WMKX is a classic

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...

/modern rock

Modern rock

Modern rock is a rock format commonly found on commercial radio; the format consists primarily of the alternative rock genre...

 music formatted radio station

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...

 for northwestern Pennsylvania, broadcasting at 105.5 FM. The station, owned and operated by Strattan Broadcasting, is licensed to Brookville, Pennsylvania

Brookville, Pennsylvania

Brookville is a borough in Jefferson County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, 100 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. 2,472 people lived in Brookville in 1900, and 3,003 people lived there in 1910. The population was 4,230 at the 2000 census...

, the seat of government for Jefferson County.

WJNG, licensed to Johnsonburg, is a full co-owned simulcast outlet of WMKX.

A "Magic" Beginning

First issued a construction permit on June 6, 1980; WMKX first went on the air at the frequency of 95.9 in 1981, and became the second FM station in Jefferson County, as WPXZ, 15 miles southeast in Punxsutawney had been the first eight years before.

WMKX was founded by Stephen S. Strattan and Joseph Donald Powers, adopting the moniker "Magic 96". It went on the air with a mostly automated format of adult contemporary music, which it would maintain until the late 1990s.

1990s

In the mid-90's, another frequency of 103.3 was assigned to Brookville through the efforts of WPXZ licensee Renda Broadcasting, which had been looking to gain a foothold in the county seat. In order for the new station to go on the air, a series of channel shuffling would have to take place to accommodate the new frequency. The shuffling would enable WMKX to take WPXZ's frequency of 105.5 as its own, and with the move of that frequency northwest, it also enabled WMKX to petition the FCC for an effective radiated power increase from 3,000 to 25,000 watts, thus taking the station from a local to more regional listenership base, allowing it to also serve the communities of Clarion and DuBois.

At around this same time, Strattan Broadcasting also applied for an FCC 'drop-in' frequency at 100.5 north of Brookville in Johnsonburg

Johnsonburg, Pennsylvania

Johnsonburg is a borough in Elk County, Pennsylvania, northeast of Pittsburgh and south of Buffalo, New York, in a productive farming and lumbering region. Paper mills were once common here, and Domtar still maintains a paper mill there today. In 1910, 4,334 people lived here...

, Elk County

Elk County, Pennsylvania

Elk County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 31,946.Elk County was created on April 18, 1843, from parts of Jefferson, Clearfield and McKean Counties, and is named for the Eastern elk that historically inhabited the region. Its county...

. The 3,000 watt license was granted to Strattan Broadcasting, and after its construction, the station underwent a format change from adult contemporary to its current format.

WMKX Today

In 1997, the new station, known as "Mega Rock" was born. The Johnsonburg station, WJNG, allowed WMKX's signal to expand into the northcentral portion of Pennsylvania, serving listeners in St. Marys, Ridgway, Smethport, and Kane. Though WJNG is a simulcast station, it maintains separate offices at 517½ Market Street in Johnsonburg.

What Happened to 95.9?

As for what happened to WMKX's original frequency of 95.9, it was recovered by a local church and converted to an LPFM license, and had operated with a local Christian format staffed primarily by volunteers, for about five years. The church later closed the station, known as WWJL

WWJL

WWJL-LP is a former LPFM radio station licensed to Brookville, Pennsylvania, the county seat of Jefferson County. Formerly operating at 95.9, this station has been silent since May 2007.-Beginnings as WMKX:...

, with a dark license in 2007. In May 2009, 95.9 was allocated to Sykesville, PA and WZDB

WZDB

WZDB is a classic rock music formatted radio station based in Sykesville, Pennsylvania. It is owned by the First Media Company.-95.9 ZDB Programming Schedule:Monday - Friday:6:00 a.m. - 10 a.m. - John Boy & Billy10 a.m. - 3 p.m. - Mike Donovan...

went on the air.

Administrative and programming functions continue to originate out of WMKX's longtime location at 51 Pickering Street in downtown Brookville.

The station continues to operate under its original ownership by the Farley family, the principal owners of Strattan Broadcasting with Sharon Stewart rocking the morning show for the last 10 years.

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