WIXX
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2017) |
CHR | |
| Affiliations | Packers Radio Network |
|---|---|
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| WDKF, WGEE, WNCY-FM, WNFL, WTAQ-AM-FM, WYDR | |
| History | |
First air date | August 13, 1947 (as WJPG-FM) |
Former call signs | WJPG-FM (August 13, 1947-1954) WBAY-FM (1960-1975) |
Call sign meaning | Intended to be a visual pun on "gee whiz" in combination with sister station WGEE; with the intended calls of WIZZ already assigned, the next available 4-letter calls were taken |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 42087 |
| Class | C |
| ERP | 96,000 watts |
| HAAT | 329 meters (1,079 ft) |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | www |
WIXX (101.1
History
The station, with the original call letters WJPG-FM, was owned by the Green Bay Press-Gazette[1] to complement their then-owned station WJPG (now WNFL). WJPG-FM began broadcasting August 13, 1947,[1] though there is no record of the Press-Gazette regularly broadcasting on the FM signal. Eventually, the Press-Gazette would sell WJPG-FM to the Norbertine Order of Priests, a De Pere-based religious order that founded St. Norbert College. The well-financed Norbertines were interested in complementing their existing stations in the Green Bay market, WBAY radio (AM 1360) and WBAY-TV (channel 2). WJPG-FM would eventually become WBAY-FM, and for many years would air easy-listening and middle-of-the-road music formats.
By the mid-1970s, the Norbertine Order would sell its broadcast holdings, with WBAY-AM-FM being sold to what would become Midwest Communications. On September 1, 1975, the radio stations would be given new call signs; the AM would become WGEE, while WBAY-FM would take on the WIXX calls. The story of the WIXX call sign has been unclear; though it was believed to be part of a "gee whiz" pun with WGEE, Midwest Communications head Duke Wright has been somewhat coy, stating in 2007 that he was into "X"s and "Z"s back then and WIXX sounds "better than 'WIZZ'".[2] Even after their split in 1975, the radio and TV stations would continue to be housed at 115 South Jefferson Street in downtown Green Bay until 2008, when WIXX, WTAQ (which flipped back to its original callsign from WGEE in 2003), and their Midwest sister stations would move to new facilities in Bellevue, next to the transmitter facility of Midwest-owned WNFL. (WBAY-TV remains at South Jefferson to this day.)
By the time the Norbertines sold WIXX, the station had adopted an
Today, WIXX is regarded as a
References
- ^ a b "WJPG-FM Opening Gets Coverage in Local Press" (PDF). Broadcasting. August 18, 1947. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
- ^ "40 Interesting Facts about WIXX for 40 Years - Fact #14," from WIXX.com (accessed 9/15/2018)
- ^ "40 for 40 - 40 Interesting Facts about 101 WIXX for our 40th Anniversary - Fact #2," from WIXX.com (accessed 9/15/2018)
- ^ "40 Interesting Facts about WIXX for 40 Years - Fact #7," from WIXX.com (accessed 9/15/2018)
- ^ "40 Interesting Facts about WIXX for 40 Years - Fact #10" on WIXX.com (accessed 9/15/2018)
- ^ "40 Interesting Facts about WIXX for 40 Years - Fact #34" on WIXX.com (accessed 9/15/2018)
- ^ Other stations applaud WIXX in national radio judging; Warren Gerds; November 19, 2007 Green Bay Press-Gazette; Retrieved November 19, 2007
External links
- Official website
- Midwest Communications
- Click here to view a virtual tour of Midwest Communications' new building
- WIXX in the FCC FM station database
- WIXX in Nielsen Audio's FM station database