WBMI

Infobox Radio station
name = WBMI


city = West Branch, Michigan
area = [http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WBMI&service=FM&status=L&hours=U]
branding = Classic Hit Country 105-5
slogan =
airdate =
frequency = 105.5 MHz
format = Classic country
erp = 6,000 watts
haat =
class = A
callsign_meaning = West Branch Michigan
former_callsigns = WBMI-FM (?-5/21/91)
WBMI (?-?)
owner = Peggy Warner
webcast =
website =
affiliations =

WBMI is an American radio station, licensed to West Branch, Michigan; the seat of government for Ogemaw County. The station broadcasts at the assigned frequency of 105.5 mHz at an output power of 3,000 Watts.

History

First going on the air on November 7, 1977, WBMI was the FM sister station of WBMB-AM, which first signed on the air June 7, 1972 at 1060 kHz with 1,000 Watts output power. As WBMB was a daytime-only AM station for its entire existence, both stations simulcast one another from WBMI's sign-on in 1977, providing local listeners with local radio service after WBMB was mandated to shut down for the night as per FCC regulations.

WBMB and WBMI were a typical small-market radio station of their time, with few employees working shared duties, world and national news provided by Westwood One, and a mass appeal format of adult contemporary and oldies music.

WBMI and its sister station, for unknown reasons, were turned over to bankruptcy receivers Jack E. Kauffman and Robert S. Marshall in 1989, with both stations going dark by 1990.

WBMB has to this date, not returned to the air, and its license has been deleted by the FCC database.

In the summer of 1992, WBMI returned to the air as "Oldies 105.5". WBMI was acquired by Daraka Broadcasting of Alpena, which also owned adult contemporary-CHR formatted WHSB. Daraka's intent was to cross-market several stations calling them the "Northern Radio Network".

The Northern Radio Network effort ended in 2002, with WBMI going silent. The following year, WBMI was sold to Independent TV Productions. Independent TV Productions resumed WBMI's operations with Jones Radio Network's Hot AC format. During this time, the station imaged itself with various monikers, such as "Kool Mix 105.5" and "Channel 105.5." A few years later WBMI returned to oldies and then changed to classic country, all also satellite-fed from Jones.

In July 2005, industry sources reported that husband and wife Kevin and Alana Beamish, of Owosso, Michigan agreed to purchase the station for $300,000. [http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6321196.html] , In August 2005, a filing was submitted to transfer the license to a minority shareholder (Peggy Warner) on the basis that she had loaned money to the company. The transfer application included an agreement written by Mrs Warner purporting to transfer the license and related assets to herself. [http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getattachment_exh.cgi?exhibit_id=277334] The FCC dismissed the application. [http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/app_det.pl?Application_id=1032147] . Three days later, the application to transfer control of the license to the Beamishes was submitted and approved by the FCC, but the transfer was never comsummated and the license stayed in the name of Independent TV Productions. [http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/app_det.pl?Application_id=1071491]

In April 2008, the license was ultimately successfully transferred to Peggy Warner. [http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/app_det.pl?Application_id=1231666]

Sources

* [http://www.michiguide.com/dials/rad-a/wbmi.html Michiguide.com - WBMI History]

External links

*FMQ|WBMI
*FML|WBMI
*FMARB|WBMI