WSSP
Encyclopedia
WSSP is a Milwaukee
-based sports talk
station owned by Entercom.
The station is the secondary home station for any play-by-play sports coverage on WTMJ-AM (620) which conflicts with another event; for instance the Milwaukee Bucks
air on WSSP if a Milwaukee Brewers
game airs. If a Green Bay Packers
game airs at the same time as a Brewers game, the Brewers game aired on WSSP. Packers games are almost without exception first priority and never pre-empted on WTMJ except in playoff situations for the other teams depending on how far either team advanced. Since September 2008 however, the secondary rights for Brewers and Packers games have moved to WTMJ's FM sister WLWK (94.5).
WSSP is also the play-by-play home of Milwaukee Admirals
hockey
. The station has been simulcast
on WXSS-FM
(103.7)'s HD2 HD Radio
subchannel since October 2010. WSSP also airs syndicated programming from Fox Sports Radio
.
changed to WCAN. Station owner Lou Poller eventually started WCAN-TV
(Channel 25), one of the earliest UHF stations in the United States and an affiliate of the CBS Television Network, before CBS itself purchased a rival UHF facility
.
In 1955, Poller sold the 1250 AM license to the owners of WEMP
, which had been operating as a 250-watt signal on 1340 AM. The new owners moved the WEMP call sign to 1250 AM, where it stayed for many years afterward. The station at 1340 AM, under new ownership, became WRIT.
Over the years, WEMP aired a variety of formats, including Top 40, Country music
and adult contemporary. In the 1980s, WEMP switched to oldies
, featuring personalities such as John Gardner, Dick Alpert and Ernie Bottom. During the 1990s WEMP ran Westwood One
's oldies format with Gardner doing the morning drive. In August 1998 WEMP switched its format to brokered religious
/Christian AC, retaining the WEMP calls. This format continued until WSSP launched in December 2004.
The station launched the all-sports format on January 1, 2005 and stunted using Bobby Bear
's "Drop Kick Me Jesus Through The Goalposts of Life." Longtime area broadcaster Chuck Garbedian anchored the morning show with Chicago native Johnny Vonn. Veteran sports talk show host Peter Brown was tabbed to do afternoon drive.
and Gary Ellerson
were moved into Brown's slot. Morning show host Chuck Garbedian was let go in early January 2007. He was replaced by former WTMJ
and Sporting News Radio
personality Doug Russell
, a Milwaukee native. The station also acquired the rights to University of Wisconsin–Madison
hockey
games and coaches shows. Mike Wickett, who worked closely with Maguire when both were on the air at WTKA
in Ann Arbor, MI, was hired to co-host mornings with Russell. Steve Fifer
was tabbed to host mid-days from 9a-11a.
In June 2007, the station acquired the rights to Milwaukee Admirals
hockey, taking them away from cross-town rival WAUK
.
The station modified its lineup in September 2008 using existing hosts in new positions. Cliff Saunders was moved into the morning slot after Doug Russell and Mike Wickett. Gary Ellerson stayed in the afternoon drive slot where he is joined by Josh Vernier and former morning host Steve Fifer as part of the "Big Show". In October 2008, Saunders was replaced by the nationally syndicated Dan Patrick Show.
In January 2009, Maguire left WSSP for Entercom sister station KCSP
in Kansas City, Missouri
. Former WTMJ
program director Tom Parker replaced Maguire at WSSP. Jim Rome's
syndicated show was replaced by local host Bill Michaels in the summer of 2011.
From 1984-1990, the WSSP call letters were assigned to 104.1 FM
in Orlando
(Cocoa Beach, Florida
). "WSSPer 104" was as an easy listening
station.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
-based sports talk
Sports radio
Sports radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A popular format with an almost exclusively male demographic in most areas, sports radio is characterized by an often-boisterous on-air style and extensive debate and analysis by both hosts and...
station owned by Entercom.
The station is the secondary home station for any play-by-play sports coverage on WTMJ-AM (620) which conflicts with another event; for instance the Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
air on WSSP if a Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
game airs. If a Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
game airs at the same time as a Brewers game, the Brewers game aired on WSSP. Packers games are almost without exception first priority and never pre-empted on WTMJ except in playoff situations for the other teams depending on how far either team advanced. Since September 2008 however, the secondary rights for Brewers and Packers games have moved to WTMJ's FM sister WLWK (94.5).
WSSP is also the play-by-play home of Milwaukee Admirals
Milwaukee Admirals
The Milwaukee Admirals are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA at the Bradley Center.-History:...
hockey
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
. The station has been simulcast
Simulcast
Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
on WXSS-FM
WXSS
WXSS-FM is a top 40 radio station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The station was created and is programmed by Brian Kelly. It is licensed to Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. They are known as "103.7 Kiss FM" and are owned by Entercom, along with WMYX-FM and WSSP. KISS FM has taken 3rd place for the past 4...
(103.7)'s HD2 HD Radio
HD Radio
HD Radio, which originally stood for "Hybrid Digital", is the trademark for iBiquity's in-band on-channel digital radio technology used by AM and FM radio stations to transmit audio and data via a digital signal in conjunction with their analog signals...
subchannel since October 2010. WSSP also airs syndicated programming from Fox Sports Radio
Fox Sports Radio
Fox Sports Radio, abbreviated FSR, is an international radio network consisting of sports talk programming. The network is a service of Premiere Networks...
.
History
The 1250 AM facility went on the air as WMAW on March 24, 1948. On August 16, 1948, the 5,000 watt station became the area's affiliate of the ABC Radio Network. In June 1952, the call signCall sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...
changed to WCAN. Station owner Lou Poller eventually started WCAN-TV
WCAN-TV
WCAN-TV was a CBS-affiliated television station that was licensed to Milwaukee, Wisconsin and served the Milwaukee area from 1953 to 1955.-Station history:...
(Channel 25), one of the earliest UHF stations in the United States and an affiliate of the CBS Television Network, before CBS itself purchased a rival UHF facility
WVTV
WVTV is a television station located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA and serves as Southeast Wisconsin's The CW Television Network affiliate. The station broadcasts from the Milwaukee Public Television tower on Milwaukee's northeast side with WMVS/WMVT, along with WCGV , WVTV's sister station...
.
In 1955, Poller sold the 1250 AM license to the owners of WEMP
WJYI
WJYI is a radio station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. It runs a Christian format with Contemporary Christian Music from Salem Radio Network's Today's Christian Music network. It also features brokered teaching and preaching programs from both local Churches and national ministries. It also airs...
, which had been operating as a 250-watt signal on 1340 AM. The new owners moved the WEMP call sign to 1250 AM, where it stayed for many years afterward. The station at 1340 AM, under new ownership, became WRIT.
Over the years, WEMP aired a variety of formats, including Top 40, 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 adult contemporary. In the 1980s, WEMP switched to oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
, featuring personalities such as John Gardner, Dick Alpert and Ernie Bottom. During the 1990s WEMP ran Westwood One
Westwood One
Westwood One was an American radio network and was based in New York City. At one time, it was managed by CBS Radio, the radio arm of CBS Corporation, and Viacom and was later purchased by the private equity firm The Gores Group...
's oldies format with Gardner doing the morning drive. In August 1998 WEMP switched its format to brokered religious
Christian radio
Christian radio is a category of radio formats that focus on transmitting programming with a Christian message. In the United States, where it is more established, many such broadcasters play popular music of Christian influence, though many programs have talk or news programming covering...
/Christian AC, retaining the WEMP calls. This format continued until WSSP launched in December 2004.
The station launched the all-sports format on January 1, 2005 and stunted using Bobby Bear
Bobby Bear
Bobby Bear was a Cartoon Character in the Daily Herald newspaper starting in 1919. He was a young male bear character based on the Steiff Teddy Bear that was popular at the time. His friends were Ruby Rabbit and Maisie Mouse. Later Percy Porker the pig became a regular character as well as Freddy...
's "Drop Kick Me Jesus Through The Goalposts of Life." Longtime area broadcaster Chuck Garbedian anchored the morning show with Chicago native Johnny Vonn. Veteran sports talk show host Peter Brown was tabbed to do afternoon drive.
Changes
In late 2006, the station underwent a period of change. Program director Chip Ramsey, who had been with the station since it signed on in the sports format, was fired on August 9, 2006 and replaced by Ryan Maguire, who directed a series of moves soon after. Weekday afternoon talk show host Peter Brown was fired on December 7, 2006. Mid-day hosts Cliff SaundersCliff Saunders
Cliff Saunders ' is an American sports radio personality based in St. Louis, Missouri. Cliff is the co-host of the St. Louis Rams Post Game Show on 101 ESPN...
and Gary Ellerson
Gary Ellerson
Gary Tobius Ellerson is a former American football player with the University of Wisconsin–Madison, the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions...
were moved into Brown's slot. Morning show host Chuck Garbedian was let go in early January 2007. He was replaced by former WTMJ
WTMJ (AM)
WTMJ is a radio station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin broadcasting at 620 AM. It is a 50,000-watt station airing a format of news, talk and sports. WTMJ is owned by Journal Broadcast Group, which also owns the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and sister station WLWK-FM....
and Sporting News Radio
Sporting News Radio
Yahoo! Sports Radio, formerly Sporting News Radio is a United States sports radio network that broadcasts sports news, talk, scores, and highlights 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. On August 1, 2011, it was announced the network would change its name to Yahoo! Sports Radio, effective...
personality Doug Russell
Doug Russell
Doug Russell is a nationally syndicated American sports talk show host and reporter. Russell joined Yahoo! Sports Radio in July, 2011 after leaving WSSP in Milwaukee, where he had co-hosted the morning show since January, 2007. Prior to joining WSSP, Russell was a nationally syndicated host and...
, a Milwaukee native. The station also acquired the rights to University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
hockey
Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockey
The Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockey team is the college ice hockey team that represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison in Madison, Wisconsin. The team plays at the Kohl Center and is coached by former Badger and NHL player Mike Eaves...
games and coaches shows. Mike Wickett, who worked closely with Maguire when both were on the air at WTKA
WTKA
WTKA is a radio station located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, that broadcasts on 1050 AM. Day power is 10 kW, night power is 500 W. The station covers most of southeast Michigan....
in Ann Arbor, MI, was hired to co-host mornings with Russell. Steve Fifer
Steve Fifer
Steve "Sparky" Fifer is an American sports-talk radio personality based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He currently works at WSSP, and hosts the station's post game coverage of Milwaukee Brewers baseball and Milwaukee Bucks basketball....
was tabbed to host mid-days from 9a-11a.
In June 2007, the station acquired the rights to Milwaukee Admirals
Milwaukee Admirals
The Milwaukee Admirals are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA at the Bradley Center.-History:...
hockey, taking them away from cross-town rival WAUK
WAUK
*See also WRRDWAUK is a radio station licensed to Jackson, Wisconsin, serving the Milwaukee area. It is known on-air as 540 ESPN...
.
The station modified its lineup in September 2008 using existing hosts in new positions. Cliff Saunders was moved into the morning slot after Doug Russell and Mike Wickett. Gary Ellerson stayed in the afternoon drive slot where he is joined by Josh Vernier and former morning host Steve Fifer as part of the "Big Show". In October 2008, Saunders was replaced by the nationally syndicated Dan Patrick Show.
In January 2009, Maguire left WSSP for Entercom sister station KCSP
KCSP (AM)
KCSP is a sports/talk radio station located in Kansas City, Missouri. The Entercom-owned station broadcasts on 610 kHz. Beginning March 31, 2011, its programming is simulcast on KMBZ-FM's 98.1-HD2 subchannel....
in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
. Former WTMJ
WTMJ (AM)
WTMJ is a radio station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin broadcasting at 620 AM. It is a 50,000-watt station airing a format of news, talk and sports. WTMJ is owned by Journal Broadcast Group, which also owns the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and sister station WLWK-FM....
program director Tom Parker replaced Maguire at WSSP. Jim Rome's
Jim Rome
Jim Rome is an American sports radio talk show host syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks, a subsidiary of Clear Channel Communications....
syndicated show was replaced by local host Bill Michaels in the summer of 2011.
From 1984-1990, the WSSP call letters were assigned to 104.1 FM
WTKS-FM
WTKS-FM 104.1 is a FM radio station airing a talk radio format during the work week. The station is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to broadcast from Cocoa Beach, Florida , and serves mainly the Orlando and Central Florida areas.Most of the programs are designed to appeal to...
in Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
(Cocoa Beach, Florida
Cocoa Beach, Florida
Cocoa Beach is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 12,482 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau estimates of 2008, the city had a population of 11,920...
). "WSSPer 104" was as an easy listening
Easy listening
Easy listening is a broad style of popular music and radio format that emerged in the 1950s, evolving out of big band music, and related to MOR music as played on many AM radio stations. It encompasses the exotica, beautiful music, light music, lounge music, ambient music, and space age pop genres...
station.