6:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m. * '' Somewhere in Time with Art Bell'', 9:00 p.m.–1:00 a.m. * ''Coast to Coast AM'', 1:00 a.m.–6:00 a.m.

Sunday

Contemporary Christian music Contemporary Christian music, also known as CCM, Christian pop, and occasionally inspirational music is a genre of modern popular music, and an aspect of Christian media, which is lyrically focused on matters related to the Christian faith and s ...

, 6:00 a.m.–8:00 a.m. (local) * ''Newscenter at Large'' local public affairs programming, 8:00 a.m.–8:30 a.m. (local) * Paul James, 8:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m. (local) * ''At Home with Gary Sullivan'', 12:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m. (replay) * ''Leo Laporte – The Tech Guy'', 3:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m. (replay) * ''The Best of The Sean Hannity Show'', 6:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m. * iHeart Podcast Channel, 9:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m. * '' Sunday Nights with Bill Cunningham'', 10:00 p.m.–1:00 a.m. * ''Coast to Coast AM'', 1:00 a.m.–5:00 a.m.

Live sports programming

Note that live sports programming preempts the regularly-scheduled programming listed above on the terrestrial broadcast. Regularly-scheduled programming airs on the streamed broadcast due to blackout restrictions imposed by the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

, the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

, and the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

Fall

* Cincinnati Bengals football (NFL) *

Ohio State Buckeyes football The Ohio State Buckeyes football team competes as part of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, representing Ohio State University in the East Division of the Big Ten Conference. Ohio State has played their home games at Ohio Stadium in ...

(NCAA) * Local

high school football High school football (french: football au lycée) is gridiron football played by high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both countries, but its popularity is declining, part ...

Winter

* Columbus Blue Jackets hockey (NHL) *

Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball The Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball team represents The Ohio State University in NCAA Division I college basketball competition. The Buckeyes are a member of the Big Ten Conference. The Buckeyes play their home games at Value City Arena in ...

(NCAA) * Local

high school basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

Spring/Summer

* Cleveland Guardians baseball (MLB)

Former programming

Syndicated

* ''

'' * ''The

Jim Bohannon James Everett Bohannon (January 7, 1944 – November 12, 2022) was an American broadcaster who worked in both television and radio. He is best known for hosting the nationally syndicated late night radio talk show ''The Jim Bohannon Show'' orig ...

Show'' * ''The

Dr. Laura Doctor is an academic title that originates from the Latin word of the same spelling and meaning. The word is originally an agentive noun of the Latin verb 'to teach'. It has been used as an academic title in Europe since the 13th century, w ...

Program'' * ''Rock & Roll's Greatest Hits'' with

Dick Bartley Dick Bartley (born 26 July 1951), a popular American radio disc jockey since June 21, 1969, has hosted several popular syndicated radio shows of the oldies/classic hits genre, including the current ''Dick Bartley's Classic Hits'' and ''Rock & Roll ...

* Fox Sports Radio programming

Local

* ''The Morning Show'' with Jeff Ruth * ''Tradio'' * ''Morning Magazine'' * ''The WMRN News Hour'' * Sunday worship services from Trinity United Methodist Church, Marion, and Evangelical Lutheran Church, Marion Additional local programming aired throughout WMRN's history during its time operating under a full-service format prior to its shift to mostly syndicated programming by 2019.

References

External links

{{IHeartMedia MRN IHeartMedia radio stations News and talk radio stations in the United States