WGEM-FM
WGEM-FM logo
Broadcast areaQuincy/Hannibal/Keokuk
Frequency105.1 MHz
BrandingNews/Talk 105
Programming
FormatNews/talk
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
WGEM, WGEM-TV
History
First air date
August 1, 1947
Former call signs
WQDI (1947-1953)
Call sign meaning
"Gem City"
Technical information
Facility ID54281
ClassB
ERP26,500 watts
HAAT209 meters (686 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
39°57′4.00″N 91°19′53.00″W / 39.9511111°N 91.3313889°W / 39.9511111; -91.3313889 (WGEM-FM)
Links
WebcastListen live
Websitewww.wgem.com

WGEM-FM (105.1 MHz; "News/Talk 105") is a radio station in Quincy, Illinois broadcasting a news/talk format. The station is owned by Gray Television.

History

The station signed on August 1, 1947, as WQDI.[2][3] It was Quincy Newspapers' first broadcasting station, signing on five months before WGEM; it was also the first FM station in the market.[3] The WQDI callsign was retained until 1953, when the station became WGEM-FM to match the AM station and WGEM-TV.[4][5]

For much of its early history, WGEM-FM was a simulcast of WGEM.[6] This ended by 1976, when the station implemented a country music format;[7] "Gem Country" lasted until 2002, when it gave way to the current news/talk format.[8]

On February 1, 2021, Gray Television announced that it had entered into an agreement to acquire all Quincy Media television and radio properties for $925 million in a cash transaction. This included WGEM (AM) and WGEM-FM, as well as WGEM-TV.[1] The acquisition was completed on August 2.[9] At the time of the acquisition, Gray's only other radio property was KTXC in Lamesa, Texas, which was in the process of being divested in an unrelated concurrent deal;[10] by 2023, the WGEM radio stations were the only radio stations in Gray's holdings.[11]

WGEM-FM will drop the news/talk format in favor of the sports radio programming previously heard on WGEM (AM), primarily supplied by ESPN Radio, on March 1, 2023. The AM station had gone off the air in June 2022 due to technical problems; its programming had continued to be heard on FM translator W255CY (98.9), which will shut down on March 1.[11]

Programming

WGEM-FM's schedule includes the two-hour morning show "WGEM News Talk Live!", several news-oriented local programs, as well as simulcasts of WGEM-TV's newscasts and NBC Nightly News. The station also carries some syndicated talk shows, including The Dave Ramsey Show, The Clark Howard Show, The Kim Komando Show, and The O'Reilly Update. WGEM-FM also carries St. Louis Cardinals baseball.

References

  1. ^ a b Goldsmith, Jill (February 1, 2021). "Gray Television Acquires Quincy Media For $925 Million In Cash". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  2. ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1948 (PDF). 1948. p. 178. Retrieved April 11, 2010.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ a b "Why Advertise With WGEM Radio?". WGEM.com. June 10, 2008. Retrieved April 11, 2010.
  4. ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1953 (PDF). 1953. p. 131. Retrieved April 11, 2010.[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ Broadcasting Yearbook-Marketbook 1954 (PDF). 1954. p. 130. Retrieved April 11, 2010.[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1958 (PDF). 1958. p. A-278. Retrieved April 11, 2010.[permanent dead link]
  7. ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1977 (PDF). 1977. p. C-132. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 8, 2010. Retrieved April 11, 2010.
  8. ^ "About WGEM". WGEM.com. Archived from the original on October 20, 2000. Retrieved April 11, 2010.
  9. ^ Howell, Jr., Hilton (August 2, 2021). "Gray Television Closes Quincy Acquisition". Gray Television. GlobeNewswire. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  10. ^ Venta, Lance (June 8, 2021). "VCY America Acquires KTXC From Gray Television". RadioInsight. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
  11. ^ a b "WGEM-FM To Flip To Sports As 1440 WGEM Signs Off". February 17, 2023. Retrieved February 17, 2023.

External links

Radio stations in Quincy/Hannibal/Keokuk (Illinois/Missouri/Iowa)
News/talk radio stations in the state of Illinois
Gray Television
Categories