WPMJ

Infobox Radio station
name = WPMJ


city = Chillicothe, Illinois
area = Peoria
slogan =
branding = 94-3: Peoria's True Oldies Channel
frequency = 94.3 MHz
repeater =
airdate = 1977
share = 2.8
share as of = Sp'08
share source = R&Rcite news |title=Peoria Market Ratings | date= | url=http://www.radioandrecords.com/RRRatings/DefaultSearch.aspx?MarketName=Peoria&MarketRank=%20 | work =Radio & Records]
format = Oldies
power =
erp = 6,000 watts
haat = 91.0 meters
class = A
facility_id = 33882
coordinates = coord|40|49|48.00|N| 89|29|54.00|W|region:US_type:city
callsign_meaning = "Peoria's Magic" (reference to old station branding)
former_callsigns = WCNL (2000–2003)
WKSO (1999–2000)
WFXF (1997–1999)
WKZW (1994–1997)
WRED (1994)
WQEZ (1991–1994)
WBZM (?–1991)
? (1986–?)
WTXR (1984–1986)
WCLL (1977–1984?)
owner = Kelly Communications, Inc.
licensee =
sister_stations = WOAM
webcast =
website = [http://trueoldies943.com trueoldies943.com]
affiliations = True Oldies Channel (music)
ABC Radio (news)

WPMJ (94.3 FM) was a radio station broadcasting a oldies format. Licensed to Chillicothe, Illinois, USA, the station served the Peoria area. The station is currently owned by Kelly Communications, Inc. [cite web|url=http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?call=WPMJ |title=WPMJ Facility Record |work=United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division ] but is dark following its closure on October 2, 2008.

The station featured programing from ABC Radio. [cite web|url=http://www1.arbitron.com/sip/displaySip.do?surveyID=SU08&band=fm&callLetter=WPMJ|title=WPMJ Station Information Profile|publisher=Arbitron] During its final years the station used the satellite network True Oldies Channel and the nickname "94-3: Peoria's True Oldies Channel".

Although the station is in the Peoria, Illinois radio market, it has relatively low power and is required to put a decent signal across Chillicothe, Illinois, its city of license, with that power. It struggled over the years to find a programming niche, having no less than 10 callsigns in its 31 years.

History

94.3 signed on the air in 1977, as WCLL, owned by Bill Bro, with studios in Chillicothe.fact|date=October 2008

Throughout the 1980's, 94.3 was a minor player in Peoria radio under many different formats, names, and call letters. While owned by Bro, it was country station WTXR "94X" from 1984 to 1986; followed by adult contemporary "Magic 94"; then satellite driven oldies as WBZM with Jim Zippo in the morning; easy listening WQEZ "EZ94FM"; and finally an audio simulcast of CNN Headline News under the WRED callsign (for "well read") with studios in the old Pabst Building in Peoria Heights.

KZ94.3

By the early 1990s, rival station 93.3 (now WPBG), which had been CHR powerhouse WKZW "KZ-93", had lost its standing in Peoria radio. After trying to hold on to its heritage as "the new KZ-93", the owners of 93.3 finally discarded the name and callsign that had defined the station for over 25 years, and switched to adult contemporary with the nickname "Mix 93.3" and the callsign WMXP. In 1994, owners of then-number-one WXCL-FM, Kelly Communications in Peoria, bought 94.3 from Bro. Kelly immediately picked up the CHR format abandoned by 93.3, and in a controversial move unprecedented in Peoria radio, changed 94.3's callsign to WKZW to make it "KZ94.3", playing and advertising "today's hit music" just like before on the rival station.

KZ94.3 developed into an adult CHR radio station that lived in the shadow of its 93.3 predecessor throughout its tenure in the format. Former KZ-93 personality Andy Masur was the first program director and morning host. KZ94.3 lasted until 1997 with Jesse James (now mornings at KWLI Denver) in the morning; local comedian Brett Erickson, Keith Berry, and Denyse Haynak in middays; Kevin Ross, Jack Shell (now afternoons at WKDF Nashville) in afternoons; and Jeff Williams at night.

A decade of change

After abandoning the WKZW name and format itself, the station changed call letters to WFXF as "94-3 The Fox", a classic rock format with Howard Stern in the morning. That format was followed by a short-lived ABC Radio satellite-driven Hot AC format called "Kiss 94 FM" under the WKSO call sign with veteran Peoria broadcaster/programmer (former WIRL/WKZW/WXCL) Lee Malcolm at the helm. Since "Kiss", 94.3 had changed ownership from Kelly to AAA Entertainment in 2000 and been an all-1980s music format as "Channel 94-3" under the WCNL call sign, only to be resold to Kelly to become WPMJ, first a Smooth Jazz format as, once again, "Magic 94.3" in 2003, and then finally, in 2006, as "94-3: Peoria's True Oldies Channel", joining ABC Radio Networks as an affiliate of Scott Shannon's True Oldies Channel.

ign-off

On October 2, 2008, WPMJ, along with sister station 1350 WOAM Peoria, Illinois, went dark after owner Kelly Communications could not find a buyer or investor for the stations. Company owner Bob Kelly said he was still seeking funding and expected the stations to be off the air for "probably" 6 to 12 months.cite news | url=http://www.pjstar.com/homepage/x282356814/Peoria-radio-stations-to-close |title=WOAM 1350 and WPMJ-FM 94.3 go off the air |last=Tarter |first=Steve |work=Peoria Journal Star |date=2008-10-02 |accessdate=2008-10-02]

References

External links

*FM station data|WPMJ