Another one bites the dust

[Scholarm1111]

If we are losing WMCS as an urban station, this one truly breaks my heart.  I have been listening to 1290 since the mid-1980s. It was so community-focused and such a terrific station and still played music in the evenings and weekends. As they are keeping a few employees, I am curious what they are planning, are they just dropping talk or all programming targeted to the Black community?

http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/tvradio/owners-of-wmcsam-drop-africanamericancentric-format-pb8uhmu-193437551.html

[Scholarm1111]

Maybe it will be mainstream oldies with a blues show.

So nice of them to give the local community a warning, following the Soul 730 model, no warning, no chance for a protest or community mobilization. WMCS was live and local in most dayparts on weekdays and weekends with many DJs who had been on the station the better part of 20 years or more, what an anomaly it was.

[Scholarm1111]

I also like how the ownership said in the article that they would let the longtime DJs/hosts say goodbye on the station website, but now the website is just an "under construction" page     That wasn't much of a window to say goodbye.

[urban]

This is terrible!!! When I lived in Milwaukee, 1290 was by far the best station.  It's sound wasn't influenced by what's happening in today's radio landscape.  Unless you live in the deep South, you don't hear Blues/Southern Soul music on the radio.  The talk programs provided an alternative to the "other view" that's predominant in talk radio.  The playlist was deeper than most Urban AC stations.  This totally sucks!!!  I will miss this station.

[only1moore]

Well folks, you can add WMCS to the list of urban AMs that have gone to that transmitter in the sky...

http://radioinsight.com/blog/headlines/81094/milwaukee-makes-a-martini/

[Scholarm1111]

R.I.P. WMCS/WMVP 1290, a truly great station.  At least I have my archives.

I never thought long-time owner Willie Davis would let this happen.

[Scholarm1111]

Ernie G's final show on WMCS Milwaukee, Feb. 23, 2013
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVb8pkTPVKk

More WMVP/WMCS 1290 airchecks on the Milwaukee page on my site.

[Scholarm1111]

2 more WMCS airchecks, 1 from 1999 and 1 from 2004 were donated to my page and have been posted. Airchecks of WMVP/WMCS from about 1988 - February 2013 are up there. The station had an amazing consistency to its sound the past several years even as it shifted to primarily talk with music in the evenings and weekends.

http://www.mostlyuppermidwestairchecks.com/milwaukee-wi-airchecks.html