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WZRK (Lake Geneva, Wisconsin)

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WZRK
Frequency1550 kHz
Programming
FormatDefunct
History
First air date
May 15, 1964 (as WMIR)[1]
Last air date
January 2015 (2015-01)
Former call signs
  • WMIR (1964–1996)
  • WAUX (1996–2001)
Technical information
Facility ID61389
ClassD
Power
  • 1,000 watts day
  • 1 watt night
Transmitter coordinates
42°35′39.00″N 88°23′24.00″W / 42.5941667°N 88.3900000°W / 42.5941667; -88.3900000

WZRK (1550 AM) was a radio station licensed to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, United States. Its studio and transmitter were located on State Highway 50 east of Lake Geneva.[2] The station ran 1,000 watts during daytime hours, with a two tower array and a directional pattern to the east and west.[2][3] Prior to being taken off the air, nighttime operations were added, running 1 watt.[4]

History

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The station began broadcasting on May 15, 1964, and held the call sign WMIR.[1] The station's call sign was based on the name of its president and co-owner Miriam Monroe.[5][1][6]

The station went in a couple of formats for the first three decades. First middle-of-the-road in the 1970s, and then adult contemporary from 1983 until August 28, 1991. On that day, the station switched to News/Talk. Four years later in 1995, WMIR was sold to Walt-West Wisconsin for $120,000.[7] The station dropped its news/talk format and adopted a sports format in January 1996 (as it first announced in October 1995), and its call letters were changed to WAUX as a simulcast of Waukesha's AM 1510 WAUK.[8][9]

In 2001, the station was sold to Starboard Broadcasting.[10] On November 12, 2001, the station's call sign was changed to WZRK.[9] The station was silent in 2001 and 2002.[11][12] The station was one of the original affiliates of the Catholic talk network, Relevant Radio, when it was launched in 2003.[13] In 2008, the station's license was transferred to Sovereign City Radio Services.[14] The station was silent for a period in 2008 and 2009.[15]

In October 2009, the station began airing the Timeless Cool format, featuring a mix of jazz, blues and adult contemporary music, and was branded "Avenue 1550".[4]

In 2009, Sovereign City Radio and Nelson Multimedia formed GS Radio of IL, and ownership of WZRK was transferred to this company.[4][16] In November 2010, WZRK was granted a Federal Communications Commission construction permit to change its city of license to Northbrook, Illinois with a power of 1,500 watts nondirectional daytime only.[4][17] Nelson Multimedia's WCSJ in Morris, Illinois would have surrendered its license in order for WZRK to move to Northbrook.[4] However, this construction permit expired and no action was ever taken.[17]

The station was silent throughout much of 2012, 2013, and 2014.[18][19][20][21][22] In October 2014, WGLB, LLC., owner of WGLB in Elm Grove, Wisconsin, purchased WZRK for $100,000.[23][24] In January 2015, WGLB, LLC requested the FCC cancel WZRK's license.[9][25] This allowed for 1560 WGLB to increase its daytime power.[26]

References

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  1. ^ a b c 1965 Broadcasting Yearbook, Broadcasting, 1965. p. B-172. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  2. ^ a b History Cards for WZRK, fcc.gov. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  3. ^ "WZRK Lake Geneva, WI BL-19981008AA 1550 kHz", fcc.gov. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Timeless Cool/Avenue 950 Is Moving Away", Chicagoland Radio and Media. August 14, 2010. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  5. ^ "Wisconsin Radio: What's In The Call Letters?", Portage County Historical Society. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  6. ^ "For the Record", Broadcasting. August 30, 1965. p. 66. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  7. ^ "Transactions", Radio & Records. June 30, 1995. p. 8. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  8. ^ "Format Changes & Updates", The M Street Journal. Vol. 12, No. 41. October 11, 1995. p. 2. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  9. ^ a b c Call Sign History, fcc.gov. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  10. ^ "Transactions", Radio & Records. May 4, 2001. p. 8. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  11. ^ Application Search Details – BLSTA-20010319ACZ, fcc.gov. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  12. ^ Application Search Details – BLSTA-20020509AAU, fcc.gov. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  13. ^ Kurowski, Jeff. "Catholic programming tries some fresh air", The Compass. April 18, 2003. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  14. ^ "Follet meets Follett at the trading table", Radio & Television Business Report. August 15, 2008. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  15. ^ Application Search Details – BLSTA-20090212ABS, fcc.gov. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  16. ^ Application Search Details – BAL-20090713ACT, fcc.gov. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  17. ^ a b Application Search Details – BP-20090721ABY, fcc.gov. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  18. ^ Application Search Details – BLSTA-20120213AAK, fcc.gov. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  19. ^ Application Search Details – BLSTA-20130110AFB, fcc.gov. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  20. ^ Application Search Details – BLESTA-20130913ACF, fcc.gov. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  21. ^ Application Search Details – BLSTA-20140122ADU, fcc.gov. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  22. ^ Application Search Details – BLESTA-20141021AAQ, fcc.gov. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  23. ^ Venta, Lance. "FCC Applications 8/10", Radio Insight. August 17, 2014. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  24. ^ Application Search Details – BAL-20140730AAS, fcc.gov. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  25. ^ "WZRK (AM), Lake Geneva, WI Facility ID #61389 Request for cancellation of License", fcc.gov. January 15, 2015. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  26. ^ "WGLB(AM), Elm Grove, WI Facility ID No. 73050 File No. BP-2O14111OAAS Minor Change Application WZRK(AM), Lake Geneva, WI Facility ID No. 61389 BL-19981001AA (Proposed surrender of License)", fcc.gov. April 20, 2015. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
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