WMAY

WMAY
City Springfield, Illinois
Broadcast area Springfield metropolitan area
Branding "News Talk 94.7 & 970 WMAY"
Slogan "Depend On Us!"
Frequency 970 kHz
Translator(s) 94.7 MHz W234CC (Sherman, Illinois)
Format News/Talk
Power 1000 watts day
500 watts night
ERP 250 watts (94.7 MHz translator)
Class B
Facility ID 38348
Transmitter coordinates 39°51′42.00″N 89°32′32.00″W / 39.8616667°N 89.5422222°W / 39.8616667; -89.5422222
Affiliations Westwood One Network
Premiere Networks
ABC Radio News
Owner Mid-West Family Broadcasting
(Long Nine, Inc.)
Sister stations WNNS, WQLZ, WUSW
Webcast Listen live
Website www.WMAY.com

WMAY (970 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station in Springfield, Illinois. The station is owned by Mid-West Family Broadcasting and the license is held by Long Nine, Inc.[1] The station airs a News/Talk radio format. On weekdays, WMAY features local hosts in the daytime and nationally syndicated shows at night. Most hours begin with ABC Radio News. WMAY's principal competitor in the talk radio format is 1240 WTAX.

Programming is simulcast on FM translator W234CC at 94.7 MHz in Sherman, Illinois.[2] WMAY's transmitter, studios and offices are all located on North Third Street in Riverton, Illinois.[3]

Lineup

  • First Light with Evan Haning* - 5AM-6AM
  • Ray Lytle Morning Show – 6AM-9AM
  • Mike & Molson – 9AM-Noon
  • WMAY News Feed with Chris Murphy – Noon-1PM
  • The Dave Ramsey Show^ – 1PM-3PM
  • The Jim Leach Show – 3PM-6PM
  • Frank McNeil – 6PM-7PM
  • The Sean Hannity Show# – 7PM-10PM
  • Ground Zero with Clyde Lewis# - 10PM-12AM
  • Red Eye Radio with Eric Harley and Gary McNamara* - 12AM-4AM
  • Jim Bohannon* - 4AM-5AM

(* Westwood One syndication)
(# Premiere Networks syndication)
(^ independently syndicated)

Weekends feature programs on money, health, law, real estate, computers, guns and an hour devoted to the music of the Grateful Dead. Some weekend shows are paid brokered programming. Syndicated weekend hosts include Kim Komando, Bob Brinker, Bruce DuMont, Bill Cunningham, Cigar Dave and Fox Sports Radio.

History

WMAY first signed on the air on October 15, 1950.[4] It was owned by Lincoln Broadcasting. In 1963, the station was acquired by Springfield Broadcasting, a division of Stuart Stations. It aired a full service middle of the road music format, using NBC Radio News for its world and national news coverage.

Mid-West Family Broadcasting bought the station in 1976, switching it to country music a short time later.[5] In the early 1990s, WMAY went with an oldies format, and it flipped to its current talk radio format in 1995. Mid-West Family Broadcasting also owns local stations 98.7 WNNS-FM, 97.7 WQLZ and 92.7 WUSW. Three of the most well-known broadcasters to pass through the studio were Bob Hale (hired directly from Clear Lake, IA after the Buddy Holly plane crash in 1959. He mc'd the show at the Surf Ballroom that night, gave actualties the next day, and was hired by WMAY; he purportedly made the coin flip between Ritchie Valens and Tommy Allsup for the final seat on the plane.); Cal Schrum("The State Policeman's Friend," on the overnight shift; starred in several B westerns and was beloved by law enforcement personnel working the "graveyard shift"); Red Barnes(Gregory Harutunian), his 1980s successor who would "set the chickens free," in the early morning hours.

References

  1. ↑ "WMAY Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  2. ↑ Radio-Locator.com/W234CC
  3. ↑ Radio-Locator.com/WMAY
  4. ↑ Broadcasting Yearbook 1951 page 135
  5. ↑ Broadcasting Yearbook 1980 page C-72


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