WIRX (107.1 FM) is a

mainstream rock Mainstream rock (also known as heritage rock) is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations in the United States and Canada. Format background Mainstream rock stations represent a cross between classic rock, active rock and alternativ ...

radio station owned by

Mid-West Family Broadcasting Mid-West Family Broadcasting is an independently owned broadcasting company based in Madison, Wisconsin. The company owns and manages radio stations in Madison, Wisconsin, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, La Crosse, Wisconsin, Benton Harbor/St. Joseph, Mich ...

located in

Benton Harbor, Michigan Benton Harbor is a city in Berrien County, Michigan, Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is 46 miles southwest of Kalamazoo, Michigan, Kalamazoo and 71 miles southwest of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Grand Rapids. According to the 2020 2 ...

. The station's city of license is St. Joseph, Michigan broadcasting in HD from a tower at the edge of Benton Township, Michigan. Its programming is also simulcast to the South Bend–Mishawaka metropolitan area on WYRX-FM (94.3) in

Plymouth, Indiana Plymouth is a city and the county seat of Marshall County, Indiana, United States. The population is 10,214 in the 2020 census. Plymouth was the site of the first retail outlet of defunct U.S. retailer Montgomery Ward in 1926. History Earl ...

History

According to the "History of 107.1 FM St. Joseph",History of 107.1 FM St. Joseph - ROCK 107 WIRX Website, Retrieved January 1, 201

/ref> the 107.1 frequency was started as a music outlet to sister station WQYQ, WSJM in 1964 by

(MWF), which is based in Madison, Wisconsin. WSJM-FM began broadcasting in stereo on 107.1

MHz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), often described as being equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose formal expression in terms of SI base u ...

in 1965 and regularly provided stereo remote broadcasts by the Twin Cities Symphony and other events. In 1969, the station changed its call letters to WIRX and switched to a completely jockless, automated Country format, tagged "WIRX Country". In 1979, WYRX introduced an AOR/

Top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is a list of the 40 currently most popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "To ...

("Rock 40") format as "Rock 107 WIRX, The Music Works", playing artists from both the current and past years of rock. The station switched its format slightly to a more AC-leaning rock format and was rebranded as "Magic 107 WIRX" with Jim Gifford and The Champions of Breakfast as the morning show. WIRX-FM

WIRX returned to "Rock 107 WIRX" in 1991 and began running a mainstream rock format which it continues to do to this day. Former program directors include Jim Gifford, Shelley Morgan, and Robb Rose. The station is managed on a local level to this day, much as it was when it first came on the air. On January 6, 2025, Mid-West Family Broadcasting began simulcasting to the South Bend–Mishawaka metropolitan area on WYRX-FM (94.3) in

, which had previously offered a

classic rock Classic rock is a radio format that developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, it comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the early-1990s, primarily focusing on comm ...

format. WIRX is an affiliate of the weekly syndicated

Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experiments ...

show "

Floydian Slip ''Floydian Slip'' is a weekly, one-hour syndicated radio program produced by Random Precision Media LLC (RPM), exclusively devoted to the music and history of the British rock band Pink Floyd. The show has an affiliate base of around one hundred ...

Morning shows

The station has had several morning shows over the last decade. Hosts have included John Jay with Brother Phil, the syndicated ''

Free Beer and Hot Wings ''The Free Beer and Hot Wings Show'' is a syndicated morning talk radio show broadcast primarily from the Townsquare Media radio station WGRD-FM in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The show is hosted by Gregg "Free Beer" Daniels, Chris "Hot Wings" Michel ...

'', The Jason Lee show featuring Hunter, Rex Charger, and the "Plan B Morning Show" with Brock Havens. When the station began simulcasting on WYRX-FM in 2025, WIRX began airing the syndicated ''

Bob & Tom Show ''The Bob & Tom Show'' is a syndicated US radio program established by Bob Kevoian and Tom Griswold at radio station WFBQ in Indianapolis, Indiana, March 7, 1983, and syndicated nationally since January 6, 1995. Originally syndicated by Premi ...

'', which WYRX (as WZOC) had already been airing in South Bend.

References

External links

Mid-West Family BroadcastingWSJM, Inc. / Mid-West Family Broadcasting in Michigan's Great Southwest
* {{coord, 42.072, N, 86.371, W, type:landmark_region:US_source:FCC, display=title IRX Mainstream rock radio stations in the United States Radio stations established in 1965 1965 establishments in Michigan St. Joseph, Michigan