WLUM FM 102.1: История Милуокийской Радиостанции

WLUM FM (102.1 MHz) is a commercial FM radio station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The station airs an Alternative rock radio format branded as "FM 102/1". The station is owned by the estate of former Green Bay Packer Willie Davis and his company, All Pro Broadcasting. WLUM is run as a partnership with co owned WZTI and Shamrock Broadcasting's WLDB as a group called the Milwaukee Radio Alliance. WLUM FM is a Class B FM station, with an effective radiated power (ERP) of 8,800 watts. The studios are on Good Hope Road in Menomonee Falls and the transmitter site is in Milwaukee's North Side, near the Milwaukee River at Lincoln Park. Radio Locator. com/WLUM

The station signed on the air in The original call sign was WMKE, letters from word Milwaukee. The station's studios were on North Avenue in Milwaukee. WMKE had a format that was primarily Broadway show tunes. The owners boasted that WMKE was the nation's first "all tape radio station", meaning that all programming originated from reel to reel tape or other tape formats, rather than phonograph records. They believed tape delivered higher quality audio.

Former Green Bay Packers defensive end and businessman Willie Davis purchased WAWA AM FM. He split the programming of the two stations on February 14, 1979, switching WAWA FM to WLUM (short for We Love YoU Milwaukee!). At that point, 102.1 FM had its own distinct format focusing on disco music. At the time, the disco format was hot. WLUM was the second station in Milwaukee to adopt the All Disco format, as WNUW had already beat them to it in October 1978. The success of the disco format was short lived, with both stations shifting their programming by August 1979. WLUM shifted to a rhythmic contemporary sound in the summer of 1979. Co owned 1590 WAWA, a daytimer station, later picked up the WLUM call letters. The AM station was long hampered by a weak signal, and when All Pro Broadcasting purchased stronger station WMVP 1290 AM, the WAWA format and programming moved there. As a result, 1590 AM went silent in 1988, and its broadcast license turned in to the FCC.

In 1982, WLUM began adding more Urban music. By the summer of 1983, the station's format morphed into a Rhythmic Contemporary Hits presentation with the brandings "WLUM FM 102", "WLUM 102 Milwaukee's Hot FM", "Club 102 WLUM", "Power 102 WLUM", "WLUM 102 FM". It settled on "Hot 102 WLUM", airing a mix of dance music (including Freestyle, House and Club Imports) and Top 40 hits (including Rock and Modern/Alternative tracks). By 1989, WLUM was featuring shows like "Casey's Top 40" and "American Dance Traxx" as it began to shift further towards a Dance leaning direction that was loosely patterned after Power 106 in Los Angeles. Veteran Rhythmic program director and future consultant Rick Thomas was in charge, before moving on to launch XHITZ San Diego's Rhythmic format in April 1990. Also during this period, noted radio personality Bubba the Love Sponge briefly did an air shift at Hot 102.

By late 1991, WLUM evolved into a straightforward Top 40 CHR presentation. More hip hop was added to the playlist by the following year, to better compete with upstart rival WKKV FM "V 100.7" for the urban audience. By late 1993, it began shifting back to a Dance leaning direction. It used the moniker "Hot 102 WLUM, Milwaukee's Party Station". This lasted until the Summer of 1994, when it shifted back to mainstream Top 40.

By 1994, WLUM began tweaking the on air presentation. Hip hop was slowly being phased out and more modern rock was added to the playlist. Owner Willie Davis had a desire to distance his station from the violent image of most rap and hip hop music. He was disappointed to find out that the station had begun to carry a nightly hour of uncensored music after the FCC's "safe harbor" regulations were not in effect. A record homicide count in Milwaukee and several area violent crimes also played into the decision. On December 1, 1993, Wauwatosa West High School assistant principal Dale Breitlow was murdered by a former student, and the station immediately pulled Dr. Dre's "Dre Day" and Eazy E's "Real Compton City G's" in reaction, dropping their usual music and allowing those affected to call in about how the shooting affected them. The modern rock music was well received by listeners. In October of that year, the station adopted alternative rock full time, as "New Rock 102ONE." That left the Milwaukee market without a Top 40 station until the launch of WXSS FM 103.7 in 1998.

Over the years, the format underwent tweaking. After adding more classic rock tracks to the playlist, the station began a brief run with an adult album alternative (AAA) format on June 23, 1998. After stunting with elevator music, a voice broke said, "Thank you for holding. This concludes our broadcast day." This was followed by Jimi Hendrix's version of The Star Spangled Banner to launch the new format. Artists played during this AAA era included Rolling Stones, Nirvana, Melissa Etheridge, Led Zeppelin, Dave Matthews Band, and The Doors.

The move to AAA was unsuccessful. So in December 1998, WLUM switched to hard rock with the syndicated Mancow Muller from Chicago in the morning. The station initially avoided much of the then popular nu metal music that WLZR 102.9 played, but added a great deal to the playlist by 2001. Nonetheless, WLUM was consistently a distant second to market leader WLZR. As a straight ahead rock station, WLUM experienced some of its lowest ratings ever. The bottom came after the September 11 attacks, which caused many rock stations to shift quickly from hard rock tracks judged inappropriate in the aftermath and change away from aggressive formats.

In March 2002, WLUM began making more changes. Mancow's morning show was dropped. Most of the hard rock music on the playlist was deleted and modern rock music returned to the playlist. By September, the station was once again a full time reporter to alternative rock airplay charts for radio industry trade magazines. The station still experienced low ratings, as it worked to shake its male oriented hard rock image. The station made heavy use of consultants who crafted a rather tight playlist. In March 2003, the Indianapolis based Bob and Tom was added in morning drive time to compete against Bob & Brian up the dial on WLZR. But Bob & Tom's older audience (where it was often programmed on classic rock stations) proved incompatible for the rest of WLUM's younger skewing alternative rock sound. The Bob & Tom agreement ran out in 2005. A locally oriented morning show, "Kramp and Adler", debuted on St. Patrick's Day. This was a sign of more changes to come. On July 10, 2006, WLUM began stunting as "Quick 102" and started playing five second song clips back to back. At the same time, via on air promos, the station poked fun at itself and the many failed on air tweaks and changes over the years. At 5:00 p. m. the next day, the modern rock format was relaunched with a new programming and on air staff in place. The station admitted past mistakes, then announced its "independence". An announcer stated WLUM was now free from corporate practices and radio consultants. The station pledged a stronger dedication to their listeners and the local community. As part of the new direction, Program Director Jacent Jackson rolled out a modified alternative rock format with a wider playlist, featuring more indie rock. The first song after the relaunch was "Guerrilla Radio" by Rage Against the Machine. Jackson also added new DJs to the airstaff including Michelle Rutkowski from WKQX in Chicago. The station's moniker switched to "FM 102.1" with the slogan, "Independent. Alternative. Radio." WLUM also ended its last remaining syndicated show, "Loveline", vowing to be 100% local. The station sponsored a contest to name a new alternative rock festival on the Summerfest grounds that took place in June 2010. It became known as the "Verge Music Festival". During this time, the station also adjusted the positioning statement from "Independent. Alternative. Radio" to "Sounds Different." In 2014, Program Director Jacent Jackson departed WLUM to program KITS in San Francisco and Michelle Rutkowski took over as PD. Specialty shows consist of "FM 102/1 Retro Brunch" three hours of Classic Alternative titles Sunday mornings from 7 10 am, "Indie Soundcheck" (Sunday nights 8 11 pm) with Ryan Miller, "Neighborhood Watch" an hour of local Milwaukee music hosted by Ian McCain Sunday nights at 11 pm. The current full time line up includes Adler (6 10 am), Michelle Rutkowski (10 am 2 pm), Ian McCain (2 7 pm), and Schroeder (7 pm midnight) with the current part timers Ryan Miller and Alyssa.