WFMB-FM

Radio station in Springfield, Illinois
  • Springfield, Illinois
Broadcast areaCentral IllinoisFrequency104.5 MHzBranding104.5 WFMBProgrammingFormatCountry musicOwnershipOwner
  • Neuhoff Corporation
  • (Neuhoff Media Springfield, LLC)
Sister stations
WCVS-FM, WFMB, WXAJHistory
First air date
July 1965; 59 years ago (1965-07)[1]
Former call signs
WFMB (1965–1991)[2][3]Technical informationFacility ID48331ClassBERP43,000 WattsHAAT131 meters (430 ft)LinksWebcastListen liveWebsitewww.wfmb.com

WFMB-FM (104.5 MHz) is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Springfield, Illinois. It broadcasts a country music radio format and is owned by Neuhoff Corp.,[4] through licensee Neuhoff Media Springfield, LLC.[5]

WFMB-FM has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 43,000 watts. The radio studios and transmitter are on South 4th Street in Southern View, Illinois, using a Springfield address.[6]

History

The station signed on the air in July 1965; 59 years ago (1965-07).[1] The original call sign was simply WFMB. The "-FM" suffix was added in 1991 just before its AM counterpart took the WFMB call letters. The station's studios and transmitter were located at the First National Bank Building at 5th and Adams.[2][1] The station was owned by Capital Broadcasting.[1][2] In 1972, the station's studios and transmitter were moved to the Myers Brothers Building.[2]

In 1980, the station was sold to Springfield Advertising Co. for $1,275,000.[2][7] In 1981, the station moved to its current location on the 3000 block of South 4th Street.[2][8]

In 1989, the station was sold to Neuhoff Broadcasting, along with AM 1450 WCVS, for $4,250,000.[9] In 1996, the station was sold to Patterson Broadcasting. After a series of acquisitions, Patterson Broadcasting became part of Clear Channel Communications.[10][11] In 2007, as Clear Channel was selling most of its stations in smaller markets, Neuhoff bought back the Springfield stations the company had sold, including WFMB-FM.[11]

The station has long aired a country music format.[12][13][14][15] It was originally automated and added live disc jockeys in the 1980s.

References

  1. ^ a b c d 1967 Broadcasting Yearbook. Broadcasting. 1967. p. B-54. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e f History Cards for WFMB-FM, fcc.gov. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  3. ^ Call Sign History, fcc.gov. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  4. ^ Station Guide – By Market, Neuhoff Media. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  5. ^ FM Query Results: WFMB-FM, fcc.gov. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  6. ^ Radio-Locator.com/WFMB-FM
  7. ^ "Changing Hands", Broadcasting. March 3, 1980. p. 43. Retrieved October 7, 2018.
  8. ^ Public Notice Comment, fcc.gov. Retrieved October 7, 2018.
  9. ^ "AM-FM Combos", Broadcasting. February 13, 1989. p. 56. Retrieved October 7, 2018.
  10. ^ Taylor, Chuck. "Vox Jox", Billboard. May 18, 1996. p. 79. Retrieved October 7, 2018.
  11. ^ a b Rhodes, Dusty. "Radio daze: Mid-West switches formats, personalities; former owner reclaims Clear Channel stations", Illinois Times. May 2, 2007. Retrieved October 7, 2018.
  12. ^ 1974 Broadcasting Yearbook. Broadcasting. 1974. p. B-68. Retrieved October 7, 2018.
  13. ^ Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1984. Broadcasting/Cablecasting. 1984. p. B-84. Retrieved October 7, 2018.
  14. ^ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1994. Broadcasting & Cable. 1994. p. B-119. Retrieved October 7, 2018.
  15. ^ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2005. Broadcasting & Cable. 2005. p. D-188. Retrieved October 7, 2018.

External links

  • WFMB's website
  • WFMB in the FCC FM station database
  • WFMB in Nielsen Audio's FM station database
  • v
  • t
  • e
Radio stations in the Springfield, Illinois, metropolitan area
By AM frequency
By FM frequency
Translators
NOAA Weather Radio
frequencyDigital radio
by frequency & subchannelBy call signDefunct
  • WLJX-LP (107.9 FM)
Nearby regions
Bloomington
Champaign-Urbana
Decatur
Peoria
St. Louis
Quincy/Hannibal
See also
List of radio stations in Illinois
  • v
  • t
  • e
Country radio stations in the state of Illinois
By AM frequency
By FM frequency
By callsign
Defunct
  • WQQW - Highland (1510 AM)
See also
adult contemporary
classic hits
college
country
news/talk
NPR
oldies
religious
rock
sports
top 40
urban
other radio stations in Illinois

39°45′36″N 89°39′5″W / 39.76000°N 89.65139°W / 39.76000; -89.65139