WPKR

WPKR (99.5 FM, "Nash FM 99.5") is a country music radio station licensed to Omro, Wisconsin, that serves the Oshkosh, Appleton and Fond du Lac areas. It started as a simulcast of Green Bay-based country music station WPCK. Since then it has split off and is its own entity. The station is owned by Cumulus Media. WPKR's studios are located on Washburn Street in Oshkosh (with an auxiliary studio on Victoria Street in Green Bay), while its transmitter is near Rosendale.

WPKR
CityOmro, Wisconsin
Broadcast areaOshkosh-Fond du Lac
Frequency99.5 MHz
BrandingNash FM 99.5
SloganCountry for Life
Programming
FormatCountry
Ownership
OwnerCumulus Media
(Cumulus Licensing LLC)
WNAM, WOSH, WVBO, WWWX
History
First air date
1971 (as WLKE-FM at 99.3)
Former call signs
  • WLKE-FM (1971–1975 & 1980–1984)
  • WGGQ (1975–1980 & 1984–1990)
Former frequencies
99.3 MHz (1971–1990)
Call sign meaning
PacKeR Country (former branding)
Technical information
Facility ID42093
ClassC2
ERP25,000 watts
HAAT151 meters (495 ft)
Links
WebcastListen live
WebsiteNashFMWisconsin.com

History

From 1971 to July 1990, WLKE 1170 kHz (now WFDL) had an FM sister station at 99.3 FM, first known as WLKE-FM, which broadcast an in-house beautiful music format from 1971 to 1976. Then later the call letters were changed to WGGQ (99Q). 99Q was an automated station and played Drake-Chenault's top-40 rock format "XT-40" using reel to reel tapes from 1976 to 1981. The call letters were changed back to WLKE-FM from August 1981 to May 1984, and an automated country music was aired. Then, in May 1984, the WGGQ call letters were brought back and 99Q was once again back on the air using Satellite Music Network's All Hit Radio format (later renamed "The Heat") until July 1990.

The AM and FM then had separate ownership after July 1990, and 99.3 moved to 99.5 MHz and changed its city of license from Waupun to Ripon and later to Omro.

In 1997, an ownership change saw the station's programming being simulcasted on WPCK 104.9 MHz, a station serving the Green Bay area, licensed to Denmark, Wisconsin. Both stations would eventually be acquired by Cumulus Media, who would break off the simulcast in November 2003, with WPCK keeping a country format but adopting its own identity, "Kicks 104.9." WPCK would again be under common ownership with WPKR in 2013 after Clear Channel Communications, which acquired WPCK and 4 other Green Bay area Cumulus stations in 2009,[1] sold back its Green Bay stations back to Cumulus.[2] (Under Clear Channel ownership, Cumulus continued to operate the five stations that Clear Channel acquired, including WPCK.)

In June 2011, WPKR would reunite with WPCK in a simulcast, branded as "99.5 and 104.9 The Wolf," incorporating new and existing elements from both stations.[3] The "Wolf" branding would give way on May 24, 2013 to the new branding of "Nash FM, 99.5 and 104.9;" WPCK and WPKR were two of six Cumulus country stations to adopt the "Nash FM" branding that day, part of Cumulus' plan to nationally expand its multimedia "Nash FM" country branding, which was launched earlier in 2013 at its New York City station, WNSH.[4][5] Cumulus Media filed for bankruptcy protection in early 2018.

On March 27, 2018, WPCK and three other Cumulus stations (WTOD/Toledo, OH, KJMO/Jefferson City, MO, and WNUQ/Albany, GA) were placed into the Cumulus Reorganization Divestiture Trust for a future sale.[6] Shortly after this, the simulcast between WPCK and WPKR was broken. While both stations retained the country format and "Nash FM" branding, the stations began airing separate programming and separate airstaffs.[7]

Following the sale of WPCK to Educational Media Foundation in October 2019,[8] WPCK would cease operations just before midnight on December 31, 2019, following a farewell message advising listeners to turn to WPKR.[9]

References
  1. Ownership swap is in the works for 5 area radio stations - Green Bay Press-Gazette (released January 3, 2009)
  2. "Ownership Of Green Bay Cluster Goes Back From Clear Channel To Cumulus". All Access. August 30, 2013. Retrieved August 30, 2013.
  3. Source: WisconsinBroadcasting.com, posted 6/12/2011
  4. "Cumulus Launches Five Additional NashFM's," from RadioInsight, 5/24/2013
  5. "NashFM Phase Two On The Way?" from RadioInsight, 5/22/2013
  6. Cumulus Files Reorganization Plan With FCC; To Divest Four Stations
  7. Dayton Kane Moves from Cumulus Green Bay to Appleton as WPKR/WPCK Break Simulcast
  8. Ellis, Jon (16 October 2019). "K-Love Operator Buys Green Bay Station". Northpine. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
  9. "Green Bay FM Station Ends Commercial Era," from Northpine.com, 1/1/2020

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