Smooth Jazz is back on the air in Milwaukee on new FM translator signal W273DQ/102.5 (Milwaukee) and its originating station, WJTI/1460 (West Allis).
WJTI’s former “Caliente” format continues to air on W250BN/97.9 (West Allis-Milwaukee). As noted an an FCC Monitor report here last month, W250BN’s programming now originates on a subchannel of Audacy’s WMYX/99.1.
Both FM translators broadcast from downtown Milwaukee, with W250BN using 250 Watts and W273DQ using 99 Watts. W273BQ was granted during the AM Revitalization window and is required to relay WJTI, while W250BN has no such requirement.
DX-midAMerica and Radio/DX Information from Wisconsin noted that W273DQ signed on in mid-December, with it and WJTI carrying Christmas music until launching the Smooth Jazz format after Christmas. It appears the new format does not have an online presence as of yet.
WJTI, W250BN, and W273DQ are owned by El Sol Broadcasting.
Smooth Jazz has not been heard in Milwaukee since 2010, when it was dropped by the former WJZX/106.9 (Brookfield). The format has declined nationally and is no longer heard on any major FM signals, with a Wikipedia list showing just over a dozen small stations carrying the format.
The 102.5 frequency has an interesting recent history. In 2010, W273AT began transmitting on 102.5 from Milwaukee, relaying WNOV/860. However, it was forced off the air by interference complaints from WNWC-FM/102.5 (Madison); since then, the FCC has made it more difficult to force a translator off the air by interference complaints.
(WNOV has been heard on W293CX/106.5 since 2017.)
More recently, 102.5 was used by an unlicensed station that has switched to an online operation.