WBMI
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| City | West Branch, Michigan |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | [1] |
| Branding | Classic Hit Country 105-5 |
| Frequency | 105.5 MHz |
| Format | Classic country |
| ERP | 6,000 watts |
| HAAT | 91 meters (299 ft) |
| Class | A |
| Facility ID | 29288 |
| Callsign meaning | West Branch Michigan |
| Affiliations | Michigan Radio Network |
| Owner | CF Broadcasting, LLC |
| Website | wbmiradio.com |
WBMI is an American radio station, licensed to West Branch, Michigan, the seat of government for Ogemaw County. The station broadcasts at the assigned frequency of 105.5 MHz with an erp of 6,000 watts.
The call letters WBMI first were used by a station in Meriden, Connecticut. That station has been WKSS since 1977 and has had a Top-40 format since 1984.
WBMI of West Branch, Michigan was the FM sister station of WBMB-AM, which first signed on the air June 7, 1972 at 1060 kHz with 1,000 watts output power, from transmitter facilities at 1245 Gray Road in West Branch. The construction permit for WBMB was first granted January 12, 1968, but encountered a delay due to a competing application from another applicant in August of that same year. Construction resumed in July 1971, after Ogemaw Broadcasting Company ultimately prevailed in legal proceedings.
The station was owned by Ogemaw Broadcasting Company, with studios located at 206 W. Houghton Avenue in West Branch. Gene Kauffman, an Escanaba resident, was the president and general manager. The station was owned by Jack E. (Gene) Kauffman, Dean W. Manley and Robert Marshall. Manley was the chief engineer who designed and built the station, Marshall was owner and publisher of the Ogemaw County Herald. Kauffman and Manley were each 25% owners and Marshall 50%.
WBMB was a daytime-only AM station for its entire existence. In 1977, Ogemaw Broadcasting Company was granted a construction permit to put WBMI on the air, under Ogemaw Broadcasting's ownership. Studios and offices were then moved down the street to 714 W. Houghton Avenue. WBMI signed on the air in 1980.
WBMB and WBMI were a typical small-market radio station of their time, with few employees working shared duties, world and national news provided by Westwood One, and a mass appeal format of adult contemporary and oldies music on WBMB, with WBMI leaning more of a Top 40 sound. The two stations for a time, simulcast programming as WBMB was not able to provide listeners with local radio service at night.
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