WTKM-FM
WTKM-FM is a Class A FM station. It has an effective radiated power of 5,800 watts. The transmitter is on West Waterford Road in Hartford, shared with its sister station, WPTT 1540 AM.
History
WTKM-FM signed on the air on October 1, 1973 . This was made possible when another station, WTTN-FM in Watertown (now WJJO), moved from 104.7 to 94.1 FM. That allowed WTKM to apply for an FM license on 104.9 MHz to simulcast 1540 AM, which is a daytimer station, required to go off the air at night. WTKM-FM's signal mostly covers the northwestern portion of Milwaukee and its suburbs.
WTKM-AM-FM played mostly polka music for many years. The Milwaukee area has a number of residents who trace their histories to Poland and other Eastern European countries where polka music is popular. For many years, WTKM-AM-FM were the only radio stations in the U.S. with a full-time polka format. The stations had a fiercely loyal listener base where some fans built special antennas just to receive their signal.
In 2007, WTKM 1540 and WTKM-FM 104.9 split their programming. The AM station began airing oldies. WTKM-FM later began playing classic country music. Polka music is no longer programmed on the stations.
References
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for WTKM-FM". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ Radio-Locator.com/WTKM
- ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1977 page C-232. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
- ^ "Hartford's WTKM is a broadcasting throwback". OnMilwaukee.com. 4 December 2009. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
External links
- WTKM Website
- Facility details for Facility ID 34303 (WTKM-FM) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- WTKM-FM in Nielsen Audio's FM station database