KWLM
KWLM is an American radio station licensed to serve the community of Willmar, Minnesota, since 1940. The station was assigned the call sign "KWLM" by the Federal Communications Commission.
The station's broadcast license is held by Lakeland Broadcasting Company. KWLM is one of four stations in the Lakeland Broadcasting Group, which includes KLFN, KOLV, and KQIC. The station's AM signal is supplemented by FM translator K242CF at 96.3 MHz in Willmar, and in 2025, the station’s format was further expanded to relay on KBMO in Benson following an ownership acquisition.
History
KWLM is one of the heritage radio stations in Minnesota, having officially signed on the air on October 5, 1940. The station was founded by Harry W. Linder, a visionary entrepreneur who had to visit Washington D.C. twice to convince the FCC that a market as small as Willmar could support a local station. The call letters were originally selected to represent "Willmar, Land of Many Lakes" or simply "WiLLmar, Minnesota."Just over a month after its launch, the station proved its vital importance during the Armistice Day Blizzard of November 11, 1940. With over a foot of snow and hundreds dead across the region, KWLM became the "social network" of its day, broadcasting emergency weather information and connecting isolated rural families. The station remains under the control of the Linder family through Lakeland Media LLC, making it one of the longest-running family-owned broadcast operations in the state. The station is a member of the Linder Farm Network, broadcasting agricultural news and market reports three times daily.