WWMN (106.3 FM) is a radio station owned by John Yob, through licensee Mitten News LLC. Licensed to Thompsonville, Michigan, the station serves the Traverse City market with a coverage area extending from the tip of the Leelanau Peninsula south to Manistee and Cadillac.

WWMN
Broadcast area[1]
Frequency106.3 MHz
Programming
FormatCountry music
Ownership
Owner
  • John Yob
  • (Mitten News LLC)
WMTE-FM
History
First air date
1971 (as WKLA-FM)
Former call signs
WKLA-FM (1971–2016)
Call sign meaning
MitteN (former format)
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID10809
ClassA
ERP2,200 watts
HAAT116 meters
Links
Public license information

History

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WWMN began operations in May 1971 as WKLA-FM and spent much of its programming day simulcasting its AM sister station throughout the 1970s. Around 1980, the station further separated programming from the AM's Middle of the Road format by moving into Adult Contemporary, which has been the station's format since, although the station still simulcast the AM during certain dayparts until 2000.

Synergy Broadcast Media purchased WKLA-FM in 2012 from Lake Michigan Broadcasting. The deal did not close until June 19, 2013, at a price of $580,000 for WKLA-FM and sister stations WKLA and WKZC. Almost immediately, Synergy announced that it was seeking FCC approval to move the areas oldest operating FM station to Thompsonville, Michigan. (FCC File #BPH-20130801A0K).

The station changed its call sign to the current WWMN on August 15, 2016 with WKLA-FM moving to 96.3 FM and continuing with the Westwood One Hot AC format as "Hits 96" (now "96-3 KLA").

On November 18, 2016, WWMN debuted its new adult album alternative format, branded as "106.3 The Mitten". The format over time has gravitated towards a Modern AC-leaning presentation with lighter songs from the 70s through the 90s interspersed with upbeat tracks from more contemporary alternative artists.

On April 2, 2018, WWMN changed its format from adult album alternative to a simulcast of news/talk-formatted WJML 1110 AM Petoskey/WJNL 1210 AM Kingsley.[2]

On November 7, 2019, WWMN changed its format from news/talk to adult contemporary, branded as "94.5 & 106.3 North FM".[3]

On June 22, 2020, WWMN changed its format from adult contemporary to a simulcast of album-oriented rock-formatted WQON 100.3 FM Grayling, branded as "Q100".[4]

On March 31, 2023, WWMN went silent, due to the end of an LMA between Blarney Stone Broadcasting and Mitten News.[5]

On October 18, 2023, WWMN returned to the air and is stunting with all-Grateful Dead music. The stunting has continued well into 2024.[6]

Approximately one year later, on October 14, 2024, it was reported that the station is playing a modern country format.[7]

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Sources

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References

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  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WWMN". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ WWMN Traverse City Flips to News/Talk Radioinsight - April 2, 2018
  3. ^ Blarney Stone Broadcasting Launches North-FM In Traverse City After LMA Collapse Radioinsight - November 6, 2019
  4. ^ Q100 Returning to Traverse City Radioinsight - June 18, 2020
  5. ^ WQON AND WGRY-FM LOSE SIMULCAST PARTNERS AS MITTEN NEWS LMA COMES TO AN END Radioinsight - April 12, 2023
  6. ^ Michigan Trio Gratefully Returns From the Dead Radioinsight - October 18, 2023
  7. ^ [https://www.mibuzzboard.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?p=798929#p798929 MIBuzzboard: "Open Letter to the Grateful Dead station"
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44°03′25″N 86°24′58″W / 44.057°N 86.416°W / 44.057; -86.416