WRJN
| Broadcast area | Racine, Kenosha, Milwaukee |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 1400 kHz |
| Branding | AM 1400 WRJN |
| Programming | |
| Format | Progressive talk |
| Affiliations | CBS News Radio Packers Radio Network |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| WAUK | |
| History | |
First air date | December 1926 |
Call sign meaning | Racine Journal News (founder of station; name of Racine Journal Times before 1932 merger with the Times-Call) |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 41437 |
| Class | C |
| Power | 1,000 watts unlimited |
| Translator(s) | 98.1 W251BU (Kenosha) 99.9 W260CV (Racine) |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | wrjn.com |
WRJN (1400 AM) is a progressive talk radio station located in Racine, Wisconsin, and serving the areas of Racine, Kenosha and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The station is owned by Civic Media, through licensee Civic Media, Inc., along with sister station WAUK. Its studios and transmitter are co-located in Racine.
Talk radio era
From the late 1980s until 2014, WRJN carried a Talk Radio format with a combination of local and syndicated talk. The station was the Milwaukee-area affiliate for syndicated shows from Lionel, Bill O'Reilly and Mike Gallagher as well as Alan Colmes, Ed Schultz, Coast To Coast AM and Leslie Marshall in its later year, effectively serving as a "last resort" station for shows not picked up in the Milwaukee market by WTMJ or WISN. For a period in the mid 1990s, WRJN would simulcast sister station WEZY's Easy Listening format during the overnight hours.
WRJN was affiliated with ABC and aired Paul Harvey's daily commentaries prior to his death.
WRJN celebrated 85 years of continuous service to Racine on December 6, 2011. It is among the nation's most long running stations and the 3rd oldest station with the same call letters in Wisconsin.
Sale to Magnum Broadcasting and format change
On June 25, 2014, Bliss Communications announced that it would sell WRJN and WVTY (then WEZY), along with sister stations WBKV and WBWI-FM in West Bend, to David Magnum's Magnum Communications, Inc. Bliss had owned WRJN and WEZY since 1997.[1] The sale, at a price of $2.25 million, was consummated on October 31, 2014.
On December 1, 2014, WRJN dropped all syndicated programming from the lineup and replaced it with a mixture of local talk, sports, and Classic Hits, Oldies and Adult Contemporary Music with the new positioner "Your Radio Friend", which is similar format to their new sister station WPDR in Portage.[2] The music format shifted to 60s and 70s Oldies after sister station WVTY adopted an Adult Hits format in May 2015. This was to prevent overlap.
In the fall of 2016, two FM Translators were added, W260CV on 99.9FM in Racine, and W251BU on 98.1FM in Kenosha.
On June 5, 2023 WRJN changed their format from classic hits/oldies/MOR to progressive talk.[3]
References
- ^ "Bliss Communications to sell West Bend, Racine radio stations". The Janesville Gazette. June 25, 2014. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
- ^ "Upgrades, New formats for local radio stations". The Racine Journal Times. December 14, 2014. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
- ^ Civic Media Launches Takers in Eau Claire, La Crosse & Racine/Kenosha Radioinsight - June 5, 2023
External links
- WRJN Website
- Facility details for Facility ID WRJN ({{{2}}}) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- {{{2}}} in Nielsen Audio's AM station database
- Template:FMQ
- W251BU at FCCdata.org
- Template:FMQ
- W260CV at FCCdata.org
- WRJN Radio Station history from 1928