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WOMC is an FM radio station broadcasting on 104.3 in the Detroit, MI, USA area, and licensed to the Detroit suburb of Ferndale, Michigan. It plays music of the 1960s and 1970s and once again is going by the name "Oldies 104.3," recently rebranding from "The Motor City's 104.3" The station is home to Detroit radio legend Dick Purtan, who has hosted WOMC's morning show since 1996 and has signed a new five-year contract to keep him on the airwaves until 2011. Tom Ryan hosts afternoon drive. While the station is sometimes criticized by oldies aficionados for its tight playlist and its reluctance to play music older than 1965 (which is, to be fair, typical of many FM oldies stations), it is usually a top ten-rated station in Detroit and on at least one occasion has made it to #1 overall. Today, WOMC is programmed by legendary Oldies Program Director Scott Walker working in conjunction with Detroit based consultant Gary Berkowitz.

The station began operations in 1948 as WEXL-FM. The calls changed to WOMC ("Wayne, Oakland and Macomb Counties") a few years later. WOMC was for many years one of the most listened-to of Detroit's Beautiful Music FM stations, eventually evolving into Adult Contemporary by the 1980s. WOMC adopted its current oldies format in 1989 and, despite the fact that Detroit had several other oldies stations at the time (including WKSG-FM 102.7, CKLW-FM 93.9, and WHND-AM 560), eventually came to dominate as the most popular choice for oldies in the market.

WOMC has also had many memorable slogans, like "WOM-SEE" and "Detroit's Big O", and when the call letters are said, they're said with emphasis on the O ("W Ohhh M C").

WOMC's transmitter and studios are located on Woodward Heights (9 1/2 Mile Rd). near Interstate 75 in Ferndale, Michigan. WOMC broadcasts with an effective radiated power of 190,000 watts from an antenna 361 feet in height.

In May 2006, it was announced that WOMC would be a co-flagship station for broadcasts of University of Michigan football, the other station being CKLW across the river, in Windsor.

WOMC is also licensed for HD Radio operations and features "The History of Rock and Roll" on its secondary channel.

Fate of WOMC

Template:Future As Dick Purtan signed a contract to stay on the airwaves until 2011, the station has also been losing listeners. There has been rumors that the radio station will cease operations to coincide the end of the contract. Also, the frequency 104.3 will be retired altogether as a way to make Metro Detroit more friendly toward personal FM transmitters since many older demographics who listened to music WOMC played in the past now listen to it on MP3 players as WOMC no longer plays a large subset of what they used to play, namely music older than 1970, and largely music older than 1965, genres encompassed in this subset include doo-wop, early Rock and roll, etc.

Sources

• Michiguide.com - WOMC History

External links

• Template:FMQ
• Template:FML

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