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|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Mid-Ohio |
| Frequency | 1490kHz |
| Branding | NewsRadio 1490 WMRN |
| Programming | |
| Format | Conservative talk |
| Network | Fox News Radio |
| Affiliations | Premiere Networks |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
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| WMRN-FM,WYNT | |
| History | |
First air date | December 23, 1940 (84 years ago) (1940-12-23) |
Call sign meaning | Marion |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 40169 |
| Class | C |
| Power | 1,000watts |
Transmitter coordinates | 40°36′50.00″N83°7′47.00″W / 40.6138889°N 83.1297222°W /40.6138889; -83.1297222 |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live (viaiHeartRadio) |
| Website | wmrn |
WMRN (1490AM) is a commercialradio station licensed toMarion, Ohio, and featuring aconservative talk radio format. Owned byiHeartMedia, Inc., WMRN's studios and transmitter are co-located on the city's northern end.[2] In addition to a standardanalog transmission, WMRN is available online viaiHeartRadio.
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WMRN signed on 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 theABC Radio Network, carrying its dramas, comedies, news, and sports during the "Golden Age of Radio."[3]
In May 1953, WMRN's owners launched an FM sister station,WMRN-FM, initially operating as asimulcast of the AM station. In the 1960s, it switched toautomatedbeautiful music until its format was flipped tocountry music on April 1, 1981. It moved to 94.3 MHz in 2008.
When network programming shifted from radio to television in the 1950s, WMRN switched to afull-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 syndicatedThe Rush Limbaugh Show, with the last vestiges of its non-religious music schedule, largely consisting of weekendoldies programming, removed by 1999.
WMRN and WMRN-FM were acquired byJacor Communications in the 1990s, which later merged intoClear Channel Communications, 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.
WMRN's entire broadcast lineup is syndicated with programming sourced mostly from co-ownedPremiere Networks andCompass Media Networks. The station also is an affiliate of theCleveland Guardians Radio Network, theOhio State Sports Network, theColumbus Blue Jackets Radio Network, and theOhio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) Radio Network. WMRN also broadcasts localhigh school football games in the fall and localhigh school basketball games in the winter.