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For the airport with this ICAO Code, see Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
WMKK
File:WMKK.jpg
Broadcast areaGreater Boston
Frequency93.7 MHz (HD Radio)
93.7 HD-2 for Rhythmic AC
Branding93-7 Mike FM
Programming
FormatAdult Hits
Ownership
Owner
WKAF, WAAF, WRKO, WEEI
History
First air date
April 1960
Former call signs
WGHJ
WCCM-FM (1963-1974)
WCGY (1974-1994)
WEGQ (1994-1999)
WQSX (1999-2005)
Call sign meaning
MiKe
Technical information
Facility ID1919
ClassB
ERP34,000 watts, Stereo
HAAT179 meters
Links
WebcastListen Live
Website937mikefm.com

WMKK (93.7 FM, "93.7 Mike FM") is a radio station licensed to serve Lawrence, Massachusetts. The station plays a wide variety of popular music, serving as the Boston market's answer to the Jack FM craze. The lean is adult rock hits though some non-rock is played as well. The music spans from 1964 to a few current hits with heavy emphasis on '70s-'80s-'90s rock hits, specifically '80s hits. The station currently has no airstaff. It is dependent on quirky imaging for its "personality." The types of music range from hard rock to alternative to pop rock to disco to some Rhythm and blues product. Entercom Boston's office is located outside of Boston in Brighton, Massachusetts. Its transmitter is located in Peabody, Massachusetts. On September 12 WMKK will drop Mike FM and become a WEEI sports station.

WMKK is an HD Radio licensee and in addition to its regular programming also broadcasts Funkytown HD2, a recreation of its old dance music format as WQSX, as its secondary digital program. Recently WMKK-HD 3 started to broadcast the signal of their sister station WEEI AM 850 with sports talk and Red Sox and Celtics games. WMKK is frequently ranked in the Arbitron top 15 radio stations in the Boston radio market cluster.

History

In the station's early days as WGHJ and WCCM-FM, 93.7 aired locally based programming that targeted Lawrence and the Merrimack Valley. In 1974 the station evolved into WCGY, an automated Stereo Top 40/oldies station that targeted the Greater Boston, Massachusetts area, due to the signal's strength. The call letters were chosen with the owner in mind as Curt Gowdy and his children owned and operated the station until the sale to American Radio Systems in 1994.

In 1983 WCGY flipped to an oldies format playing hits of the '50s and '60s. The station, however, did not perform well in the Boston ratings. Some early to mid '70s oldies were mixed in by 1984 and by 1985 the '50s music was gone. The station by then was called "Superhits WCGY". By 1986 the station leaned slightly toward classic rock still playing mostly music from 1964 to 1974. By 1987 WCGY evolved to more of a classic rock format and held on to this format until 1994. From 1992-1994 they were called "Rock 93, WCGY"

In 1994, immediately after the station was sold to American Radio Systems, WCGY became '70s-formatted WEGQ "Eagle 93.7", which received many changes over its five year existence. Initially they played music from 1970-79 ranging from classic rock to disco to pop to pop/rock to novelty to easy listening. As time went on they added late '60s and early '80s music. By 1995 they also leaned classic rock. The station's most notable air talent was likely its morning show, Karlson and McKenzie who are now on WZLX.

After American Radio Systems was acquired by CBS/Westinghouse, the combined company was required to sell two of their FM stations, along with three AM stations. WEGQ, along with WEEI, WRKO, and WAAF, was sold to Entercom Communications.

After the sale, Entercom changed WEGQ's format, as from April 1, 1999 until April 14, 2005, the station was WQSX "Star 93.7", which was a format that could be described as a combination of '70s and '80s-soul music, dance music, rhythmic hit music, and rhythmic adult contemporary tracks. This format, however, didn't catch any fire in the Arbitron ratings. However, on January 19, 2006 they would bring the format back as a HD2 subcarrier. The format is also available online as an internet-only station. During 2001, controversial "Survivor" winner Richard Hatch was a morning host briefly.

On April 14, 2005, WQSX became the current WMKK. Inside Radio, a radio industry publication, released information that had this change not taken place, Infinity Broadcasting (interestingly, the group that was prohibited from owning 93.7 itself back in the late 1990s, and is now known as CBS Radio) reportedly would have transformed either WBMX, WZLX, or even WODS to Jack FM on April 15.

Following the Boston Red Sox victory in the 2007 World Series, the station re-branded itself as 93.7 Mike Lowell FM after the third baseman for one day. Similarly, MIKE FM paid tribute to Michael Jackson in July 2009 by re-branding themselves as "Michael FM" and playing Jackson's songs for the afternoon on the anniversary of his death.

On September 8th 2011, it was announced that WMKK will begin simulcasting WEEI's sports radio format on Monday, Sept 12th, 2011. The Mike FM format will not move elsewhere on the dial, and this will signal the end of Mike FM on the Boston airwaves.

Promotions

MIKE FM has several ongoing promotions. One promotion is "Random Acts Of Kindness," which is MIKE FM's public service promotion. The station does several events per year with The Franciscan Hospital For Children, including an annual phone drive event "MIKE FM Request For Help" to raise funds for the hospital. Celebrities that have helped with the event include Hulk Hogan, Tim Wakefield, Jonathan Papelbon, Lenny Clarke, Seann William Scott, and Rainn Wilson.

MIKE FM is also the official radio sponsor of the Pan-Mass Challenge. The Pan-Massachusetts Challenge raises money for life-saving cancer research and treatment at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through an annual bike-a-thon that crosses the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Other promotions that MIKE FM include Sox O'Clock and Winner Dinners.

Online Content

MIKE FM's website has a member rewards group called "MIKE FM Junkies." Listeners can sign up for free and win points online and by listening. Points can be traded for prizes or submission into contests.

There are also several blogs including "Random Acts of Cooking" (a spin off of "Random Acts Of Kindness"), Big Daddy's Blog, and Digital Playground.

Funkytown HD2

Funkytown HD2, is a Rhythmic AC HD2 subcarrier and Internet radio station belonging to WMKK/Boston, Massachusetts. The station is owned by Entercom Communications. Its slogan is "The Rhythm of Boston".

Prior to being an HD2, the station was originally on the airwaves as a terrestrial FM as WQSX. Its slogan was Star 93.7 "Boston's Feel Good Station" where it had a moderate but successful run from April 1, 1999 to April 14, 2005, when Entercom flipped it to a Variety Hits format as WMKK "MIKE-FM". That move was criticized by Star's listeners, who were upset that they would flip a week before a concert event that they were sponsoring. Entercom would later bring the format back as an internet-only station, where it still can be heard online today, especially over Windows Media.

On January 19, 2006 Star would return to the airwaves as an HD2, this time as a commercial-free station with its mix of Dance, Disco, and Rhythmic Top 40 hits from the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and today remaining intact. Although it is jockless at times, they have started using a few voice-tracked DJs, most notably former Star and current WRKO personality Anthony "Pic" Picarello, to the station.

In 2007 WMKK-HD2 changed its moniker from "Star HD" to "Funkytown HD" to reflect its diverse mix of Dance and Disco fare.

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