WHIT

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This article is about radio station WHIT. For the radio station formerly known as "WHIT", see WCSY (AM). For other uses, see Whit.

WHIT
Frequency1550 kHz
Branding97.7 The Farm
Programming
FormatClassic country
Ownership
OwnerMid-West Family Broadcasting
WJJO, WJQM, WLMV, WMGN, WOZN, WRIS-FM, WWQM-FM
History
First air date
August 12, 1964
Former call signs
WMAD (1964–1977)
WWQM (1977–1982)
WHIT (1982–2001)
WTUX (2001–2009)
Call sign meaning
HIT Radio (previous format)
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID19622
ClassD
Power5,000 watts (daytime only)
Translator97.7 W249DH (Madison)
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen Live!
Websitethefarmwi.com

WHIT (1550 AM) is a radio station based in Madison, Wisconsin and broadcasting a classic country format. The station is owned by Mid-West Family Broadcasting.

History

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WHIT began broadcasting in 1948, licensed to Madison and operating with a daytime power of 5,000 watts.[2] In its early decades, the station was known for its "Full Service" and "Middle of the Road" (MOR) music approach, often branding itself as a station for "Good Music" to distinguish it from the emerging rock and roll stations in the market.[3]

By the 1970s, WHIT transitioned to a country music format, which remained its primary identity for nearly two decades.[4] The station was a prominent local affiliate for Nashville-based programming and live country music news.[5] In the mid-1990s, the station experimented with various formats, including oldies and adult standards, as listener habits shifted toward the FM dial.[6]

By the late 1990s/early 2000s, the station was airing an all-sports format known as "The Team."

In 2001, the station turned to an adult standards format as WTUX ("The Tux"), affiliated with the Music of Your Life, Jones Standards and Dial Global America's Best Music networks. On January 19, 2009, the station dropped adult standards and switched back to an automated oldies format, readopting the WHIT legacy call sign and focusing on music from the 1950s and 1960s. (As part of WHIT's flip, another Mid-West Family station in Michigan that had the WHIT call sign was assigned the WSCY calls to match its FM simulcast station.) WHIT played oldies on an automated basis until joining the nationally distributed True Oldies Channel on November 14, 2011.[7]

On December 6, 2013, WHIT changed their format from oldies to classic country, branded as "Hank on AM 1550".[8]

On October 8, 2020, WHIT relaunched as "97.7 The Farm", retaining the classic country format, but with enhanced farm news coverage from Pam Jahnke’s "Mid-West Farm Report" daily from 5–6am. Jahnke and Josh Scramlin have additional news updates and features all day on The Farm.[9]

Previous logos

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(WHIT's logo under previous oldies format) (WHIT's logo under previous "Hank" branding)

References

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  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WHIT". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ "WHIT Facility Record". Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
  3. ^ "Broadcasting Yearbook 1950" (PDF). World Radio History. 1950. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
  4. ^ "Radio & Records: October 19, 1979" (PDF). World Radio History. October 19, 1979. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
  5. ^ "WHIT Call Sign History". FCC Media Bureau. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
  6. ^ "The M Street Journal: January 1996" (PDF). World Radio History. January 1996. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
  7. ^ Source: Angelfire Radio DX Wisconsin website (11/14/2011)
  8. ^ "True Oldies Leaves for Hank in Madison".
  9. ^ Mid-West Family Has A Farm In M-A-D-I-S-O-N Radioinsight - October 8, 2020
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43°00′08″N 89°23′13″W / 43.00222°N 89.38694°W / 43.00222; -89.38694