Christian broadcaster WRVM, Inc. has made a deal to purchase two radio station in Merrill from Quicksilver Broadcasting. Quicksilver has owned WJMT AM and WMZK FM for the last 16 years. WRVM, based in Suring, Wis., plans to convert the stations to non-commercial, educational satellite stations of its main station in Suring. The formats would change to Christian broadcasting; WMZK (Z104) currently carries a Classic Rock format, while WJMT (The Patriot) carries Classic Country.
Applications related to the sale are currently being processed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and Quicksilver Broadcasting co-owner Mel Winters said he expects the deal to go through by the end of the year.
The Quicksilver owners, who live in California, felt it was time to sell the stations in Merrill, Winters said.
“It’s difficult to operate as absentee owners,” he said. “This is simply a business transaction.”
WJMT will be the first AM station for WRVM, which currently owns five full-power FM stations and numerous FM translators in northeastern Wisconsin and Upper Michigan. Among them is WHJL/88.1, based in Merrill.