WJMI

Infobox Radio Station


name = WJMI
airdate = 1968
frequency = 99.7 (MHz) HD Radio
city = Jackson, Mississippi
area = Jackson, Mississippi
format = Mainstream Urban
owner = Inner City Broadcasting Corporation
erp = 98,000 watts
branding = "99 Jams"
slogan = " Keepin it Crunk"
class = C
website = [http://www.wjmi.com/ "99 Jams WJMI"]
callsign_meaning = W JaMs I
Jackson, MIssissippi
sister_stations = WJNT, WKXI (AM), WKXI-FM, WOAD, WOAD-FM, WRXW

WJMI (99.7 FM) is a radio station licensed to Jackson, Mississippi, USA with a Mainstream Urban musical format. The station is owned by Inner City Broadcasting Corporation.

tation history

The station began in 1968 as an FM sister to station WRBC-AM and was owned by the Rebel Broadcasting Company. Most of the disc jockeys who were on WRBC took shifts on the FM station, and hosting a shift on the FM station was used to test new talent for WRBC.

Among the more famous voices to be heard on WJMI were Bob Pittman (founder of MTV), Walt Grayson (later a television weatherperson for two Jackson television stations), and Mary Lewis.

The station then broadcast from 7:00 a.m. until midnight. It was affiliated with the ABC-FM news network and broadcast the news each hour at fifteen minutes past the hour with local news following.

The station began as an easy listening station with some of the talent later recalling that every version of "Spanish Eyes" was played on the station. By the 1970s, though, the station had evolved into a station which played album-cuts from such singer-songwriters as Carole King, Carly Simon, Paul Simon, and Helen Reddy. Bubblegum music (such as David Cassidy, Bobby Sherman, and the Partridge Family) was also heard. Middle-of-the-road artists such as Johnny Mathis, Vikki Carr, and Andy Williams were heard. Instrumental music and soft easy-listening music was played on the station, especially preceding the news.

WJMI was one of the first stations to employ female disc jockeys.

There were occasionally contests for concerts (such as the 1971 State Fair appearance of actor-singer Bobby Sherman).

On April 1, 1973, WJMI was sold to new owners, who then flipped the format to its current rhythm-and-blues, which they have programmed ever since.

External links

* [http://www.wjmi.com/ WJMI official website]
*FMQ|WJMI
*FML|WJMI