WEMP-FM (1962–1981) On November 1, 1962, the station
signed on as WEMP-FM, owned by the Milwaukee Broadcasting Company. At first, the station
simulcast co-owned AM sister station
WEMP, but by the late 1960s, WEMP-FM was airing its own programming for about half of its broadcast day. In
1970, the station flipped to its own full-time format: "WNUW Stereo FM", first with Drake's Chenault's
automated Hitparade and then to their Solid Gold
oldies format. Then it tried an
Adult Top 40 format, followed by
album-oriented rock known as "X-Rock 99". Later, it switched to
easy listening music. On October 31,
1978, the station flipped to "Disco 99" and played all-
disco music. WNUW was the first disco station in Milwaukee, pre-dating
WLUM's launch into the format four months later in February 1979. WNUW's run as a disco outlet lasted less than 10 months. Afterward, it became known as "Music FM 99" again, this time with a disco-leaning Top 40 hits format.
Adult contemporary (1981–1998) In 1981, the station switched to
AC with the
call sign WMYX using the moniker "99 WMYX The Mix". During the 1980s and the 1990s, WMYX's
playlist featured a mixture of
Hot AC,
Soft AC and dance/pop songs. During the 1996 and 1997
NFL seasons when the
Green Bay Packers went to the
Super Bowl, the station gained fame when morning hosts Dan Weber and Jane Matenaer recorded parody songs with Packer and football themes. The most famous was the "Packarena" (parody of
Los Del Rio's "
Macarena"). The song was played heavily on the station during the 1996 season. For the 1997 season, Dan & Jane recorded a parody of "Wannabe" by the
Spice Girls under the name "Packer Wannabe". Cassette tapes were sold of the songs at various southeast Wisconsin locations with proceeds going to the Child Abuse Prevention Fund.
Hot adult contemporary (1998–present) When sister station WAMG switched to Top 40 and became
WXSS in June
1998, WMYX evolved into a standard
Hot AC format with a more focused playlist. In September
2004, longtime morning co-host Dan Weber was replaced with WXSS morning hosts Michael Knight and Rahny Taylor in an airstaff shakeup. Jane Matenaer remained on board with Knight and Taylor. At the same time, longtime afternoon host Mark Richards was replaced by crosstown
WKTI-FM evening host Kidd O'Shea. Taylor returned to WXSS soon after. Knight was let go due to differences with management, and Kidd O'Shea was promoted from Afternoon
drive time to Mornings. The "Jane & Kidd In The Morning Show" won the
2006 AIR Award for favorite Milwaukee morning radio show. On May 15, 2009, longtime co-host Jane Matenaer was released from WMYX. Soon after, Elizabeth Kay, who had sometimes filled in for Matenaer when she was gone, joined Kidd O'Shea for the morning show. The show was known as "Kidd and Elizabeth in the Morning". Later, Tony "Radar" Hess was hired to replace Kidd O'Shea, with the show renamed "Elizabeth and Radar". ==Christmas music==