WIAL

For the airport in Wellington, New Zealand, assigned ICAO code WIAL, see Wellington International Airport.
WIAL
City Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Branding I-94
Slogan "today's variety"
Frequency 94.1 FM (MHz)
Format Commercial; Hot Adult Contemporary
ERP 84,000 watts
HAAT 107 meters
Class C1
Owner Mid-West Family Broadcasting
(Mid-West Management, Inc.)
Webcast Listen Live
Website www.i94online.com

WIAL (94.1 FM) is a radio station in the Eau Claire area of Wisconsin, with its studio/offices located in Altoona, Wisconsin. Its transmitter is located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

History

WIAL began as an easy listening station, similar to "The Wonderful WAIL" (WAYL, now KXXR) in Minneapolis. On November 1, 1982, WIAL switched formats to become Top 40 (CHR), in the wake of the transition of pop/rock formats from AM to FM stations, and debuted the name "I-94" after Interstate 94 which runs along the south and west side of Eau Claire. It currently airs a Hot Adult Contemporary format, with George House, Matt Malone, and Sue Kelly("George, Matt & Sue") mornings, Sue Kelly middays, Matt Malone afternoons, and Luc Anthony evenings.

WIAL was sold to Midwest Family Communications in 1991 along with sister WEAQ-AM. In 1993 Midwest Family purchased WECL-FM. Then the stations were sold to Central Communications (consisting of WAXX-FM & WAYY-AM) in 1996, and moved to the Central studios in Altoona, WI. The five stations, along with new sister stations WDRK-FM, were sold to Maverick Media, LLC, in 2003. In 2013, Mid-West Family Broadcasting Inc re-purchased WIAL (along with WEAQ-AM).

WIAL switched to a Hot Adult Contemporary format in March, 2003, and unveiled its current logo soon after. In 2005, the station shifted to a mainstream Adult Contemporary format. On August 17, 2012, the station returned to a Hot AC format.

WIAL and its Eau Claire sister stations, along with Maverick Media's Rockford, Illinois stations, were sold to Mid-West Family Broadcasting for $15.5 million. The purchase of the Eau Claire stations was consummated on October 1, 2013, while the Rockford station purchases were consummated on June 1, 2014.

Coordinates: 44°49′48″N 91°26′49″W / 44.830°N 91.447°W / 44.830; -91.447


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