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WPCK (104.9 FM) is a
radio station Radio broadcasting is the broadcasting of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based rad ...
licensed A license (American English) or licence (Commonwealth English) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another part ...
to
Denmark, Wisconsin Denmark is a village in Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 2,408 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Green Bay Metropolitan Statistical Area. The village is located within the town of New Denmark. Denmark began ...
and serving Green Bay. The station is owned and operated by
Educational Media Foundation Educational Media Foundation (formerly EMF Broadcasting, abbreviated EMF) is an American nonprofit Christian media ministry based in Franklin, a suburb of Nashville. EMF is the parent company of K-LOVE and Air1—the world's largest contempor ...
. WPCK's transmitter is located off Finger Road in Montpelier.


History

The station was previously known in the 1970s and 1980s as
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 ...
station WKAU-FM (licensed to Kaukauna), but became
oldies Oldies is a term for musical genres such as pop music, rock and roll, doo-wop, surf music from the second half of the 20th century, specifically from around the mid-1950s to the 1980s, as well as for a radio format playing this music. Since 2 ...
-formatted WKFX by 1990. In an eleven–station channel swap, including moving Sheboygan's 97.7 frequency to
Lomira Lomira is a village in Dodge County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,678 at the 2020 census. The village is located within the Town of Lomira, at the crossroads of State Highways 49, 67 and 175, and Interstate 41. History T ...
, the frequency landed east of Green Bay. On April 10, 1997, an ownership change saw the station become WPCK, simulcasting its Oshkosh sister station
WPKR WPKR (99.5 FM, "99.5 PKR") is a country music radio station licensed to Omro, Wisconsin, that serves the Oshkosh, Appleton and Fond du Lac areas. It started as a simulcast of Green Bay-based country music station WPCK. Since then it has spl ...
("Packer Country", never licensed or sanctioned by the NFL team). Both stations would eventually be acquired by
Cumulus Media Cumulus Media, Inc. is a broadcasting company of the United States and is the second largest owner and operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States ahead of Audacy and behind iHeartMedia iHeartMedia, Inc., or CC Media Holdi ...
, who would break off the simulcast in November 2003, with WPCK keeping a country format but adopting its own identity, "Kicks 104.9." In 2009,
Clear Channel Communications iHeartMedia, Inc., or CC Media Holdings, Inc., is an American mass media corporation headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It is the holding company of iHeartCommunications, Inc., formerly Clear Channel Communications, Inc., a company founded by ...
would acquire WPCK and four other Green Bay area stations owned by Cumulus as part of an ownership swap for two Ohio stations that went from Clear Channel to Cumulus; Cumulus, as part of the deal, continued to operate WPCK; in August 2013, Clear Channel reached a deal to sell its Green Bay stations back to Cumulus. The sale was consummated on December 31, 2013 at a price of $17,636,643. In June 2011, WPCK would reunite with WPKR in a simulcast, branded as "99.5 and 104.9 The Wolf," incorporating new and existing elements from both stations. The "Wolf" branding would give way on May 24, 2013 to the new branding of "Nash FM, 99.5 and 104.9;" WPCK and WPKR were two of six Cumulus country stations to adopt the "Nash FM" branding that day, part of Cumulus' plan to nationally expand its multimedia "Nash FM" country branding, which was launched earlier in 2013 at its
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
station, WNSH. Cumulus Media filed for bankruptcy protection in early 2018. On March 27, 2018, WPCK and three other Cumulus stations ( WTOD/
Toledo, OH Toledo ( ) is a city in Lucas County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the western end of Lake Erie along the Maumee River. Toledo is the fourth-most populous city in Ohio and 86th-most populous city in the United St ...
,
KJMO KJMO (97.5 FM) is a radio station serving Central Missouri with a classic hits music format. This station broadcasts in HD and is under ownership of Cumulus Broadcasting. History , much of the programming featured on KJMO was from Scott Shan ...
/
Jefferson City, MO Jefferson City, informally Jeff City, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital of the U.S. state of Missouri. It had a population of 43,228 at the 2020 United States census, ranking as the List of cities in Missouri, 16th most popu ...
, and WNUQ/
Albany, GA Albany ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. Located on the Flint River, it is the county seat of Dougherty County, Georgia, Dougherty County, and is the sole incorporated city in that county. Located in Southwest Geo ...
) were placed into the Cumulus Reorganization Divestiture Trust for a future sale. KJMO's sister station
KZJF KZJF (104.1 FM) was a radio station that broadcast a classic hits format. Licensed to Jefferson City, Missouri, United States, the station was owned by Cumulus Media. History The station was assigned the call letters KBQF on October 29, 199 ...
's license was surrendered by Cumulus prior to the trust receiving the assets. Shortly after this, the simulcast between WPCK and WPKR was broken. While both stations retained the country format and "Nash FM" branding, the stations began airing separate programming and separate airstaffs. On October 17, 2019, Cumulus announced it would sell WPCK to the
Educational Media Foundation Educational Media Foundation (formerly EMF Broadcasting, abbreviated EMF) is an American nonprofit Christian media ministry based in Franklin, a suburb of Nashville. EMF is the parent company of K-LOVE and Air1—the world's largest contempor ...
, the owner of the
K-Love K-Love (stylized as K-LOVE) is an American Christian radio network. Owned by the Educational Media Foundation (EMF), a non-profit Christian ministry, it primarily broadcasts contemporary Christian music. As of June 2019, the network's progr ...
and
Air1 Air1 is an American Christian radio network owned by the Educational Media Foundation (EMF), a non-profit Christian ministry. It primarily broadcasts contemporary worship music, and is a sister to the EMF's K-Love network. History On July 15, ...
CCM networks, for $512,000. EMF already owns WPFF (90.5) in the market, which carries K-Love; the acquisition of WPCK would possibly allow both networks over-the-air distribution in Green Bay. The station would be converted to a
non-commercial educational station A non-commercial educational station (NCE station) is a radio station or television station that does not accept on-air advertisements (television advertisement, TV ads or radio advertisement, radio ads), as defined in the United States by the Fed ...
as part of the transaction. Ahead of the closure of the sale to EMF, WPCK dropped the country format on November 1 at midnight, and began stunting with
Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...
music as "Christmas 104.9". The stunt lasted until just before Midnight on December 31, 2019, when
Andy Williams Howard Andrew Williams (December 3, 1927 – September 25, 2012) was an American singer. He recorded 43 albums in his career, of which 15 have been gold certified and three platinum certified. He was also nominated for six Grammy Awards. He hos ...
' "
It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" is a popular Christmas song written in 1963 by Edward Pola and George Wyle. It was recorded and released that year by pop singer Andy Williams for his first Christmas album, '' The Andy Williams Christm ...
" led into
Carrie Underwood Carrie Marie Underwood (born March 10, 1983) is an American singer and songwriter. She rose to prominence after winning the fourth season of ''American Idol'' in 2005, returning as a judge beginning with the twenty-third season. Underwood's f ...
's rendition of "
The Star-Spangled Banner "The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written by American lawyer Francis Scott Key on September 14, 1814, after he witnessed the bombardment of Fort ...
" and a farewell message advising listeners to turn to
WPKR WPKR (99.5 FM, "99.5 PKR") is a country music radio station licensed to Omro, Wisconsin, that serves the Oshkosh, Appleton and Fond du Lac areas. It started as a simulcast of Green Bay-based country music station WPCK. Since then it has spl ...
before going silent. On January 8, 2020, WPCK returned to the air with EMF's "K-Love" Contemporary Christian format.K-Love Gets Stronger Green Bay Signal
Upper Midwest Broadcasting - January 8, 2020 It is unknown if EMF has plans to convert WPFF to Air1 and move its market translators to carrying programming among the two networks.


References


External links

* {{coord, 44.488, N, 87.761, W, type:landmark_region:US_source:FCC, display=title Denmark, Wisconsin PCK Educational Media Foundation radio stations K-Love radio stations Contemporary Christian radio stations in the United States