# WMGS

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Radio station in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, United States

WMGS Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania United States Broadcast area Scranton–Wilkes-Barre Northeastern Pennsylvania Frequency 92.9 MHz Branding Magic 93 Programming Format Adult contemporary Affiliations Westwood One Ownership Owner Cumulus Media (Radio License Holding CBC, LLC) Sister stations WBHT, WBSX, WSJR/WBHD History First air date 1946 (1946) Former call signs WYZZ (1946–1985) Call sign meaning "Magic" Technical information[1] Licensing authority FCC Facility ID 70880 Class B ERP 5,300 watts HAAT 422 meters (1,385 ft) Transmitter coordinates 41°10′56.3″N 75°52′20.7″W / 41.182306°N 75.872417°W / 41.182306; -75.872417 (WMGS) Links Public license information Public file LMS Webcast Listen live Website www.magic93fm.com

**WMGS** (92.9 [FM](/source/FM_broadcasting), "Magic 93") is a commercial [radio station](/source/Radio_station) licensed to [Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania](/source/Wilkes-Barre%2C_Pennsylvania), United States. It is owned by [Cumulus Media](/source/Cumulus_Media), through licensee Radio License Holding CBC, LLC. It broadcasts an [adult contemporary](/source/Adult_contemporary) radio format, with studios and offices on Baltimore Drive in Wilkes-Barre.

WMGS's transmitter tower is sited on top of [Penobscot Knob](/source/Penobscot_Knob) near [Mountain Top](/source/Mountain_Top%2C_Pennsylvania).[2]

## History

### WYZZ

The station signed on the air in 1946 as the first FM station in [Northeast Pennsylvania](/source/Northeast_Pennsylvania).[3] ([WKRZ](/source/WKRZ), then WBRE-FM, got its start in 1947 and [WGGY](/source/WGGY), then WGBI-FM, in 1948.) The original call sign on 92.9 was WIZZ, but those call letters switched to WYZZ a short time later. It was owned by Dick Evans, Sr., with the license held by the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Pittston Broadcasting Company. The studios were at 225 South Main Street in Wilkes-Barre.

By the 1960s, the station was known as "Whiz Radio". It had a broad based [adult standards](/source/Adult_standards) format, playing music from the 1930s, 1940s, early 1950s, along with [middle of the road](/source/Middle_of_the_road_(music)) (MOR) titles and limited amounts of [soft adult contemporary](/source/Soft_adult_contemporary) hits from the late 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Core artists included [Frank Sinatra](/source/Frank_Sinatra), [Barbra Streisand](/source/Barbra_Streisand), [Neil Diamond](/source/Neil_Diamond), [Peggy Lee](/source/Peggy_Lee), [Nat "King" Cole](/source/Nat_%22King%22_Cole), [Ray Charles](/source/Ray_Charles), [Harry James](/source/Harry_James), [Ella Fitzgerald](/source/Ella_Fitzgerald), softer [Elvis Presley](/source/Elvis_Presley), [Tony Bennett](/source/Tony_Bennett), [Tommy Dorsey](/source/Tommy_Dorsey), [Lettermen](/source/Lettermen), [Doris Day](/source/Doris_Day), [Carpenters](/source/The_Carpenters), [Jack Jones](/source/Jack_Jones_(singer)), [Kay Starr](/source/Kay_Starr) and [Frankie Laine](/source/Frankie_Laine). The station aired this format from Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 12 p.m., 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., and from midnight to 6 a.m. It switched to [classical music](/source/Classical_music) Monday through Saturday 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. to midnight. On Sundays, there was specialty programming such as a [Polka music](/source/Polka_music) show, [Irish](/source/Music_of_Ireland) music program and a [Big Band](/source/Big_Band) show.

WYZZ was the sixth FM station in the United States to broadcast in [FM stereo](/source/FM_stereo). During the 1960s it was also one of the first stations to broadcast live stereo remotes, the Wyoming Valley Oratorio Society and the Northeast Pennsylvania Philharmonic. If the station did not broadcast the local classical organizations live, they recorded them and played them back at a future date. WYZZ was an experimental testing ground for several developments in the art of FM radio. WYZZ was put on the air with the assistance of Major [Edwin Armstrong](/source/Edwin_Armstrong), a pioneer in developing FM radio. The station was part of his FM network. One of the first [vertically polarized](/source/Vertical_polarization) antennas was installed there along with a transit radio service and multiplex subcarriers. In later years, the stations experimented with [Dolby](/source/Dolby) noise reduction and [quadraphonic stereo](/source/Quadraphonic_stereo) broadcasting. During its classical programming, it turned off all processing, instead using competent board operators to ride gain.

In 1972, during [Hurricane Agnes](/source/Hurricane_Agnes), WYZZ was the only Northeast Pennsylvania radio station to remain on the air and deliver vital information to the public, thanks to having its own generators and microwave STL, with both its studio and transmitter located high out of the flood area.

### WMGS

The station was sold to [Susquehanna Broadcasting](/source/Susquehanna_Broadcasting) the spring of 1985. The sale only included the transmitter and license. The building, music library, and licensing rights to the "Whiz Radio" unit were retained by Dick Evans Sr. The station went [silent](/source/Dark_(broadcasting)) at 11:59 p.m. on March 12, 1985, as the ownership changed.

WMGS *Magic 93* debuted the next morning on March 12 at 6 a.m. It began playing [adult contemporary music](/source/Adult_contemporary_music). Core artists included [Billy Joel](/source/Billy_Joel), [Madonna](/source/Madonna), [The Beatles](/source/The_Beatles), [Carly Simon](/source/Carly_Simon), [Hall and Oates](/source/Hall_and_Oates), [Carole King](/source/Carole_King), [James Taylor](/source/James_Taylor), [Phil Collins](/source/Phil_Collins), [Stevie Wonder](/source/Stevie_Wonder), [Kenny Loggins](/source/Kenny_Loggins), [Elton John](/source/Elton_John) and [Diana Ross](/source/Diana_Ross) & [The Supremes](/source/The_Supremes). The station played a mix of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s titles with a few current songs each hour. In the 1990s artists like [Mariah Carey](/source/Mariah_Carey), [Hootie & The Blowfish](/source/Hootie_%26_The_Blowfish), [Janet Jackson](/source/Janet_Jackson), [Lionel Richie](/source/Lionel_Richie), [Celine Dion](/source/Celine_Dion) and [Sheryl Crow](/source/Sheryl_Crow) were added. The station targeted adult women, especially at work.

In 1997, WMGS, and [sister station](/source/Sister_station) [WARM](/source/WARM_(AM)) were sold to [Citadel Broadcasting](/source/Citadel_Broadcasting). Magic 93's AC format continued, though the station updated its [playlist](/source/Playlist) to titles from 1980 to the current day, with an occasional 1970s hit. Citadel merged with [Cumulus Media](/source/Cumulus_Media) on September 16, 2011.[4]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FCC-LMS-70880_1-0)** ["Facility Technical Data for WMGS"](https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/public/tv/publicFacilityTechDetails.html?facilityId=70880). *Licensing and Management System*. [Federal Communications Commission](/source/Federal_Communications_Commission).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["FM Query Results for WGMS"](https://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?call=WMGS). *fcc.gov*. [Federal Communications Commission](/source/Federal_Communications_Commission). Retrieved September 24, 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** *[Broadcasting Yearbook](/source/Broadcasting_%26_Cable) 1950* [page 265](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1950/RADIO%20&%20TV%20ALL%20YB%201950%20B&W-11.pdf). Retrieved December 18, 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-abj-citadelcumulus_4-0)** ["Cumulus now owns Citadel Broadcasting"](http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2011/09/16/cumulus-now-owns-citadel-broadcasting.html). *Atlanta Business Journal*. September 16, 2011. Retrieved September 16, 2011.

## External links

- [Official website](http://www.magic93fm.com)

- [Facility details for Facility ID 70880 (WMGS)](https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/public/tv/publicFacilityDetails.html?facilityId=70880) in the [FCC](/source/Federal_Communications_Commission) Licensing and Management System

- [WMGS](https://www1.arbitron.com/sip/displaySip.do?surveyID=SP26&band=fm&callLetter=WMGS) in [Nielsen Audio](/source/Nielsen_Audio)'s FM station database

v t e Radio stations in Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and the Wyoming Valley By AM frequency 590 630 730 750 910 980 1240 1300 1340 1400 1440 1460 1490 1550 1590 1640 By FM frequency 88.1 88.3 88.5 89.1 89.9 90.7 90.9 91.3 91.5 91.7 92.1 92.9 93.7 94.3 95.7 97.1 97.9 98.5 99.5 100.1 101.3 102.3 103.1 103.5 104.9 105.9 106.9 107.7 Translators 88.9 92.5 94.9 95.3 96.1 W241AZ W241BB 99.5 100.3 100.5 100.7 101.7 102.7 104.3 104.5 105.5 106.1 106.9 107.3 107.9 NOAA Weather Radio frequency 162.55 Digital radio by frequency & subchannel 89.9-1 89.9-2 89.9-3 98.5-1 98.5-2 98.5-3 101.3-1 102.3-1 102.3-2 103.1-1 103.1-2 104.9-1 104.9-2 104.9-3 106.9-1 106.9-2 106.9-3 106.9-4 By call sign W205AG W223CC W235AA W237DP W241AZ W241BB W258DJ W262AI W263AL W264CP W269CF W274AO W282BK W283BE W288DF W291AP W295CV W297AF W300BT WAAF WARM WAZL WBHT WBHD WBSX WBYH WCDJ WCDL WCLH WEJL WEZX HD2 HD3 HD4 WFUZ WGGY WGMA WGMF WGMM WICK WILK WILK-FM HD2 WITK WKRZ HD2 HD3 WLGD WLKA WLMZ WLMZ-FM HD2 WMGS WMMZ WPAU WPNX700 WPSN WPZX WQFM WQFN WRGN WRKC WSJR WTRW WUSR WVIA-FM HD2 HD3 WVMW-FM WWRR HD2 HD3 WXL43 WYCK WZZH Defunct WDAZ WFTE (90.3 FM) WIAM WTHT/WHZN (1300 AM) Nearby regions Allentown-Bethlehem Binghamton East Central Pennsylvania Elmira-Corning Stroudsburg Sussex Williamsport See also List of radio stations in Pennsylvania

v t e Adult contemporary radio stations in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Allentown WLEV Altoona WALY Bedford WAYC Boalsburg WZWW Bradford WESB Chambersburg WIKZ Cresson WBRX Curwensville WOKW Erie WXKC Gettysburg WGET Hanover WHVR Harrisburg WNNK-FM Indiana WQMU Johnstown WKYE Lewistown WMRF-FM WKVA Milford WYNY Philadelphia WBEB WTDY-FM Pittsburgh WLTJ WSHH Port Allegany WHKS Punxsutawney WPXZ-FM Pottsville WPPA Reading WRFY-FM Reynoldsville/DuBois WDSN Sayre WATS Scottdale WLSW Starview/York WPPY Stroudsburg WSBG Tamaqua WMGH-FM Waynesburg WCYJ-FM Wilkes-Barre/Scranton WMGS Williamsport WKSB York WARM-FM See also adult contemporary classic hits college country news/talk NPR oldies religious rock sports top 40 urban other radio stations in Pennsylvania

v t e Cumulus Media AM radio stations KAAY KABC KAOK KARN KBOI KCMO KCSF KCUB KESP KFAY KFOG KFRU KKAT KKOB KKOH KLIF KLIK KMAJ KMJ KNBR KNML KPUR KSFO KTBL KTCK KTCT KTIK KTOP KTUC KUGN KVOR KWPN KZAC KYNG WAAV WAPI WARM WAYS WBAP WBBF WBBW WCOA WDUZ WEEX WFAS WFNC WFTW WGOC WGOK WGOW WGPC WHGB WHLD WJBC WJCW WJOX WJR WJRW WKY WLBY WLS WMAC WMSP WNAM WNML WOSH WPIC WPRO WPRV WRQX WRIE WSBA WSBN WSKO WTKA WTMA WUMP WVEL WVLK WVNN WWCK WXLM WXNT WXOK WXQW WXSM WYNN FM radio stations K279BI KAMO-FM KARN-FM KARX KATC-FM KATM KATT-FM KAYD-FM KBBM KBBQ-FM KBBY-FM KBCY KBEE KBER KBIU KBOI-FM KBUL-FM KBXR KCDD KCFX KCHZ KCJK KCMO-FM KDJK KDRF KDVV KEHK KENZ KGGO KHAY KHKI KHKK KHOP KHTB KHXS KHYT KIIM-FM KIPR KIZN KJJY KJMO KJOY KKEG KKFM KKGB KKGL KKMG KKND KKOB-FM KKPK KKWD KLAL KLUR KMAJ-FM KMCK-FM KMEZ KMGA KMGV KMJ-FM KMJJ-FM KMJK KNBR-FM KNEK-FM KNEV KNRQ KNSH KOBQ KOLI KOMS KOQL KPLA KPLX KPUR-FM KQFC KQHN KQIZ-FM KQLK KQRS-FM KQSM-FM KQXC-FM KQXL-FM KQXY-FM KRBE KRMD-FM KRMW KRRQ KRST KRUZ KSAN KSCS KSKS KSMB KSZR KTCK-FM KTCX KTLT KTOP-FM KUBL-FM KUJZ KURB KVMA-FM KVYB KWIC KWIN KWNN KWQW KWYE KWYL KXKC KXXR KYIS KYKZ KYYI KZEL-FM KZJF KZRK-FM WABD WAOA-FM WAQX-FM WARM-FM WBAP-FM WBHD WBHT WBLX-FM WBNQ WBSX WBWN WBZE WBZF WCMG WCTO WDAI WDEN-FM WDLT-FM WDUZ-FM WDVD WDZZ-FM WEAN-FM WEAS-FM WEDG WEMX WFBE WFMS WFTK WFYR WGFX WGKX WGLF WGLO WGNI WGOW-FM WGRF WGRR WGVX WHBX WHHY-FM WHKR WHNN WHOT-FM WHRP WHTS WHTT-FM WILZ WIOG WIOV-FM WIVK-FM WIWF WIXO WIXV WJCL-FM WJEZ WJJK WJOX-FM WJQX WJTQ WKDF WKHX-FM WKIM WKKO WKLQ WKOR-FM WKOS WKQX WKQZ WKRU WKSM WKXS-FM WLAV-FM WLCS WLEV WLFF WLLF WLS-FM WLTO WLUP WLWI-FM WLXC WLXX WLZN WMAL-FM WMDH-FM WMEZ WMGB WMGL WMGS WMGU WMIM WMNX WMOS¹ WMXS WMXT WMXU WNCV WNDX WNKT WNML-FM WNMQ WNNF WNNK-FM WNNX WNTQ WNTR WODE-FM WOFX-FM WOGB WOGT WOKI WOMG WORC-FM WPEZ WPKR WPRO-FM WQGN-FM WQHZ WQKL WQLH WQPD WQQK WQQO WQSM WQUT WQXA-FM WQXK WRBO WRCQ WRKN WROK-FM WRQN WRQQ WRRM WRRX WSEA WSJR WSKZ WSM-FM WSMS WSOX WSSX-FM WSYN WTCB WTNR WTPA-FM WTYB WUHT WVBO WVIB WVLK-FM WVNN-FM WWCK-FM WWFF-FM WWFN-FM WWFX WWIZ WWKI WWKL WWKX WWLD WWLI WWLS-FM WWWM-FM WWQQ-FM WWSN WWTN WWWQ WWWW-FM WWWX WWWZ WWYY WXBM-FM WXFX WXKC WXKR WXKR-HD2/W264AK WXLO WXMX WXTA WXZZ WYFM WYNN-FM WYZB WZNS WZPL WZPW WZRH WZRR WZYP Radio networks Arkansas Radio Network Titans Radio Network v t e Westwood One Programming News and talk America in The Morning America's Most Wanted The Ben Shapiro Show The Chris Plante Show The Clark Howard Show First Light The Jonathon Brandmeier Show The Larry Kudlow Show The Mark Levin Show Real Estate Today Red Eye Radio The Todd and Tyler Radio Empire Music and entertainment American Country Countdown Backtrax USA The Bob & Tom Show Country Gold Elwood Blues's BluesMobile Cafe Mocha1 Flashback/Flashback Pop Quiz The John Tesh Radio Show The Kidd Kraddick Morning Show Loveline The Countdown/The Urban AC Countdown/Gospel Traxx Zach Sang Show Radio networks Adult Contemporary Adult Standards Classic Country Classic hip-hop Classic Hits - Rock Classic Rock CNBC Business Radio1 CNN News Wire1 Hot AC Hot Country Jack FM Lite AC Nash Icon Real Country The Touch Westwood One Sports1 Defunct Good Time Oldies Mainstream Country NBC Sports Radio1 Westwood One News See also Cumulus Media Networks Satellite Music Network Westwood One (1976–2011) 1 = Distribution only; produced by another company. Last Bastion Station Trust** KOKY KPZK-FM Online assets Country Weekly Forerunner companies Citadel Broadcasting Cumulus Media Networks Susquehanna Radio Corporation ** Last Bastion is a divestiture trust, with stations de facto managed by Cumulus.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [WMGS](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WMGS) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WMGS?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.