WLUM-FM

WLUM
	File:Wlumlogo.jpg
Broadcast area	Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Frequency	102.1 (MHz)
Branding	"102.1 Milwaukee's Alternative Station"
Programming
Format	alternative rock
Ownership
Owner	Milwaukee Radio Alliance
History
First air date	late 1940s
Call sign meaning	We Love U Milwaukee
Technical information
Class	B
ERP	20,000 watts
Links
Website	www.milwaukeesalternativestation.com

WLUM-FM (102.1 FM) is an alternative rock radio station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They are known on-air as "102 One, Milwaukee's Alternative Station".

History

WLUM has gone through many changes and tweaks over the years. In all incarnations, they have been known as WLUM (We Love U Milwaukee). In 1979, they played disco and soul music. They eventually morphed into a Rhythmic Top 40 presentation called HOT 102, then CHR; eventually rap and hip-hop, some of it hard-core and gangsta rap, were also added to the playlist by 1991, and competed with WKKV (100.7 FM) for the urban audience.

The HOT 102 branding and playlist would meet a sudden end in the winter of 1993 in the wake of a school shooting in Wauwatosa by a student that resulted in the death of the school's assistant principal. It brought a focus on violence in the media in Milwaukee and an increase in Milwaukee's homicide rate; WLUM's songs, full of these messages, received scruitny in the days that followed. WLUM immediately toned down their playlist to take out all the songs that had lyrics that incited violence, and decided to focus the station on another target audience, switching the station slowly to more of a modern rock focus at the beginning of 1994.

The decision was then made later in the year to make the switch to full-time modern rock. Over the years, the format was tweaked some more, later adding classic rock tracks, then a brief run with an adult album alternative format, then hard rock with Mancow Muller in the morning, then a slow transition back to modern rock, which is their format to this day. The syndicated Bob and Tom Show could formerly be heard on mornings, it was replaced by Kramp and Adler.

On July 10, 2006 WLUM announced that they are now "Quick 102" and have started playing 10 second song clips back-to-back. It is unclear as to whether this is a permanent change, an ingenious marketing ploy, or if the station is stunting. Their website, rock1021.com has been replaced with an under construction logo. A recent phonecall (3:00pm) to the station revealed that Kramp and Adler are locked in the studio in protest of what may be the new format.

Timeline

1979-82: The Station With A Heart (Jazz/Disco/Soul)
1982-83: LOVE102 (Urban Contemporary)
1983-89: HOT-FM (Urban Contemporary/Rhythmic Top 40 )
1990-1991: HOT102 (Urban Contemporary)
1991-1992: HOT102 (Rhythmic Top 40)
1992-1994: HOT102 (Urban Contemporary)
Mid-1994: HOT102 (CHR)
1994-1998: New Rock 102.1 (Modern Rock)
1998-Early 1999: 102.1 WLUM (Modern Rock/Classic Rock)
Feb. 1999 - May 1999: 102.1 WLUM (Adult Album Alternative)
May 1999 - August 2001: ROCK 102.1 (AOR)
August 2001 - 2002: ROCK 102.1 (Active Rock)
2003 to April 2005: ROCK 102.1 (Alternative Rock)
April 2005 - now: 102.1 Milwaukee's Alternative Station (Alternative Rock)[1]

WLUM logos through the years

The station is owned by former Green Bay Packer Willie Davis and his company, All-Pro Broadcasting. All-Pro has owned the station since 1979. WLUM is run in cooperation with sister station WMCS and Shamrock Broadcasting's WJZI as a group called the Milwaukee Radio Alliance.

The station was WTMJ-FM when it initially signed on, and is one of the oldest FM stations in Milwaukee.

External links

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