Sumter’s newest station is ON THE AIR! WWHM 1290AM & 93.3FM, Kat Country’s, music format is special blend of the best country hits.  From the “Class of ‘89” through today, with some of the country legends sprinkled in for flavor, Sumter’s Country Station will always play a great blend of familiar and proven Country songs.

In November 2007, Miller Communications, Inc. purchased WQMC-AM, 1290 kHz, licensed to Sumter, SC. The radio station was then owned by Morris College and was off the air. Miller Communications, Inc. returned the station to the air in February 2008, temporarily simulcasting Miller’s “WICI-FM, Bad Dog 94.7 FM, Classic Rock,” product on the AM station until Miller could finish building Sumter’s newest radio station with a new format and clear some Federal Communications Commission grants.

On 4-2-08, Miller Communications, Inc., with newly assigned FCC call letters of WWHM-AM and with special FCC authority to operate WWHM-AM, 1290 kHz AM, with FM translator W227BI, Sumter, SC, 93.3 MHz, WWHM hit the airways at 1290 AM & 93.3 FM. 

This dual combination of an AM station to use a FM translator for “local” coverage is a brand new strategy of the Federal Communications Commission. Although the new rules are expected to be released soon, the use of these FM translators, or mini-FM stations, is only being granted on a special individual AM station basis. This combining of AM stations and FM translators have not received full FCC approval status or general usage across the nation at this time.

Sumter, SC was selected as a site to be kind of a test site for two of these translators working in unison with two AM radio stations WDXY, Newstalk 1240 / 105.9 FM (launched June 2007) & the NEW WWHM, Kat Country 1290 / 93.3FM (launched April-2-08).

These FM translators, or mini FM stations, help AM stations fill in their signals over their markets. Many AM stations were licensed many years ago and now they cannot even cover their complete markets because of growth or expansion of their communities. WDXY 1240 & WWHM 1290 were two of these types of AM stations that qualified for these FM translators for fill in or help with local coverage. You could not even hear these older Sumter AM stations in the City Limits of Sumter well, Shaw Field at night and even the daytime signals were scratchy and undesirable on the fringe of the county.

Now, with this new technology, Miller Communications, Inc., using these low power local FM translators on WWHM 1290 AM & 93.3 FM, launched Sumter’s new Kat Country and also continue to broadcast WDXY Newstalk on 1240 AM & 105.9 FM.   

For additional information, contact:

Miller Communications, Inc.

Harold Miller, President/CEO                        775-2321 x221            harold@miller.fm

Dave Baker, VP Programming/Operations     775-2321 x224            dbaker@miller.fm