WMMQ

Infobox Radio station
name = WMMQ


city = East Lansing, Michigan
area = [http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WMMQ&service=FM&status=L&hours=U]
branding = Classic Rock 94.9
slogan = Lansing's Classic Rock
airdate =
frequency = 94.9 MHz
format = Classic rock
power =
erp = 50,000 watts
haat = 150 meters
class = B
facility_id = 24641
coordinates = coord|42|38|45|N|84|33|38|W|type:landmark
callsign_meaning =
former_callsigns = WVIC-FM (9/11/83-6/1/97) WVIC (6/8/83-9/11/83) WVIC-FM (5/6/81-6/8/83) WVIC (?-5/6/81)
owner = Citadel Broadcasting
sister_stations = WFMK, WITL-FM, WJIM (AM), WJIM-FM
webcast = [http://www.wmmq.com/article.asp?id=547959 Listen Live]
website = [http://www.wmmq.com/ www.wmmq.com]
affiliations =

WMMQ is an American Classic rock radio station at 94.9 FM, licensed to East Lansing, Michigan. The station is owned by Citadel Broadcasting.

The original WMMQ (92.7 FM) began life as WCER-FM in Charlotte, Michigan, in 1963. The station was co-owned with WCER-AM 1390 (now Christian-formatted WLCM). On July 1, 1979, WCER-FM changed its calls to WMMQ, and on September 1 of that year, WMMQ separated programming from its AM sister and aired an adult contemporary/sports format as "Q92".

By the mid-1980s, WMMQ was struggling in the ratings and losing to its Lansing-based A/C competitors, and the station's owners quietly prepared a format change. On April 15, 1985, WMMQ changed to a then brand-new format called Classic rock, making it one of the first FM stations in the United States with such a format. The station was consulted by Fred Jacobs, revered as the "father" of the Classic Rock format, and quickly became one of the most popular stations in mid-Michigan, and Jacobs' first Classic Rock success story.

The current home of WMMQ at 94.9 FM bore the WVIC-FM calls for many years. The station initially simulcast WVIC-AM 730, with an MOR and then a Top 40 format. In the mid-1970s, WVIC-FM simulcast the AM's Top 40 programming during the day and then aired progressive rock at night. In the 1980s, the roles were reversed, as WVIC-FM became the dominant station with its CHR format and WVIC-AM became the simulcast.

WVIC-AM dropped out of the simulcast and became sports-talk WVFN in June 1992. WVIC-FM's period as Lansing's top CHR station came to an end in 1995, when the station became "Wild Country 94-9 The Cat" in an attempt to take on longtime country music station and market leader WITL-FM. "The Cat" lasted only a few months before the station was acquired by the owners of WITL-FM. Under new ownership, WVIC-FM decided to take on longtime album rocker WJXQ with an active rock format as "Buzz 95." The longtime WJXQ morning show team of Tim (Barron) and Deb (Hart) moved to 94.9 in 1997 and the station adjusted its format to a more mainstream rock approach.

On May 1, 1997, WVIC 94.9 FM and WMMQ 92.7 FM switched programming and call signs. WMMQ's Classic rock format moved to the higher powered signal at 94.9. Tim and Deb stayed on to host the morning show at WMMQ 94.9 after the switch.

The current morning show on WMMQ consists of Rich Michaels, formerly of sister station WJIM-FM 97.5 (arriving to that station after its format change from Oldies to CHR on September 15, 2005). Joining Michaels is Deb Hart.

Michaels was suspended from on air activities on Wednesday August 14, 2008 for on air comments about a building project in Lansing.

Alice Cooper's syndicated classic rock show is heard from 7 to Midnight.

A long-standing fixture on WMMQ, dating back to its earliest days in 1985 on 92.7, is "Larry Allen's All-Request Saturday Night." The show runs from 7pm to midnight, usually has a featured artist or theme each week, and consists of a playlist entirely supplied by listener phone and e-mail requests. [citation | last=Wardell | first=Chris | publication-date=2002-04-10 | title=Listeners get something different with Allen’s ‘All Request Saturday Night’ | periodical=Lansing City Pulse | url=http://www.lansingcitypulse.com/020410/radio/index.html | accessdate=2007-09-13]

WMMQ continues to be consistently rated in Lansing's top 10 - and was ranked in the top three in local adult 25-54 market ratings in the fall of 2006. This despite competition from, ironically, the latest incarnation of what is now WVIC-FM, at 94.1 FM in Jackson, Michigan, which airs a Classic Hits format. WVIC has yet to make a solid impact in the Lansing market from their 40kw signal from south of the city.

The original 92.7 Charlotte-based WMMQ signal (now Smooth Jazz WJZL) moved to 92.9 in late October 2006 and is now licensed to the community of Grand Ledge. WJZL is owned by Akron, Ohio-based Rubber City Radio Group. Rubber City also owns the above-mentioned WVIC 94.1 FM.

WMMQ currently streams its programming 24/7 using the Windows Media format through a link on its website listed below.

Notes

Sources

* [http://www.michiguide.com/dials/rad-m/wmmq.html Michiguide.com - WMMQ History]

External links

*FMQ|WMMQ
*FML|WMMQ
*FMARB|WMMQ