RACINE — The sale of Racine radio station WRJN has been completed and the new owner, Madison-based Civic Media, replaced the oldies music programming with a talk-news-sports format on Monday.

Civic Media purchased WRJN along with stations in La Crosse and Chippewa Falls from Magnum Media of Sun Prairie in a deal valued at $3.65 million, the industry newsletter Radio Insight reported in February. Magnum had owned the Racine radio station since 2014. The deal didn’t include WVTY (92.1 FM), which Magnum continues to operate with a country music format.

WRJN, with studios and transmitter at 4201 Victory Ave., broadcasts at 1400 AM and at 99.9 FM in Racine and at 98.1 FM in Kenosha.

WRJN radio to broadcast Wisconsin sports

Civic Media, the operator of a statewide radio network with 18 AM and FM stations, announced in a news release that WRJN will soon be the broadcast home to virtually all of Wisconsin’s professional sports teams.

In addition to Green Bay Packers football broadcasts (including all pregame and postgame coverage), WRJN will present the National Basketball Association (NBA) Milwaukee Bucks season games starting in October.

WRJN will also become a Badger Radio Network Affiliate and air Wisconsin Badger football, men’s basketball and a limited schedule of men’s hockey and women’s basketball games.

And, starting in 2024, WRJN will air every Milwaukee Brewers baseball game on both its AM and FM signals.

“We are incredibly proud and excited to be bringing the Packers, Bucks, Brewers and Badgers broadcasts, all on one radio station, to this part of the state,” Mike Crute, Civic Media’s president and chief operating officer, said in a news release.

To support this increased sports coverage, Civic Media has hired Mike Clemens from Magnum Media to an expanded role as Civic Media’s sports director. Clemens had previously been WRJN’s morning show host.

Another WRJN voice, Stuart J. Wattles, remains with the station as Civic Media’s Southeastern Wisconsin news director. He will report and anchor local news hourly.

Long-time Southeastern Wisconsin broadcaster Lou Rugani will join WRJN beginning later this summer. His Racine/Kenosha-centric talk show will be presented live from 6 to 8 a.m. Monday through Friday. WRJN will also carry “The Music of the Stars with Lou Rugani” on Sundays from 7 a.m. to noon.

Rugani has been a fixture with Kenosha’s WLIP for many years.

“We celebrate the addition of the storied WRJN AM/FM to our network and look forward to bringing it back to its roots of serving, informing and entertaining the local community in Racine and Kenosha, Civic Media CEO Sage Weil, said in a statement. Our network is made stronger with the addition of three broadcast professionals like Mike Clemens, Stuart Wattles and Lou Rugani to our team.”

For WRJN’s current programming schedule, visit their website.

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