Avid listener and former radio host share their thoughts after WLUM 102.1 was sold to a Christian radio network.
Hopping in the car and turning on the radio is a ritual for many in southeast Wisconsin.
Brad Vogel has been tuning in to 102.1 since he was in middle school and still listens to FM radio every day for the music and personalities.
"In our eyes, they're like local celebrities. They're people you know or hear of, even if you never meet them. But at the same time, they're just like you," Vogel said.
But now some of those familiar sounds on the air are up in the air because both 102.1 and 93.3 were sold to a Christian radio network called K-Love.
"It's no secret that radio is struggling to find its footing again," said Scott Ozzborn, a former WLUM-FM radio host.
Watch: Avid listener and former host say goodbye to rock legacy radio station
Ozzborn worked at WLUM 102.1 in the early 2000s. He had a late-night show called Land of Ozz. He's not surprised to hear that new ownership has taken over but said it's hard to see a staple like WLUM go away.
"It feels like home. It's something that you always relied on and could turn to when you came to Milwaukee," Ozzborn said.
With his show, Ozzborn got to travel and experience all sorts of major events, like covering 9/11, going to Mardi Gras every year, and even having Barbra Streisand call into his show. Through it all, he connected with his audience, including listeners like Vogel.
"I used to listen to him religiously. Every night it was always Land of Ozz," Vogel said.
102.1 has built its audience on rock lovers like Vogel and Ozzborn.
"It's always been an alternative station that reached an audience that other mainstream, commercial-type stations just couldn't reach," Ozzborn said.
With a new company taking it over, they hope the station continues to capture the sound of rock and roll.
"If it's a Christian company, I mean, Skillet would be a perfect band to play Christian rock, right there, definitely," Vogel said.
"If it were me, I would definitely lean into the Christian rock side of things and try to woo those people over. You already have rock listeners there," Ozzborn said.
While the new format may sound different, Vogel said his radio routine will stay the same.
"It's part of the business, whether you like it or not," Vogel said.
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