WRRD

WRRD (1510 AM) is a radio station licensed to Waukesha and serving the Milwaukee area. The station currently airs a progressive talk format as of February 1, 2017.[1]

WRRD
CityWaukesha, Wisconsin
Broadcast areaMilwaukee, Wisconsin
Frequency1510 AM kHz
BrandingTalk 101.7
SloganIndependent News Talk Radio
Programming
FormatProgressive talk
Ownership
OwnerMichael Crute
(New WRRD, LLC)
History
First air dateMarch 27, 1947 (as WAUX)
Former call signsWAUX (1947-1965)
WAUK (1965-2008)
Call sign meaningThe WoRRD (from 540's former religious-based ownership and format under Salem Communications);
also backronymed to represent Resistance RaDio
Technical information
Facility ID70771
ClassD
Power23,000 watts (Daytime)
20,000 watts (Critical hours)
Transmitter coordinates43.1°N 88.11°W / 43.1; -88.11
Translator(s)101.7 W269DL (Milwaukee)
Repeater(s)WTTN
Links
WebcastListen Live
Websitetalk1017fm.com

The station is currently owned by Michael Crute (a co-host of one of the programs on station), through licensee New WRRD, LLC. WRRD has an FM translator W269DL (101.7 MHz), which transmits from the WITI TV Tower in Shorewood.

History

The 1510 AM frequency originally signed on as WAUX and later was the original home of the WAUK call sign until February 12, 2008. They had been a sports talk station since the early 1990s and the previous home of ESPN Radio. Prior to sports the station had a smorgasbord of formats, including variations of adult contemporary, country music, and talk. WAUK was also the original sister station of Waukesha-licensed WMIL-FM (106.1), which launched as WAUX-FM and later became WAUK-FM before a sale to another party in the late 1970s.

WRRD is limited to operating between sunrise and sunset. As a result, the station leased time from WMCS to carry the full ESPN Radio schedule between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. for several years.

That arrangement ended after Good Karma Broadcasting moved the WAUK sports format to its new, full-time frequency of 540 kHz, the former home of Salem Broadcasting religious outlet WRRD. The WRRD calls then migrated to the 1510 kHz frequency.

On May 2, 2008, WRRD switched from English-language sports radio to be an affiliate of ESPN Deportes, a new Spanish-language sports talk and play-by-play network.

On January 31, 2017, The Devil's Advocates Radio (Devil's Advocates Radio Network Wisconsin) announced plans to purchase WRRD and to change the format to progressive talk, branded as "News Talk 1510" and as "WRRD Resistance Radio". The format change was implemented February 1 of that year.[2][3]

Good Karma Broadcasting sold WRRD to New WRRD, LLC effective June 1, 2017 for $760,000. According to www.stationsale.com, WRRD is currently for sale, as of July 2018.[4]

On November 13, 2019, WRRD rebranded as "Talk 101.7" with the sign-on of W269DL 101.7 FM.[5]

References
  1. JS Online: Spanish-only on AM-1510
  2. Madison Host to Purchase Milwaukee AM, Flip to Liberal Talk Radioinsight - January 27, 2017
  3. Can Liberal Talk Survive In Trump’s America? Radio Ink, January 31, 2017.
  4. https://stationsale.com/wrrd-translator-cp-w269dl-milwaukee-wisconsin/
  5. New Milwaukee Signs On with Liberal Talk
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