# WNAM

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Radio station in Neenah-Menasha, Wisconsin, United States

WNAM Currently silent Neenah-Menasha, Wisconsin United States Broadcast area Appleton-Oshkosh Frequency 1280 kHz Branding 1280 WNAM Programming Format Soft oldies; adult standards Affiliations America's Best Music ABC News Radio Ownership Owner Cumulus Media (Cumulus Licensing LLC) Sister stations WOSH WPKR WVBO WWWX History First air date May 23, 1947; 79 years ago (1947-05-23) Call sign meaning "Neenah and Menasha" Technical information[1] Licensing authority FCC Facility ID 50053 Class B Power 5,000 watts Links Public license information Public file LMS Webcast Listen live Listen live (via iHeartRadio) Website www.1280wnam.com

**WNAM** (1280 [AM](/source/AM_broadcasting)) is a [commercial radio](/source/Commercial_radio) station [licensed](/source/City_of_license) to [Neenah](/source/Neenah%2C_Wisconsin)-[Menasha, Wisconsin](/source/Menasha%2C_Wisconsin), that serves the [Appleton](/source/Appleton%2C_Wisconsin)-[Oshkosh](/source/Oshkosh%2C_Wisconsin) [radio market](/source/Media_market). The station is owned by [Cumulus Media](/source/Cumulus_Media). Since December 31, 2025, the station is silent.

WNAM formerly used the "[America's Best Music](/source/America's_Best_Music)" [radio format](/source/Radio_format) supplied by co-owned [Westwood One](/source/Westwood_One), that combines soft [oldies](/source/Oldies) with a few [adult standards](/source/Adult_standards) and [middle of the road](/source/Middle_of_the_road_(music)) songs each hour. The station also carried [Wisconsin Timber Rattlers](/source/Wisconsin_Timber_Rattlers) baseball. Most hours began with [ABC News Radio](/source/ABC_News_Radio).

## History

The station [signed on](/source/Sign-on) the air on May 23, 1947, with 1,000 watts of power.[2] WNAM was owned by Neenah-Menasha Broadcasting Company, with studios on Wisconsin Avenue in Neenah. The station was originally a [daytimer](/source/Daytimer), required to go off the air at night, when radio waves travel farther. In the 1960s, the station got authorization from the [Federal Communications Commission](/source/Federal_Communications_Commission) (FCC) to broadcast at night at 1,000 watts, with its daytime power raised to 5,000 watts.

Ron Ross began working at WNAM in 1973 as afternoon host and eventually became program director when WNAM was a [Top 40](/source/Contemporary_hit_radio) radio station. In 1976, Ross was named by *[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))* one of the country's top five Top 40 personalities for markets with fewer than 1 million people. During his time at WNAM, the station achieved a 17.6 [Arbitron](/source/Arbitron) rating.[3]

In the 1990s Value Radio Corp., owner of [WOSH](/source/WOSH), purchased WNAM and [WUSW](/source/WWWX) in [Oshkosh, Wisconsin](/source/Oshkosh%2C_Wisconsin), from Odon Communications Group.[4]

Cumulus Broadcasting already owned WNAM, WOSH, [WVBO](/source/WVBO) and [WWWX](/source/WWWX) when the company bought [WPKR](/source/WPKR) and [WPCK](/source/WPCK) from Midwest Dimensions Inc. in an $8.1 million deal announced July 2, 2003.[5]

"Mad Dog and Merrill" joined WNAM in 2008 for a cooking-related show airing weekdays from 10 to noon.[6]

In 2008, WNAM began carrying [Wisconsin Timber Rattlers](/source/Wisconsin_Timber_Rattlers) baseball games. The station's contract was extended through 2021.[7]

On December 17, 2025 the station announced that after 78 years, it would cease broadcasting at midnight on December 31. The station cited changing listener habits and economics as a reason it was signing off, with Cumulus taking [silent](/source/Dark_(broadcasting)) a number of stations, mainly AM stations without inner-city translators, throughout 2025.[8][9][10]

The station signed off the air at midnight on January 1, 2026, with a special event that would celebrate the station’s history in separate 3-hour blocks on New Years Eve. The last song played was "[We've Got Tonite](/source/We've_Got_Tonite)" by [Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band](/source/Bob_Seger).[11] With the sign-off, [Wisconsin Timber Rattlers](/source/Wisconsin_Timber_Rattlers) games would move to sister station WOSH.[12]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FCC-LMS-50053_1-0)** ["Facility Technical Data for WNAM"](https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/public/tv/publicFacilityTechDetails.html?facilityId=50053). *Licensing and Management System*. [Federal Communications Commission](/source/Federal_Communications_Commission).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [Broadcasting Yearbook 1948 page 256](https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Annuals/Archive-BC-YB-IDX/40s-OCR-YB/1948-YB/1948-BC-YB-OCR-Page-0256.pdf)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Klister, Eric (May 15, 2003). "Play time nearly over for longtime Fox Valley radio fixture". *[The Post-Crescent](/source/The_Post-Crescent)*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Prestegard, Steve (February 4, 1997). "Changes in the air". *Marketplace Magazine*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** "Cumulus buying 2 radio stations in Fox Valley". *[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel](/source/Milwaukee_Journal_Sentinel)*. July 3, 2003.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** "Mad Dog and Merrill return to airwaves". *The Post-Crescent*. April 4, 2008.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Sherry, Mike (March 2, 2016). "Pues named Zephyrs' new football coach". *The Post-Crescent*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["WNAM Says Farewell"](https://www.1280wnam.com/2025/12/17/wnam-says-farewell). *1280WNAM.com*. December 17, 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Cumulus to Shutter WNAM"](https://radioinsight.com/headlines/328097/cumulus-to-shutter-wnam). *RadioInsight*. December 17, 2025. Retrieved December 17, 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Ellis, Jon (December 17, 2025). ["Cumulus to Silence Wisconsin AM Station at End of 2025"](https://northpine.com/2025/12/17/cumulus-to-silence-wisconsin-am-station-at-end-of-2025/). *NorthPine: Upper Midwest Broadcasting*. Retrieved December 18, 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["WNAM Says Farewell"](https://www.1280wnam.com/2025/12/17/wnam-says-farewell/). *WNAM-AM*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** ["TIMBER RATTLERS ON WOSH"](https://www.1490wosh.com/2025/12/17/timber-rattlers-on-wosh/). *WOSH-AM*. Retrieved January 1, 2026.

## External links

- [Official website](http://www.1280wnam.com/)

- [Facility details for Facility ID 50053 (WNAM)](https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/public/tv/publicFacilityDetails.html?facilityId=50053) in the [FCC](/source/Federal_Communications_Commission) Licensing and Management System

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

- [FCC History Cards for WNAM](https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=65701)

v t e Radio stations in Appleton–Oshkosh, Wisconsin (Fox Cities) By AM frequency 690 1050 1150 1170 1450 1490 1520 1570 By FM frequency 88.1 89.3 89.9 90.3 91.1 91.7 91.9 92.9 93.5 94.3 96.9 97.3 97.7 98.5 99.5 100.3 101.1 103.9 104.3 104.7 105.7 107.1 LPFM 101.9 Translators 88.7 93.9 95.3 98.3 99.1 99.9 100.7 101.5 101.7 102.1 103.5 105.1 105.3 106.1 106.3 107.7 107.9 Digital radio by frequency & subchannel 89.3-1 89.3-2 By call sign KFIZ W204BK W230DA W237AA W252DR W256DD W260DL W264CN W268BC W269CJ W271AC W278AU W286DS W287BZ W291CM W292FA W299BW W300CM WAPL WDKV WEMI WFDL WFDL-FM WFON WFZZ WGEE-FM WHBY WHID WIXX WJOK WKZY WNAM WNCY-FM WOCT-LP WOSH WOVM WPKR WPNE HD2 WQLH WRST-FM WSCO WVBO WVCY WVFL WWWX WYDR WZBU WZOS Defunct WHBY (1230 AM) WNAM Nearby regions Green Bay Madison Milwaukee–Racine Sheboygan–Manitowoc Wausau–Stevens Point Wisconsin Dells–Baraboo See also List of radio stations in Wisconsin

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.

[44°06′01″N 88°32′02″W / 44.10028°N 88.53389°W / 44.10028; -88.53389](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=WNAM&params=44_06_01_N_88_32_02_W_type:landmark_region:US)

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