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WBMI
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| WBMI | |
| City of license | West Branch, Michigan |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | [1] |
| Frequency | 105.5 MHz |
| Format | Classic Country |
| Power | 6,000 watts |
| Class | A |
| Callsign meaning | West Branch Michigan |
| Former callsigns | WBMI-FM (?-5/21/91) WBMI (?-?) |
| Owner | Kevin & Alana Beamish |
WBMI is an American radio station, licensed to West Branch, Michigan; the seat of government for Ogemaw County. The station broadcasts at the assigned frequency of 105.5 mHz at an output power of 3,000 watts.
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First going on the air on November 7, 1977, WBMI was the FM sister station of WBMB-AM, which first signed on the air June 7, 1972 at 1060 kHz with 1,000 watts output power. As WBMB was a daytime-only AM station for its entire existence, both stations simulcast one another from WBMI's sign-on in 1977, providing local listeners with local radio service after WBMB was mandated to shut down for the night as per FCC regulations.
WBMB and WBMI were a typical small-market radio station of their time, with few employees working shared duties, world and national news provided by Westwood One, and a mass appeal format of adult contemporary and oldies music.
It's not known at this time how the stations became financially troubled during this decade. It is this author's belief, however, that since northern Michigan's economy is primarily tourist driven, business slowed to a trickle during the slower winter months, with little revenue coming in to support both stations. Both were eventually turned over to bankruptcy receivers Jack E. Kauffman and Robert S. Marshall in 1989, with both stations falling silent by 1990.
In the summer of 1992, WBMI returned to the air as "Oldies 105.5". WBMB's license was not recovered, and has to this day, never returned to the air. WBMI was acquired by Daraka Broadcasting of Alpena, which also owned adult contemporary-CHR formatted WHSB. Daraka had also at around this time, acquired the former WDBI north of West Branch in Tawas City, Michigan, from owner Don Backus, who had owned it since 1983. That station received the new call letters WHST and its frequency moved to 106.1. Daraka's intent was to cross-market all three stations as part of Michigan's fabled "Sunrise Side", eventually calling the group of stations the "Northern Radio Network".
The Northern Radio Network effort eventually crumbled, resulting in WBMI and WHST going silent in 2000. The following year, WBMI was sold to Independent TV Productions for $100,000 in August. WHST was spun off to a new Christian-formatted network owner based in Gaylord. Independent TV Productions resumed WBMI's operations with Jones Radio Network's Hot AC format under the terms of an LMA until the FCC approved the sale in October.
WBMI failed to meet Independent TV Productions' financial goals, and the company put it up for sale, with an agreement from Peggy R. Warner (an 18 percent shareholder in Independent TV Productions and its vice-president) to purchase the station in January of 2005. However, the application to transfer ownership from Independent TV to Warner was dropped in August of that same year. While both sides were in negotiations, WBMI was off the air for a brief period, returning under its Daraka moniker "Oldies 105.5".
A new buyer came into the fold in July of 2005: husband and wife Kevin and Alana Beamish, of Owosso, Michigan, who purchased the station for $300,000.
The Beamishes are now operating as receivers for WBMI, which according to the FCC, is still licensed to Independent Television Productions. Per the FCC website, Independent Television Productions have applied for an Extension of Consummation for the transfer of ownership between the two parties. The Beamishes, who also own WJSZ in Ashley, Michigan, continued to operate WBMI as "Oldies 105.5" until April of 2006, rebranding the station under a classic country format, which continues today. WBMI now identifies as Classic Hit Country 105-5 and uses Jones Radio Networks' "Classic Hit Country" format.