WRNW (97.3 FM) is a commercial radio station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, known as "97.3 The Game." It airs a sports radio format and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. The studios are on West Howard Avenue in Greenfield.
WRNW is a Class B FM station, with an effective radiated power (ERP) of 15,500 watts. The transmitter is atop the WISN-TV tower in Lincoln Park, near the Milwaukee River.Radio-Locator.com/WRNW WRNW broadcasts using HD Radio technology. Its HD2 digital subchannel carries talk radio programming from co-owned WISN 1130 AM.
Programming
On weekdays, WRNW features local sports shows during the day and evening. Steve Czaban is heard in morning drive time. He's followed by former Green Bay Packers linebacker John Kuhn. In afternoons, Mike Heller, Drew Olsen, Kevin Brandt and Matt Schneidman host shows focused on Wisconsin and national sports. Nights and weekends, programming from Fox Sports Radio is heard.
97.3 The Game is the flagship radio station for the Green Bay Packers Radio Network. In addition, it is the Milwaukee affiliate for the Wisconsin Badgers Radio Network through Learfield Sports. It also carries Westwood One Sports, Milwaukee Admirals AHL Hockey and weekend motor races.
History
Beautiful Music (1961-1978) The station signed on the air in . The original call sign was WISN-FM, the sister station to WISN 1130 AM. This was actually the second iteration of WISN-FM, after a short-lived attempt in 1949 on 102.9 FM, where WHQG is now heard.
At the beginning, 1130 AM and 97.3 FM mostly simulcast their programming. They were co-owned for many years with television station WISN-TV (channel 12) as part of the Hearst Corporation, a newspaper and broadcasting conglomerate. From the late 1960s until 1978, WISN-FM carried an automated beautiful music format. It played quarter-hour sweeps of mostly instrumental music, with some Broadway and Hollywood show tunes. Its longtime easy listening rival was 94.1 WTMJ-FM, owned by the Milwaukee Journal.
Rock (1978-1983) In January 1978, the station flipped to album oriented rock (AOR) as WLPX. It used consultant Lee Abrams' "SuperStars" format. The formula for the station was to play only the biggest rock stars and concentrate on their best selling albums.
The station became an immediate success in the ratings. WLPX pushed rival 98.3 WZMF to tighten its format, and later drop it altogether for beautiful music. WLPX also sponsored future NASCAR driver Alan Kulwicki on local racetracks.
Top 40 (1983-1985) In the summer of 1983, WLPX abruptly switched to Top 40 (CHR), first as 97X, then shortly after as WBTT, B-97. WBTT was an affiliate of Dan Ingram's Top 40 Satellite Survey for a short period of time. The Top 40 hits only lasted two years.
Adult contemporary (1985-2004) Soft adult contemporary became the format in April 1985. The station became "Light 97" with the call letters WLTQ. The station's disc jockeys often appeared on WISN-TV in various roles, including hosting a telethon and doing remote broadcasts. They were also seen on programs involving the Wisconsin Lottery.
WLTQ featured the popular syndicated call-in and request show Delilah in the evening shift.
The station enjoyed high ratings through the late 1980s, 90s and early 2000s, particularly in the "at-work" audience. But by 2003, WLTQ's ratings started dropping. The station's "Light" image turned many younger listeners away.
Classic Rock and Adult Hits (2004-2010) On September 17, 2004, at Noon, "Light 97.3" signed off with "We Said Hello, Goodbye" by Phil Collins. WLTQ then began stunting, playing songs with the words "air" or "America" in the title, telling people "Milwaukee will be TALKing about 97.3." It also aired clips of Al Franken, telling listeners to tune in the following Monday at 6 a.m. Station management played into rumors of conversion of the station into a progressive talk outlet, using Air America-based shows. That network was already carried by WLTQ's sister station in Madison, WXXM 92.1 FM.
When the new format was revealed, it turned out the station was adopting a 1980s-based Classic rock format. It called itself 97.3 The Brew, launching with "(You Can Still) Rock in America" by Night Ranger. The call sign was changed to WQBW to match the "Brew" branding. The station's initial slogan was "Rock of the '80s and More". The slogan eventually changed to "The Biggest Variety of Rock Hits". The television ads and billboard advertisements featured an obese shirtless man named "Dancin' Kevin" based on an imaging campaign at WLUP-FM in Chicago. The station's personalities were mainly voicetracked from other markets.