WMUS

Infobox Radio station
name = WMUS


city = Muskegon, Michigan
area = [http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WMUS&service=FM&status=L&hours=U]
branding = The Moose
slogan = Today's Country and the Legends
airdate = November 1962
frequency = 106.9 MHz
format = Country
power = 50,000 watts
erp =
class = B
callsign_meaning = Muskegon
former_callsigns = WMUS-FM (5/29/79-5/2/05)
WFFM (1965-1970)
WMUS-FM (11/62-1965)
owner = Clear Channel Communications
sister_stations = WKBZ, WMRR, WMUS, WSHZ
webcast =
website = [http://www.107mus.com/ http://www.107mus.com/]
affiliations =

WMUS (106.9 FM, "The Moose") is a radio station in Muskegon, Michigan, broadcasting a country music format. Owned by Clear Channel Communications. WMUS is consistently the number-one rated station in the Muskegon area [http://www.radioandrecords.com/RRRatings/DetailsPage.aspx?MID=176&RY=2006&RQ=4&MP=0&OTHER=2&MN=Muskegon&MS=MI&MR=233&12P=148000&UP=1/26/2007%2012:00:00%20AM&SU=C&BPER=&HPER=&OPER=&NSD=&CE=0 (1)] .

WMUS-FM originally began broadcasting in 1947 at 100.5 on the FM dial; it was Muskegon's first FM station and came on the air just a few months after its AM sister, WMUS-AM. By 1950, WMUS-FM had gone dark, but the station was revived in November 1962 at its current frequency of 106.9 MHz and a power of 2,850 watts (gradually increased to the current 50,000 watts over the years). WMUS-FM's original programming consisted of a simulcast of its AM sister.

In 1965, WMUS-AM 1090 changed format from middle of the road music to country as "Top Gun Radio." Rather than continue to simulcast, WMUS-FM separated programming and adopted the new call sign WFFM. In a "storecast" arrangement with Hasper's, a local grocery-store chain, WFFM aired instrumental easy listening music in monaural sound, interspersed with promotional announcements about Hasper's [http://www.michiguide.com/history/fmhistory/case1.pdf (2)] .

The WMUS-FM call letters returned to 106.9 in 1970 and the station resumed its simulcast of the AM's country format. FM stereo broadcasting was added in 1975. Eventually the AM and FM signals switched roles, with the 50,000-watt stereo FM signal becoming the primary station and AM 1090 becoming the simulcast. The simulcast ended in April 2001 when AM 1090 changed to a news/talk format, eventually taking the calls WKBZ (which one belonged to one of WMUS' biggest competitor stations).

The "Moose" positioner is a recent addition to WMUS' on-air imaging; the station has long been known as "107 MUS," and in the past often featured imaging more reminiscent of Top 40 radio, including the no-longer-used slogan "The Music Station."

The current WMUS-FM air schedule is as follows: The Lakeshore Morning Corps with Mark Dixon and Pam Roberts, mornings; Lynn Grant, middays; Dave Taft, afternoon drive; Jason, nights; and Blair Garner's "After MidNite" overnights.

Sources

* [http://www.michiguide.com/dials/rad-m/wmus.html Michiguide.com - WMUS History]
* [http://www.107mus.com WMUS official website]
* [http://www.michiguide.com/history/fmhistory/case1.pdf Essay on the early days of FM radio in Muskegon] , including WMUS-FM

External links

*FMQ|WMUS