Civic Media Expands Footprint In The Midwest With Michigan Acquisitions

Madison, WI  (July 1, 2025)  – Civic Media is pleased to announce an asset purchase agreement has been filed with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for the purchase of a five-station, three-city cluster of stations in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula from J&J Broadcasting, headquartered in Iron River, WI. This purchase will be completed by the newly-formed Michigan Civic Media Alliance, which will be led by Civic Media with additional support and investment from the Michigan Independent Media Group (MIMG). 

The stations in the deal include:

• “Real Country” WJMS (590 AM and 92.1 FM) in Ironwood, MI
• Classic Rock WIMI “The Storm” (99.7 FM) in Ironwood, MI
• “Superior Country” WUPY (101.1 FM) in Ontonagon, MI
• Adult Hits WKMJ “Mix 93.5” in Hancock-Houghton, MI
• Variety News/Talk/Sports WMPL (920 AM and 107.7 FM) in Hancock-Houghton, MI

Vice President of Operations Kory Hartmann said, “These heritage radio stations have served their local communities for years and are strong partners with local businesses and organizations. We intend to continue that legacy of service and add a wider array of products to keep people in touch with their community.”

“At Civic Media we believe in the importance of local media, and investing in rural areas where quality news and information is too often hard to come by,” said Civic Media CEO Sage Weil.  “We are excited by this opportunity to expand our network into the upper peninsula.”

“MIMG’s launch was inspired in part by Civic Media’s leadership in sustaining independent media in Wisconsin,” said Jason Franklin, MIMG’s General Partner. “We’re excited to be formally partnering with them for their first expansion into the great state of Michigan and to work with them to preserve and expand vibrant local media across our state.”

Jerry Hackman, president of J&J Broadcasting, said “We are very pleased to announce the sale of the stations, and we could not be more pleased with the buyer.  We are very comfortable turning over the customer and employee relationships over to Civic Media as they have made great strides in just a short time and they continue to stress the importance of local and small town radio.  I’d like to sincerely thank everyone that has supported us in various ways over the last 42 years.”

Upon final approval of the J&J purchase, Civic Media will operate 23 stations in Wisconsin, two in northern Minnesota, and five in Michigan.

About Civic Media 

Civic Media is dedicated to providing quality broadcast and digital hometown radio focusing on local, regional, and state issues, covering the stories that are most relevant to the markets we serve. We believe radio plays a crucial role in the practice of democracy in our local communities, so we aim to provide programming that advances the understanding and engagement of its principles within our audience.

About the Michigan Independent Media Group

MIMG pools philanthropic and impact investment capital to sustain local media across the state of Michigan to increase vital civic news coverage, fight disinformation, and sustain local voices. 

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