NEENAH-MENASHA — After 78 years on the airwaves, WNAM 1280 AM will sign off for the final time at the end of the year.
According to a news release, the station will cease broadcasting at midnight on Wednesday, Dec. 31. Management cited economic realities and changing listener habits as the primary reasons for the difficult decision to shut down the station, which first began broadcasting on March 23, 1947.
Throughout its nearly eight decades in operation, WNAM served as a local source for music, news, and weather coverage. The station’s departure marks the end of a long-standing legacy in the regional media landscape where it functioned as a connection point for generations of listeners and local businesses.
While the 1280 AM frequency will go silent, some programming will transition to other platforms. Coverage of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, a longtime staple of the station’s sports lineup, will move to sister station WOSH 1490 AM.
Station officials expressed gratitude to the listeners, advertisers, and employees who supported the broadcaster since its mid-century debut. The station intends to spend its final days on the air honoring its history and its role as a beacon of local broadcasting before the permanent sign-off.
