Milwaukee Radio: Saga's WRXS Now Airing Oldies Format

A 1950s and 1960s pop-music oldies music format on Thursday replaced urban-oriented contemporary hits “Energy 106.9” on a Milwaukee radio station owned by Saga Communications Inc., reports The Milwaukee Business-Journal.

Since 2012, WNRG 106.9 FM ran a so-called rhythmic format that included contemporary hits, dance club music and hip-hop. The new format consists of music “you heard first on your transistor radio” from the 1950s and 1960s and the station’s new call letters are WRXS-FM.

“Milwaukee’s Pure Oldies 106.9” is playing hits from artists including The Supremes, The Beatles, Temptations, Dave Clark Five, Buddy Holly, Sam Cooke, The Rolling Stones, Beach Boys, Four Tops, Mamas & Papas and Elvis Presley.

“The 60’s will always be remembered as an important decade of change, in society, in fashion, in our culture, and in the music – from iconic 50’s artists who popularized rock & roll, to the British Invasion, Motown, Pop, Doo-Wop, and Top 40 hits that were fun and upbeat," Bob Bellini, vice president and general manager of Saga’s (Nasdaq: SGA) Milwaukee Radio Group, said in a press release. "Pure Oldies 106.9 is Milwaukee’s new home for those great songs and artists that dominated the charts."

The station will target “a vast audience of listeners who have been underserved by formats that have forgotten this ‘golden era’ of music,” according to the release.

Milwaukee Radio Group said the music on 106.9 FM complements the classic rock heard on the company’s WKLH 96.5 FM in Milwaukee.

One existing Milwaukee station already plays pop hits of the 1960s and 1970s: “The Fonz FM,” which is owned by the Milwaukee Radio Alliance. The station airs on 100.3 FM and 1290 AM in Milwaukee and 107.3 FM in Racine.

iHeart Media owns WRIT The Big 95.7, which focuses primarily on hits from the 1980s.