WMGM-FM (New York City)
{{Short description|Radio station in New York City (1942–1955)}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox radio station
|name=WMGM-FM
|city=New York City
|frequency={{frequency|100.3|MHz}}
|owner=Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
|sister_stations=WMGM
|licensee=Loew's, Inc.
|airdate={{start date and age|1942|6|1}}
|last_airdate={{end date and age|1955|2}}
|former_callsigns={{ubl|W63NY (1942–1943)|WHNF (1943–1946)}}
|former_frequencies=46.3 MHz (1941–1945)
}}
WMGM-FM was a radio station in New York City, broadcasting on 100.3 MHz. It was owned by Loew's, Inc., a subsidiary of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio alongside radio station WMGM, which was previously WHN. One of New York's earliest FM outlets, WMGM-FM broadcast from 1942 to 1955.
History
File:Radio Station W63NY, New York City, advertisement (May 25, 1942).gif
In May 1940, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced the establishment, effective January 1, 1941, of an FM radio band operating on 40 channels spanning 42–50 MHz.[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiug.30112059131711&view=1up&seq=767 "FCC Order No. 67"] Federal Register, May 25, 1940, page 2011. The first fifteen commercial FM station construction permits were issued on October 31, 1940, including four to New York City applicants. The Marcus Lowe Booking Agency was authorized for a station at 46.3 MHz,[https://archive.org/display/broadcasting19unse/page/n1074/mode/1up "New FM Call Letters Proposed"], Broadcasting, November 15, 1940, page 77. which debuted on June 1, 1942, as the fourth FM broadcaster in New York City, with the call sign W63NY. The original call sign policy for commercial FM stations included an initial "W" for stations located east of the Mississippi River, followed by the last two digits of a station's frequency assignment, "63" in this case, and closing with a one or two character regional identifier, which for New York City-area stations was "NY".
The transmitter was located in Palisades Park in New Jersey, opposite Grant's Tomb, and the station broadcast seven hours a day of programs, mixing recorded classical and semi-classical music with AM station WHN's baseball coverage and occasional musical programs from the WHN studios.{{cite news|work=New York Times|date=May 31, 1942|page=X10|title=Current Events in FM|first=T.R.|last=Kennedy Jr.}} Effective November 1, 1943, the FCC modified its policy for FM callsigns,[https://books.google.com/books?id=mwwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT6 "Standard Broadcast Station Call Letters for All Outlets Starting Nov. 1, FCC Rule"], The Billboard, September 4, 1943, page 7. and the call sign was changed to WHNF, reflecting its co-ownership with WHN.{{cite news|url=https://archive.org/details/broadcasting25unse/page/n882/mode/1up|work=Broadcasting|date=October 4, 1943|title=New Calls Named For FM Stations|page=49|access-date=June 29, 2020}}
The FM broadcasting band was relocated from 42–50 MHz to 88–108 MHz in late 1945. WHNF went off the air on December 1 in order to conduct its move to the new frequency of 100.3 MHz.{{cite news|page=15|work=New York Times|title=WHNF Goes Off Air Tomorrow|date=November 30, 1945}} By this time, the station aired no live musical programs whatsoever.{{cite news|url=https://archive.org/details/broadcasting292unse/page/n808/mode/1up|access-date=June 29, 2020|date=November 26, 1945|work=Broadcasting|pages=17, 87|title=Petrillo Extending Union AM-FM Band}} The station was still off air at the start of 1946.{{cite news|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1946/1946-01-14-BC.pdf#page=91|page=91|access-date=June 29, 2020|work=Broadcasting|date=January 14, 1946|title=New York FM Stations Rapidly Shifting To Assignments In Other Channels}} Several months later, on April 18, WHNF changed its callsign to WMGM.{{cite news|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1946/1946-04-22-BC.pdf#page=95|access-date=June 29, 2020|date=April 22, 1946|work=Broadcasting|title=For the Record|page=93}} The new designation, recognizing the ownership of the stations by the studio through Loew's, was then adopted in September 1948 by the AM outlet, at which time WMGM became WMGM-FM.{{cite news|work=New York Times|title=The News of Radio: WHN to Change Name to WMGM When It Moves to New Quarters in September|page=42|date=July 20, 1948}} The station spent another month off air in January 1947 to install a new antenna.{{cite news|work=New York Times|date=December 29, 1946|first=Sidney|last=Lohman|title=One Thing and Another|page=47}} Few people listened, even among the scant 3 percent of metropolitan area residents who had an FM receiver, as WMGM placed last in a Pulse ratings survey of New York FM listeners with a 2.3 share.{{cite news|work=New York Times|first=Jack|last=Gould|title=Metropolitan Area Poll Finds 3 Per Cent of Radio Owners Have FM Receivers|date=August 5, 1947|page=46}}
In 1950, the station did have one star performer in its lineup. Jack Eigen, who later hosted an eponymous television show on the DuMont Television Network, was a disc jockey for WMGM AM and FM, with the midnight to 1 a.m. hour airing exclusively on FM.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/54437516/|first=Jack|last=O'Brian|agency=International News Service|title=Radio Roundup|date=May 18, 1950|work=Cumberland Evening Times|page=25}} The show originated from the Copacabana.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/54437571/|access-date=June 29, 2020|date=January 29, 1950|work=Sunday News|title=Looking & Listening|page=12|first=Ben|last=Gross}}
WMGM-FM continued to operate until around February 1955, when the station surrendered its license to the FCC. It was evidently a decision the company soon regretted, as in 1958, WMGM Broadcasting Corporation filed for a construction permit for 100.3 MHz.{{Cite news|url=https://archive.org/details/broadcastingtele54unse_0/page/n1265/mode/1up|title=For the Record|work=Broadcasting|date=June 9, 1958|access-date=June 29, 2020|page=106}} However, a competing applicant was in the way: the Newark Broadcasting Company, owner of WVNJ (620 AM) across the river in Newark, New Jersey. The FCC ruled in 1959 to award the station to Newark, stating that a second Class B FM station for that city was more desirable and equitable than a 14th such service for New York City.{{cite web|url=https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc177308/m1/669/?q=%22WMGM+Broadcasting%22|date=October 7, 1959|access-date=June 29, 2020|title=(29 FCC 621) Initial Decision|work=Federal Communications Commission}} This cleared the way for the current 100.3 license, today's WHTZ, to begin as WVNJ-FM on June 1, 1961.{{cite news|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1968/1968-BC-YB.pdf#page=253|access-date=July 1, 2020|date=1968|work=Broadcasting Yearbook|page=B-105 (253)|title=WVNJ-FM}}