WMRN (AM)

WMRN

Marion, Ohio United States
Broadcast area	Mid-Ohio
Frequency	1490 kHz
Branding	NewsRadio 1490 WMRN
Programming
Format	Conservative talk
Network	Fox News Radio
Affiliations	Premiere Networks
Ownership
Owner	iHeartMedia, Inc. (iHM Licenses, LLC)
Sister stations	WMRN-FM, WYNT
History
First air date	December 23, 1940 (83 years ago) (1940-12-23)
Call sign meaning	Marion
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	40169
Class	C
Power	1,000 watts
Transmitter coordinates	40°36′50.00″N 83°7′47.00″W / 40.6138889°N 83.1297222°W / 40.6138889; -83.1297222
Links
Public license information	Public file LMS
Webcast	Listen live (via iHeartRadio)
Website	wmrn.iheart.com

WMRN (1490 AM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Marion, Ohio, and featuring a conservative talk radio format. Owned by iHeartMedia, Inc., WMRN's studios and transmitter are co-located on the city's northern end.^[2] In addition to a standard analog transmission, WMRN is available online via iHeartRadio.

WMRN signed on the air on December 23, 1940. It was the first radio station to broadcast from Marion. In its early years, it was an affiliate of the ABC Radio Network, carrying its dramas, comedies, news, and sports during the "Golden Age of Radio."^[3]

In May 1953, WMRN's owners launched an FM sister station, WMRN-FM, initially operating as a simulcast of the AM station. In the 1960s, it switched to automated beautiful music until its format was flipped to country music on April 1, 1981. It moved to 94.3 MHz in 2008.

When network programming shifted from radio to television in the 1950s, WMRN switched to a full-service, middle of the road format of popular adult music, news, and sports, branding itself "Hometown Radio 1490." Over time, talk shows were added and music programming was removed. By the late 1980s, WMRN's weekday schedule consisted largely of locally-produced talk shows accompanied by the nationally syndicated The Rush Limbaugh Show, with the last vestiges of its non-religious music schedule, largely consisting of weekend oldies programming, removed by 1999.

WMRN and WMRN-FM were acquired by Jacor Communications in the 1990s, which later merged into Clear Channel Communications, the forerunner to today's iHeartMedia. Under Clear Channel's ownership, WMRN's traditional full-service/hometown format featuring a variety of locally-produced content was phased out, as syndicated talk programming began filling the station's afternoon and evening weekday schedule. Since the June 2019 retirement of longtime local morning host Jeff Ruth, WMRN airs no locally-produced weekday programming, except for local newscasts.

WMRN's entire broadcast lineup is syndicated with programming sourced mostly from co-owned Premiere Networks and Compass Media Networks. The station also is an affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians Radio Network, the Ohio State Sports Network, and the Columbus Blue Jackets Radio Network.

• Facility details for Facility ID 40169 (WMRN) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
• WMRN in Nielsen Audio's AM station database