WGEE
Encyclopedia
WGEE is a radio station
licensed in Superior, Wisconsin
. The station is owned and operated by Midwest Communications
, which owns six stations in Duluth, Minnesota
. All the Duluth stations share the same studio location at 715 East Central Entrance, up the hill from downtown.
WGEE airs programming from the Music of Your Life
radio network. WGEE's main competition is WKLK-AM
in Cloquet, Minnesota
, coincidentally a former "Music of Your Life" affiliate station, which now features America's Best Music
from Dial Global
.
The station adopted its present format in September 2008. Prior to that, WGEE aired ESPN Radio
programming, as well as The Jim Rome Show
and Loveline
. It was also the local home of NASCAR
races and ESPN
Sunday Night Baseball.
WAKX moved to 970 kHz, formerly the home of WIGL in Superior, on October 26, 1967. The 1320 kHz frequency in the Duluth/Superior market is no longer in use.
Owner Lew Latto purchased the facilities of beautiful music
station KPIR
in September, 1974, and began simulcasting the format of WAKX on both 970 AM and the new 98.9 FM.
In 1982, the AM station changed its call letters to KXTP and switched to adult standards
, airing the "Music of Your Life
" syndicated format. WAKX-FM remained unchanged.
In 1994, Latto sold KXTP and WAKX to Ken Beuhler and Patty McNulty, the owners of WDSM
and KZIO (currently KDWZ). The FM station flipped from classic rock
to country music
and became KTCO
. Later that decade, Buehler and McNulty sold their stations to Shockley Communications, which changed KXTP's format to country
and then Radio Disney
. It later changed to Hot Talk, and finally, to Sports.
Today, the station is owned by Midwest Communications which also owns KDAL
, WDSM
, KDAL-FM
and KDWZ in Duluth. The WGEE calls were formerly used by Midwest sister station WTAQ in Green Bay
from 1977 to 2003.
AM 970 regained the "Music of Your Life
" format in September 2008, dropping ESPN Radio
and returning the Music of Your Life
to the Duluth/Superior airwaves.
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
licensed in Superior, Wisconsin
Superior, Wisconsin
Superior is a city in and the county seat of Douglas County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 26,960 at the 2010 census. Located at the junction of U.S. Highways 2 and 53, it is north of and adjacent to both the Village of Superior and the Town of Superior.Superior is at the western...
. The station is owned and operated by Midwest Communications
Midwest Communications
Midwest Communications, Inc. consists of Midwest Communications, Inc. and WRIG, Inc., which collectively own forty-six radio stations. The Company got its start in Wausau, Wisconsin, with WRIG, Inc. and the acquisition by the D.E. Wright family of a 1400 kHz, 250 watt AM facility from the...
, which owns six stations in Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
. All the Duluth stations share the same studio location at 715 East Central Entrance, up the hill from downtown.
WGEE airs programming from the Music of Your Life
Music of Your Life
Music of Your Life is a satellite-delivered radio network featuring the Adult Standards music format. Created by record executive and jingle writer Al Ham, and now under the direction of Marc Angell, Music of Your Life has more than 50 AM, FM and HD-2 radio station affiliates, and has been in...
radio network. WGEE's main competition is WKLK-AM
WKLK (AM)
WKLK is a radio station broadcasting a Nostalgia/Adult Standards format. Licensed to Cloquet, Minnesota, USA, the station serves the Duluth area. The station is owned by QB Broadcasting, Ltd., and features programing from AP Radio and Dial Global....
in Cloquet, Minnesota
Cloquet, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 11,201 people, 4,636 households, and 2,967 families residing in the city. The population density was 317.9 people per square mile . There were 4,805 housing units at an average density of 136.4 per square mile...
, coincidentally a former "Music of Your Life" affiliate station, which now features America's Best Music
America's Best Music
America's Best Music is the on-air branding of an adult standards 24-hour radio network, known internally as Adult Standards and formerly known as AM Only, currently owned by Dial Global. It was one of the original Westwood One's Transtar networks...
from Dial Global
Dial Global
Dial Global is a radio syndication company. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Triton Media Group and is a sister company to Townsquare Media, both of which are owned by Oaktree Capital Management....
.
The station adopted its present format in September 2008. Prior to that, WGEE aired ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
programming, as well as The Jim Rome Show
The Jim Rome Show
The Jim Rome Show is a sports radio talk show hosted by Jim Rome. It airs live for three hours each weekday from 9 a.m. to noon Pacific. The show is produced in Los Angeles, California, syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks, and can be heard on more than 200 affiliate radio stations in the U.S...
and Loveline
Loveline
Loveline is a syndicated radio call-in program in North America, offering medical and relationship advice to listeners, often with the assistance of guests, typically actors and musicians. Its flagship station is KROQ-FM in Los Angeles....
. It was also the local home of NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
races and ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
Sunday Night Baseball.
History
At noon on May 9, 1964, WQMN, a 1,000 watt daytime-only station located at 1320 kHz, became the first Duluth/Superior radio station to change its call letters when it became WAKX ("WAX"), playing a Top 40 format. Tac Hammer was WAKX's first program director.WAKX moved to 970 kHz, formerly the home of WIGL in Superior, on October 26, 1967. The 1320 kHz frequency in the Duluth/Superior market is no longer in use.
Owner Lew Latto purchased the facilities of beautiful music
Beautiful music
Beautiful music is a mostly instrumental music format that was prominent in American radio from the 1960s through the 1980s...
station KPIR
KTCO
KTCO is a radio station in Duluth, Minnesota, airing a country music format. KTCO-FM is owned by Midwest Communications, which also owns KDWZ, WDSM, WGEE, KDAL, and KDAL-FM in Duluth...
in September, 1974, and began simulcasting the format of WAKX on both 970 AM and the new 98.9 FM.
In 1982, the AM station changed its call letters to KXTP and switched to adult standards
Adult standards
Adult standards is a North American radio format heard primarily on AM or class A FM stations.Adult standards is aimed at "mature" adults, meaning mainly those persons over 50 years of age, but it is mostly targeted for senior citizens...
, airing the "Music of Your Life
Music of Your Life
Music of Your Life is a satellite-delivered radio network featuring the Adult Standards music format. Created by record executive and jingle writer Al Ham, and now under the direction of Marc Angell, Music of Your Life has more than 50 AM, FM and HD-2 radio station affiliates, and has been in...
" syndicated format. WAKX-FM remained unchanged.
In 1994, Latto sold KXTP and WAKX to Ken Beuhler and Patty McNulty, the owners of WDSM
WDSM
WDSM is a talk radio station in Duluth, Minnesota, . WDSM was created in 1938 as an affiliate of the Mutual Broadcasting System. The requested call letters were W Duluth Superior Mutual. WDSM provided Mutual programming throughout the Iron Range of Norther Minnesota as well as the...
and KZIO (currently KDWZ). The FM station flipped from classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
to country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
and became KTCO
KTCO
KTCO is a radio station in Duluth, Minnesota, airing a country music format. KTCO-FM is owned by Midwest Communications, which also owns KDWZ, WDSM, WGEE, KDAL, and KDAL-FM in Duluth...
. Later that decade, Buehler and McNulty sold their stations to Shockley Communications, which changed KXTP's format to country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
and then Radio Disney
Radio Disney
Radio Disney is a radio network based in Burbank, California and headquartered out of the Disney Channel headquarters on West Alameda Ave., from where it has been based since November 2008. Prior to that, the network was based in Dallas, Texas...
. It later changed to Hot Talk, and finally, to Sports.
Today, the station is owned by Midwest Communications which also owns KDAL
KDAL (AM)
KDAL is an AM radio station broadcasting out of Duluth, Minnesota with a News/Talk format. KDAL is currently owned and operated by Midwest Communications. Midwest Communications also owns KDWZ, WDSM, WGEE, KTCO, and KDAL-FM in Duluth...
, WDSM
WDSM
WDSM is a talk radio station in Duluth, Minnesota, . WDSM was created in 1938 as an affiliate of the Mutual Broadcasting System. The requested call letters were W Duluth Superior Mutual. WDSM provided Mutual programming throughout the Iron Range of Norther Minnesota as well as the...
, KDAL-FM
KDAL-FM
KDAL-FM "Rock 96" is a radio station in Duluth, Minnesota airing a mainstream rock format.KDAL-FM is owned by Midwest Communications, which also owns KDWZ, WDSM, WGEE, KDAL, and KTCO in Duluth...
and KDWZ in Duluth. The WGEE calls were formerly used by Midwest sister station WTAQ in Green Bay
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...
from 1977 to 2003.
AM 970 regained the "Music of Your Life
Music of Your Life
Music of Your Life is a satellite-delivered radio network featuring the Adult Standards music format. Created by record executive and jingle writer Al Ham, and now under the direction of Marc Angell, Music of Your Life has more than 50 AM, FM and HD-2 radio station affiliates, and has been in...
" format in September 2008, dropping ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
and returning the Music of Your Life
Music of Your Life
Music of Your Life is a satellite-delivered radio network featuring the Adult Standards music format. Created by record executive and jingle writer Al Ham, and now under the direction of Marc Angell, Music of Your Life has more than 50 AM, FM and HD-2 radio station affiliates, and has been in...
to the Duluth/Superior airwaves.