A Love Letter to Racine: Why Local News & Timeless Hits Still Matter After 99 Years

Some relationships get better with time:

• The coffee shop where they know your order

• The neighbor who waves every morning

• The radio station that’s been there through every decade, every season, every change Racine has ever seen

WRJN has been that constant voice since 1926. Nearly a century of local news, Timeless Hits, and community connection.

We’ve been here through World War II, the golden age of manufacturing, downtown transformations, and now the digital revolution.

Through it all, one thing hasn’t changed: our commitment to serving Racine, Wisconsin, with the news and music that matter most to you.

This is our love letter to the city we’ve called home for 99 years.

99 Years of Being Your Neighbor

In 1926, radio was the cutting-edge technology. Calvin Coolidge was president.

The first talking motion picture hadn’t even premiered yet. And WRJN signed on the air to serve Racine.

Think about what that means. Your great-grandparents might have listened to us. Your grandparents definitely did. Your parents grew up with us. And now you’re here, maybe with kids or grandkids of your own, still tuning in.

We’ve watched Racine grow, change, struggle, and thrive. We’ve reported on high school football championships, carried Racine Raiders national championship victories, and city council debates.

We’ve played the hits when they were brand new: and we’re still playing them now because great music never gets old.

That kind of longevity doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because a radio station chooses, every single day, to put the community first.

We show up to care about what happens on Main Street, not just Wall Street.

To be a neighbor, not just a broadcaster.

Why Hyper-Local News Still Matters in 2026

We live in a world where you can get news from anywhere, anytime, on any device.

National headlines. International updates. Breaking news alerts from cities you’ve never visited.

But here’s what those sources can’t tell you: What happened at last night’s school board meeting. Which local business just celebrated 50 years. Why there’s construction on your usual route to work. Who won the regional volleyball tournament. What the weather’s really going to do this afternoon: not what some algorithm predicts for “Southeastern Wisconsin,” but what’s happening right here in Racine.

That’s hyper-local news. Neighbor-to-neighbor information. The stuff that actually affects your daily life.

In an era of media consolidation, where national chains own most local outlets and algorithms decide what you see, WRJN remains genuinely local.

Our news team lives here. Shops here. Sends their kids to school here. Knows the people, places, and stories that make Racine unique.

When you hear local news on WRJN, you’re not getting a generic report repackaged for 50 different markets.

You’re getting news from someone who cares about this community because they’re part of it.

That matters more than ever. In a fragmented media landscape where trust is scarce, knowing your news source is actually local: actually accountable to the community: creates a foundation other platforms can’t replicate.

Timeless Hits: The Soundtrack of Your Life

Music is memory. A song comes on, and suddenly you’re 17 again, cruising down Main Street. Relaxing on North Beach on a summer night. Or you’re at your wedding. Or in your parents’ kitchen on a Sunday morning.

WRJN’s Timeless Hits format isn’t just about playing classic songs. It’s about honoring the soundtrack of your life. The music that defined your youth, marked your milestones, and still sounds perfect today.

The Beatles. The Stones. Motown. The British Invasion. Singer-songwriters. Classic rock. The hits that topped the charts in the late 50s, 60s, and early 70s: back when music felt bigger than life and every new release was an event.

For our 35+ listeners (and let’s be honest, most of our core audience is 45+), these aren’t just oldies. They’re the songs you grew up with. The music your parents played. The soundtrack that connects generations of Racine families.

We know that when you tune into WRJN, you’re not just looking for background noise. You’re looking for something familiar. Something real. Something that feels like home.

That’s why Timeless Hits work so well on local radio. These songs don’t just sound good: they connect us to each other and to our shared history. When Aretha Franklin comes on the radio, everyone in Racine is hearing it at the same time. That’s a shared experience that streaming playlists, no matter how personalized, can never recreate.

The Don Rosen Morning Show: Your Daily Connection Point

Every weekday morning from 6-9AM, The Don Rosen Morning Show serves as Racine’s community bulletin board. It’s where you hear about local arts events, fundraisers, school activities, and the stories that make Racine special.

Don doesn’t just read announcements. He connects with local organizations, highlights community members doing good work, and creates a space where Racine talks to itself. It’s part news, part entertainment, part community service: and it’s been a morning ritual for thousands of local listeners for years.

This kind of hyper-local programming doesn’t exist on national radio or streaming services.

It can only happen when a radio station is deeply embedded in its community and committed to serving as more than just a music player.

If you’re involved in local arts, education, nonprofit work, or community events, the Don Rosen Morning Show is one of the best ways to reach engaged Racine residents who actually show up and participate.

Why This Still Matters in a High-Tech World

Technology has transformed how we consume media. Smartphones. Streaming. Podcasts. Social media. You have infinite choices for news and entertainment.

So why does a 99-year-old radio station still matter?

Because technology can’t replace community. Algorithms can’t replicate local knowledge. And streaming services, for all their convenience, can’t tell you what’s happening three blocks from your house.

WRJN matters because we’re not trying to be everything to everyone.

We’re trying to be exactly what Racine needs: a reliable source of local news and the music you love, delivered by people who actually live here.

We matter because when severe weather hits, you know where to turn.

When a local business needs support, we’re here to help.

When your kids accomplish something at school, we want to celebrate it.

When Racine faces challenges, we’re part of the conversation about solutions.

Among Racine radio stations, WRJN has earned trust the old-fashioned way: by showing up, day after day, year after year, decade after decade. By being here in 1926 and still being here in 2026. By proving that local matters.

Looking Forward While Honoring the Past

Nearly a century of service doesn’t mean we’re stuck in the past. WRJN has evolved alongside Racine: adding digital streaming, engaging on social media, and integrating new technologies while keeping what matters most: Local News and Timeless Hits.

We’ve learned that innovation doesn’t require abandoning your core identity. You can embrace new tools while staying true to your mission. You can evolve while honoring your history.

That’s exactly what we’ll keep doing. Serving Racine with the same commitment we’ve had since 1926, using every tool available to connect, inform, and entertain our community.

99 Years and Counting

This isn’t just WRJN’s story. It’s Racine’s story.

We’ve been the voice in your car during your morning commute. The background music at family gatherings. The emergency information source during storms. The companion during late-night drives.

The constant presence through every chapter of your life.

For 99 years, we’ve had the honor of serving this community. Of being your neighbor on the radio. Of providing the Local News you need and the Timeless Hits you love.

Thank you, Racine, for nearly a century of trust, loyalty, and community.

Here’s to many more years of being your local radio station: playing the hits, reporting the news, and serving the place we all call home.

Because in a world that’s increasingly global and digital, there’s still nothing quite like having a neighbor you can count on.

And that’s exactly what WRJN has been, and always will be (for Racine).