May 1922 — The Milwaukee Journal sponsored its first radio program on Milwaukee’s first radio station, WAAK, which was owned by the Gimbel Bros. Department Store.
May 1925 —The facilities of Marquette University radio station WHAD moved into the brand new Milwaukee Journal building on 4th and State. Remote broadcast facilities were located on the roof of the Wisconsin Ballroom, in the Milwaukee Athletic Club, in the Eagles Club, in the Milwaukee Auditorium and in Washington Park.
January 1927 — The NBC “Victor Hour,” starring Will Rogers, was broadcast from WHAD’s studio’s in the Milwaukee Journal building. It was the first local broadcast of a network program.
April 1927 — The Milwaukee Journal bought radio station WKAF and built a new transmitter in Brookfield.
June 1927 — The Federal Radio Commission assigned the call letters WTMJ, to stand for “The Milwaukee Journal.”
(Photo courtesy State Historical Society of Wisconsin.)
July 25, 1927 — WTMJ Radio went on the air, at 1020 on the AM dial. The first broadcast featured music by the WTMJ Orchestra and included a remote broadcast from a popular Milwaukee dance spot featuring Bill Carlsen’s orchestra. Carlsen was later hired by WTMJ and went on to become Wisconsin’s most widely known radio and television weather forecaster.
October 1927 — WTMJ broadcast its first University of Wisconsin football game.
(Photo courtesy State Historical Society of Wisconsin.)
October 1927 — WTMJ was the first radio station in the nation to air “participating programs,” in which the station controlled the content of a program that was sponsored by more than one advertiser. This innovative concept introduced the spot announcement to the broadcasting industry.
(Photo courtesy State Historical Society of Wisconsin.)
November 1927 — The Federal Radio Commission moved WTMJ to 570 on the AM dial, forcing it to share broadcast time with WHAD. The Journal filed an immediate appeal, which took 13 months to resolve.
February 1928 — WTMJ began broadcasting “The Lutheran Hour” on Sunday mornings. It still runs today, making it the longest continuously running radio program in Wisconsin and one of the longest continuously running religious radio programs in the country.
October 1928 —The Federal Radio Commission reassigned WTMJ to 620 on the AM dial. Listeners began encountering interference from radio stations that shared the frequency in other parts of the country . WTMJ engineers solved the problem by developing directional radio signals, a system that’s still being used throughout the nation.
January 1929 — WTMJ broadcast its first University of Wisconsin basketball game.
November 1929 — WTMJ broadcast its first Green Bay Packers game.
1932 — “What’s New,” a show devoted to the interests of women, went on the air. It ran for more than 30 years.
January 1933 — WTMJ’s studios on the second floor of the Milwaukee Journal building opened to live audiences for the first time.
August 1936 — WTMJ expanded and completely rebuilt its studios with state-of-the-art equipment.
1939 — Gordon Thomas, a Milwaukee favorite, began hosting the successful “Top of the Morning” program. He would be WTMJ’s morning host until 1961.
September 1941 — In a special ceremony, the governor, mayor and other dignitaries helped WTMJ executives lay the cornerstone for WTMJ’s new Radio City building at Capitol Drive and Humbolt. It was the first building in the nation constructed exclusively for radio and television broadcasts. WTMJ-TV would not go on the air until 1947.
August 1942 — Radio City opened for business, when WTMJ broadcast for the first time from its brand new studios.
1947 — “Invitation to Beauty,” a Sunday morning easy listening music program, began on WTMJ. It ran until September 2000.
April 1950 — Gordon Hinkley joined WTMJ, and became one of Milwaukee’s most beloved radio personalities. Although he began cutting back his work schedule on his 65th birthday in 1990, Gordon would not retire until November 2001. He was Wisconsin’s first inductee into the national Radio Hall of Fame.
1952 — Gordon Hinkley is named host of “Invitation to Beauty,” a position he held until his semi-retirement led to the show’s cancellation in September 2000.
April 1953 — WTMJ began broadcasting Milwaukee Braves games.
September 1961 — Gordon Hinkley was named host of “Top of the Morning,” replacing Gordon Thomas. Hinkley was WTMJ’s morning host for 23 years.
September 1961 — The wildly popular “Ask Your Neighbor” listener participation show began on WTMJ. It would stay on the air until early 1995, hosted throughout its entire run by Gordon Hinkley.
May 1964 — Jack Baker joined WTMJ. He would host a popular nighttime sports talk show, and would host the Sunday morning “Sunday Soundstage” dance band program until his retirement in September 2000. Jack Baker passed away in the spring of 2002.
1966 — WTMJ manager George Comte predicted that one day, Americans would receive audio, video and data from devices that would be known as “home computers.”
April 1966 — WTMJ began airborne traffic reports from the WTMJ “safetycopter” high above Milwaukee. WTMJ traffic reporters would begin doing their updates from airplanes in November 1967.
1968 — WTMJ began broadcasting Milwaukee Bucks games.
June 1969 — Jim Irwin joined WTMJ. Irwin, a ten-time winner of the Wisconsin Sportscaster of the Year Award, broadcast Milwaukee Brewers, Milwaukee Bucks and University of Wisconsin Badgers games at various times during his career. He also anchored sportscasts on WTMJ’s morning shows. But he is best known as the “Voice of the Green Bay Packers.” Irwin started on Packers broadcasts as color analyst in 1969. He took over the play-by-play role in 1975. He was joined by color analyst Max McGee in 1979, and by analyst Larry McCarren in 1995. “Jim and Max,” as they are affectionately remembered, retired at the end of the 1998 Packers season. Irwin left WTMJ in July 1999 and retired to southern California. He still participates in “Wisconsin’s Morning News” sportscasts from his home each Tuesday and Thursday morning.
June 1969 — Jonathan Green joined WTMJ. Jonathan is the beloved long-time host of “The Green House” afternoon program on WTMJ. “The Green House” began as a music program, but evolved into a news and information show at about the time of the Persian Gulf War. It evolved yet again in the mid 1990s into the unique news program that it is today. News anchor Jon Byman and sports anchor Bill Michaels report the events of the day, then Jonathan uses his everyman skepticism to lead the conversation in new and more informative directions. WTMJ listeners consistently say that Jonathan asks the questions they would ask if they were in the room.
1971 — WTMJ began broadcasting Milwaukee Brewers games.
August 1974 — WTMJ began broadcasting 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
August 1976 — After broadcasting from an auditorium, then a studio that looked like a drive-in restaurant, WTMJ began broadcasting its annual Wisconsin State Fair broadcasts from a state-of-the-art facility in a newly constructed Journal Communications building at State Fair Park.
1985 — Robb Edwards was named WTMJ morning show host, a position he would hold until January 2001.
September 1988 — WTMJ was awarded the National Association of Broadcasters Crystal Radio Award for its devotion to public service in Southeastern Wisconsin.
January 1994 — Charlie Sykes joined WTMJ. “Midday with Charlie Sykes” is Wisconsin’s most provocative, insightful radio talk show. But Charlie’s talents extend well beyond radio. He has been a reporter for the Milwaukee Journal, editor-in-chief of Milwaukee Magazine, a lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and a special assistant to the county executive. Charlie also has authored several books, appeared on national television, spoken at major universities, and won several awards. He also hosts “Sunday Insight With Charles Sykes” on TODAY’S TMJ4.
June 1997 — Mark Reardon joined WTMJ. Mark hosts Sunday’s “Wisconsin’s Weekend Morning News,” the weeknight “Mark Reardon Show,” and is the regular fill-in host for “Wisconsin’s Morning News” and “The Green House.”
August 1997 — Gordon Hinkley was inducted into the national Radio Hall of Fame, Wisconsin’s first broadcaster to be so honored.
August 1998 — Jeff Wagner joined WTMJ. A former federal prosecutor, Jeff uses his midday talk show to expose injustice and protect the interests of the people of Southeastern Wisconsin.
August 1999 — Wayne Larivee joined WTMJ as the new “Voice of the Green Bay Packers.” Wayne saw the light and came to Newsradio 620 WTMJ’s Packers Radio Network from Chicago, where he was the longtime play-by-play announcer for the hated Chicago Bears. Before that, he handled play-by-play duties on the Kansas City Chiefs Radio Network. In July 2002 Wayne was also named principal morning sports anchor on WTMJ.
September 2000 — The new state-of-the-art “WTMJ Chevrolet Road Show” mobile broadcast vehicle debuted. It allows WTMJ to broadcast from the scenes of major events throughout Wisconsin. WTMJ was the first radio station in Wisconsin to have a mobile transmitter, “The Milwaukee Journal Radio Car,” in 1927.
The employees of the Journal Broadcast Group, Inc., own 36 radio stations and five television stations in 11 states.
The Journal Broadcast Group, Inc., is one of seven companies of Milwaukee-based employee-owned Journal Communications.
Another company publishes the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the successor to the newspaper that once owned Newsradio 620 WTMJ.
September 2000 — WTMJ received radio’s highest honor, the National Association of Broadcasters Marconi Award for News/Talk/Sports Station of the Year.
January 2001 — Jon Belmont joined WTMJ as the station’s new morning host. Jon was a correspondent for ABC News before moving to Milwaukee. In his 19 years with ABC News Radio, Jon held down the anchor chair for hour after hour of live coverage on such major stories as the 2000 presidential election, the Clinton impeachment trial, the JFK Jr. plane crash and the allied attacks on Iraq and Yugoslavia. He also reported from the scenes of dozens of major stories including the Elian Gonzalez vigil, the Alaska Airlines crash off southern California, the TWA 800 disaster, the OJ Simpson trial, Florida wildfires, the Northridge earthquake near Los Angeles and the Midwest’s Great Flood of ’93. From 1998 until he left ABC News Radio in January 2001 to become host of Newsradio 620 WTMJ’s “Wisconsin’s Morning News,” Jon anchored the ABC News CustomCast each weekday afternoon on WTMJ’s “The Green House” with Jonathan Green. Jon left WTMJ in May 2004 to accept a position with AP Network News, the Associated Press’ radio news network, in Washington.
August 2001 — Bob Uecker, the longtime “Voice of the Milwaukee Brewers” on Newsradio 620 WTMJ, was inducted into the national Radio Hall of Fame. Affectionately known to millions around the country as “Mr. Baseball,” Bob joined WTMJ’s Gordon Hinkley as Wisconsin’s only Hall of Fame inductees.
July 2002 — WTMJ celebrated its 75th anniversary with a series of on-air vignettes highlighting its long, rich tradition of public service and entertainment.
March 2003 — Bob Uecker, the longtime “Voice of the Milwaukee Brewers” on Newsradio 620 WTMJ, was named to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Bob was the 2003 recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award for “major contributions to baseball broadcasting.”
June 2003 — WTMJ received the nation’s most prestigious broadcast journalism award, the 2003 Edward R. Murrow Award for Overall Excellence. WTMJ’s award was in the large market radio division, which includes station’s in the nation’s 50 largest markets. The Edward R. Murrow Award for Overall Excellence recognizes outstanding achievement in electronic journalism. Judges examine the depth and scope of a station’s news organization, evaluate its overall news philosophy and conduct a comprehensive review of its newscasts and other on-air reporting. The Edward R. Murrow Award is administered by the Radio-Television News Directors Association, the world’s largest professional organization devoted exclusively to electronic journalism.
October 2003 — For the second time in three years, WTMJ received radio’s highest honor, the National Association of Broadcasters Marconi Award for News/Talk/Sports Station of the Year.
April 2004 — News Director / Assistant Program Director Dan Shelley was elected chairman-elect of the Radio-Television News Directors Association, the world’s largest professional organization devoted exclusively to electronic journalism. Dan’s election was a three-year commitment — the first as RTNDA chairman-elect, the second as RTNDA chairman and the third as chairman of the Radio and Television News Directors Foundation. RTNDF is the education and scholarship arm of RTNDA.
August 2004 — Ken Herrera was named host of “Wisconsin’s Morning News.” Herrera came to WTMJ from WBBM Radio in Chicago, where he anchored either morning or afternoon newscasts for six years. His career also included stints as morning news anchor for the NBC Radio Network, anchor for AP Network News, anchor for the UPI Radio Network and positions at major radio stations in Detroit, Los Angeles and his native Texas. In 1994, Herrera was listed in “Who’s Who in Hispanic America.”
October 2004 — For the third time in four years, WTMJ received radio’s highest honor, the National Association of Broadcasters Marconi Award for Station of the Year.
April 2005 — News Director / Assistant Program Director Dan Shelley ascended to the office of chairman of the Radio-Television News Directors Association, the world’s largest professional organization devoted exclusively to electronic journalism. Dan was the third WTMJ news director to lead RTNDA. The first was WTMJ’s founding news director, Jack Krueger, in 1958. The second was Wayne Godsey in 1982.
June 2007 — Gene Mueller moves from his long career at 94.5 WKTI to Newsradio 620 WTMJ where he joins John Jagler on Wisconsin’s Morning News.
July 2014 — Journal Communications and the E.W. Scripps Company announce merger, separating WTMJ stations (WTMJ, WTMJ-TV, and WKTI-FM) from the Journal Sentinel.
December 2016 — After nearly 25 years, Charlie Sykes hosts his final show on December 26th, citing the candidacy and Presidency of Donald Trump as one factor that led him to step away from conservative radio. In an Op-Ed piece in the New York Times, Sykes cited political tribalism, social media hate and a “deeply compromised” conservative movement as reasons he decided to step away.
July 2018 — Scripps announces its departure from radio, eventually leading to the sale of WTMJ and WKTI to Good Karma Brands.
November 2018 — Sale of WTMJ and WKTI is finalized, officially splitting the station from its official ties to TMJ4. They remain trusted partners in the news business, serving the community by sharing information across platforms.
October 2021 — WTMJ’s radio agreement with the Green Bay Packers expires, marking the end of the station’s tenure broadcasting professional football games.
January 2022 — Vince Vitrano is named host of Wisconsin’s Morning News. Vitrano, who had been a reporter and morning news anchor at TMJ4 in Milwaukee since January 2000, succeeded Gene Mueller as the host of WTMJ’s morning show. Mueller announced his retirement in 2021 after a decade in the host chair.
September 2022 — WTMJ moves out of Radio City into Good Karma Brands’ new Downtown Milwaukee headquarters and studios at the 3rd St. Market Hall, where 620 and its sister stations, ESPN Milwaukee and 101.7 The Truth, broadcast daily from studios viewable to fans and community members at the Market Hall.
April 2023 — WTMJ is named a recipient of the 2023 National Association of Broadcasters Crystal Award for excellence in community service. The annual award is presented to stations across the country, in markets of all sizes, that display a dedication to serving their local community both on, and off, the air.
December 2023 — Jeff Wagner retires after 25 years on the air. Click here to watch/listen/learn more about his final broadcast.
February 2024 — WTMJ announces plans for a format shift. The station moves away from a traditional news/talk split format to focus on local news programming.
