Madison Radio: Progressive Talk 'Strong' For WXXM-FM

From New York to Los Angeles and just about everywhere in between, progressive voices have been silenced as one station after another has dropped the format.

Among the shrinking list of survivors is WXXM The Mic 92.1 FM in Madison, which is in its 11th year of operation.

“There are pockets of the country where progressive radio is still strong, still a viable format,” Tim Scott, senior vice president of programming for iHeart Media Madison told madison.com. “And Madison is one of those. We are truly a success story when it comes to this format.”

After surviving the rise and fall of Air America and the departure of many of the format’s most popular personalities, Scott believes the station is positioned to serve Dane County’s thriving progressive community for years to come as a vital part of iHeart’s portfolio of six stations.

According to the most recent Nielsen ratings, The Mic ranks 11th out of 16 commercial stations measured in the Madison market, and fifth among the iHeart stations, which also include N/T WIBA 1310 AM, Classic Rock WIBA 101.5 FM, Country WMAD 96.3 FM, Sports WTSO 1070 AM and Top40 WZEE 104.1 FM.

WXXM 92.3 FM (3.7 Kw) Red=60dBu Local Coverage Area

Mitch Henck

“We look at all the stations in the cluster, and they all have to perform,” Scott said. “The Mic is a solid performer for us, and we look for many more years of success. The most important numbers are listener support and from a business standpoint that’s very strong."

The lineup of local shows will be boosted March 23 with the return to the air of Mitch Henck, who spent 12 years with WIBA-AM before being laid off last June. His new show will run 8-11 a.m. weekdays, requiring that national stalwarts Miller and Hartmann be shifted to tape delay.

Henck is hoping to syndicate his show around the state, necessitating the morning time slot, Scott said.

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