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WMGE

Dry Branch, Georgia
Broadcast area	Macon, Georgia
Frequency	1670 kHz
Branding	Macon's BIN 1670
Programming
Format	Black-oriented news
Affiliations	Black Information Network
Ownership
Owner	iHeartMedia (iHM Licenses, LLC)
Sister stations	WIBB-FM WIHB WIHB-FM WQBZ WRBV
History
First air date	May 1998 (26 years ago) (1998-05)
Former call signs	WAXP (1998) WNML (1998–1999) WRNC (1999–2003) WMWR (2003–2006) WVVM (2006–2009) WFSM (2009–2010) WPLA (2010–2016)
Technical information
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	87110
Class	B
Power	10,000 watts (day) 1,000 watts (night)
Transmitter coordinates	32°48′16″N 83°36′16″W / 32.80444°N 83.60444°W / 32.80444; -83.60444
Links
Public license information	Public file LMS
Webcast	Listen live
Website	macon.binnews.com

WMGE (1670 AM) is a radio station broadcasting an African American-oriented all-news format from the Black Information Network. Licensed to Dry Branch, Georgia, United States, the station serves the Macon area during the day and the southeast United States at night. The station is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc.

History

WMGE originated as the expanded band "twin" of an existing station on the standard AM band.

In 1967 a new station in Warner Robins began broadcasting as WRBN on 1600 kHz. On March 17, 1997, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that 88 stations had been given permission to move to newly available "Expanded Band" transmitting frequencies, ranging from 1610 to 1700 kHz, with now-WRCC authorized to move from 1600 to 1670 kHz.

A construction permit for the expanded band station was assigned the call sign WAXP on March 6, 1998. An FCC policy stated that both the original station and its expanded band counterpart could operate simultaneously for up to five years, after which owners would have to turn in one of the two licenses, depending on whether they preferred the new assignment or elected to remain on the original frequency. It was ultimately decided to transfer full operations to the expanded band station, so on January 10, 2002, the license for the original station at 1600 AM, at this point holding the call sign WAXP, was cancelled.

The call letters for the new expanded band station on 1670 AM were changed from WAXP to WNML on July 1, 1998, to WRNC on March 1, 1999, to WMWR on November 17, 2003, to WVVM on February 21, 2006, to WFSM on March 2, 2009, to WPLA on October 14, 2010, and to WMGE on December 14, 2016.

On June 29, 2020, fifteen iHeart stations in markets with large African American populations, including WMGE, began stunting with African American speeches, interspersed with messages such as "Our Voices Will Be Heard" and "Our side of the story is about to be told," with a new format slated to launch on June 30. That day, WMGE, along with the other fourteen stations, became the launch stations for the Black Information Network, an African American-oriented all-news network. Prior to the change, WMGE was a Fox Sports Radio affiliate.

Previous logo

Logo as a Fox Sports Radio affiliate

References

1. "Facility Technical Data for WMGE". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
2. "WMGE Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
3. ^ "FCC Public Notice: Mass Media Bureau Announces Revised AM Expanded Band Allotment Plan and Filing Window for Eligible Stations" (FCC DA 97-537), March 17, 1997.
4. ^ "WMGE Call Sign History". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
5. FCC Station Search Details: DWAXP (Facility ID: 65042)
6. ^ Fifteen iHeartMedia Stations Stunting Ahead Of New Network Launch
7. "Several iHeartMedia Stations Stunting With Speeches, New Format To Be Announced Tomorrow". All Access. June 29, 2020. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
8. "iHeartMedia Debuts All-News BIN: Black Information Network". All Access. June 30, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2020.

External links

• Official website
• Facility details for Facility ID 87110 (WMGE) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
• WMGE in Nielsen Audio's AM station database
• FCC History Cards for operation on 1600 AM (covering 1961-1981 as WRBN / WQCK)

• Radio stations in Georgia (U.S. state)
• IHeartMedia radio stations
• Radio stations established in 1998
• 1998 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)
• Black Information Network stations
• All-news radio stations in the United States