 | |
| Broadcast area | Lansing-East Lansing metropolitan area |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 99.1MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | 99.1 WFMK |
| Programming | |
| Format | Adult contemporary |
| Affiliations | Compass Media Networks Westwood One |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| WITL-FM,WJIM,WJIM-FM,WMMQ,WVFN | |
| History | |
First air date | July 16, 1959; 66 years ago (1959-07-16) (as WSWM) |
Former call signs | WSWM (1959–1971) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 37460 |
| Class | B |
| ERP | 28,000watts |
| HAAT | 183 meters (600 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 42°40′33″N84°30′0″W / 42.67583°N 84.50000°W /42.67583; -84.50000 |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | 99wfmk |
WFMK (99.1FM) is anadult contemporaryradio station licensed toEast Lansing, Michigan and serving theLansing radio market. The station is owned byTownsquare Media and broadcasts in HD radio. WFMK is one of the oldest adult contemporary stations, as it has been carrying the format for almost 5 decades. The station also switches to an all-Christmas music format, temporarily replacing its AC format from mid-November through December.
The Studios are on Pine Tree Road and its transmitter is near downtown Lansing. WFMK operates with an ERP of 28,000 watts, making it a class B radio station.
WSWM was founded in 1959 byJohn P. McGoff[2] who sold the station to Robert G. Liggett Jr. owner ofLiggett Communications in 1971. Liggett changed the station's call sign to WFMK, and initially programmed a mix ofAdult Contemporary music as "Stereo Island, WFMK 99" during the day (using theStereo Island approach pioneered atWKNR-FM in Detroit), andAlbum Oriented Rock overnight. TheAOR portion of the format was dropped in the mid-1970s, and theAdult Contemporary format expanded to 24 hours a day, under the monikerEasy Rockin' FM 99.
Over the years WFMK's adult contemporary format has evolved to the point that the station's current slogan is "A Variety From the '80s to Now." WFMK has long been one of the most popular and most highly rated stations in the Lansing area.
WhenWHZZ inLansing, Michigan abruptly changed format fromContemporary Hit Radio toAdult Hits in 2005, WFMK, along withWQHH andWJXQ temporarily took advantage of the format switch, touting the many CHR artists on the station until WFMK's sister station,WJIM-FM changed format fromoldies to CHR a few days later.
On August 30, 2013, a deal was announced in whichTownsquare Media would acquire 53Cumulus Media stations, including WFMK, for $238 million. The deal is part of Cumulus' acquisition ofDial Global; Townsquare and Dial Global are both controlled byOaktree Capital Management.[3][4] The sale to Townsquare was completed on November 14, 2013 and WFMK came under the Townsquare ownership.[5]
Each year, WFMK switches to allChristmas music for the holiday season. The tradition began in 2010 when the station flipped to the format 24/7 for the first time. The Christmas Music usually begins the week beforeThanksgiving and continues through Christmas Day.[6] This Christmas format competes withWXLA, which also goes all-Christmas for the season.
WFMK has had its jingle melody changed over the years. During the mid and late 1980s, WFMK's jingles were byJAM Creative Productions and used the WENS melody. In the 1990s, WFMK's jingles, byTM Century, also used the WENS melody, which also was the call sign melody for WMXV. WFMK's jingle melody was changed again when the station began using the "Cuddle" jingle package from Thompson Creative; this package remained for seven years. The most recent jingle melody change came in 2007 when WFMK began using Reelworld's 2007WLIT jingle package; WFMK has stayed with Reelworld and the WLIT melody ever since. Their current jingle package to this day is Reelworld One AC and the KVIL package, both using the same WLIT melody.