Sunny 101.9 WKQS FM is turning 25 years old on Thursday

MARQUETTE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WLUC) - Sunny 101.9 FM has served Marquette County with quality news, sports, and weather coverage since 1998.

On Thursday, the station will hit a milestone of 25 years. Media Brew Communications Market Manager Mark Evans said business at the station is always changing but the important things stay the same.

“We’ve had great successes that have come and gone over the last 25 years. Music changes, but the one thing that has never changed is the dedication of the people that have been within these walls,” said Evans. “It’s been really interesting and a real treat to watch and be a small part of it.”

Evans expressed how this industry has become more computerized, but Sunny 101.9 has not.

“Our industry has had an opportunity to really remove quite a bit of the position that we had 25-30 years ago because of the automation and because of the computers that are there,” said Evans. “We are a little bit different in that we have never solely used computers.”

He also said that data from Nielsen research showed the radio broadcasting industry is doing well.

“Now, 93% of the American and Canadian public still use AM and FM radio, so it’s a thriving industry right now,” said Evans.

The Negaunee Miners football play-by-play announcer also went on to say that the future is looking bright as station management doesn’t plan on changing anything.

“We signed this thing on with the hopes of kind of being that small town station that covers the high school’s sports and does local news and does the things that my generation grew up with,” said Evans. “We just wanted to neaten it up a bit and drop it on the FM band.”

The entire Sunny 101.9 cast wants to thank all the listeners for 25 years of support.