WGFN
Encyclopedia
WGFN is one of four radio stations in the northern part of the lower peninsula of Michigan
that simulcast a classic rock
format, with The Bob & Tom Show
& Nights with Alice Cooper
, called "The Bear". Those stations are:
Two other Michigan stations, 105.1 WGFM out of Cheboygan
and 97.9 WIHC out of Newberry
had previously been Bear simulcasts. WGFM became a partial simulcast of Glen Arbor mainstream rock station WJZJ
("Real Rock 105.1/95.5") in September 2009, while WIHC stopped broadcasting in February 2010 in the aftermath of a major radio purchase in the Upper Peninsula by Sovereign Communications
.
WQLZ (formerly WCBY-FM) in Cheboygan. Shortly afterward, he changed the station's format to classic rock with the WGFM call letters, meaning "W-Gold-FM". The station's main focus was classic rock, but also played new cuts from classic rock artists as well. The station was live/local 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. and aired Westwood One
's Adult Rock format overnights. Del was the station's morning man.
In the 1990s, Del's radio empire grew when he acquired many other local stations and built new ones as well. He purchased WIDG
940 in St. Ignace, MI and WCBY AM in Cheboygan the station that launched his career in the late 1960s. He purchased 98.1 WMLB Glen Arbor, which had previously simulcast WUPS
in Houghton Lake, and changed that to WGFN, giving WGFM a clearer signal in the Traverse City, MI area. He also took over 107.1 WCKC "Cadillac KC Country" Cadillac which was simulcasting his 102.9 WMKC
"KC Country" St. Ignace, MI, but eventually changing to a WGFM simulcast.
) and Doc reportedly believed he could capitalize on the "good will" of the other station's calls and came up with WYTW. It was called Y-107 and ran satellite adult contemporary music for a short period, but the station was unable to make enough money to pay its expenses. In 1989 WYTW changed to WCKC ("Cadillac KC Country") and simulcast with WMKC and WIDG. This continued until WCKC became a member of the "Bear" network. (See WMKC
article for more information).
) Oscoda. The station soon went silent. In 1997, broadcaster Todd Mohr purchased WCLX, changed the calls to WAVC, and operated the station from a studio in Gaylord, returned it to the air with a satellite-fed adult album alternative
format and the name "The River", presumably an imitation of CIDR-FM
(also on 93.9) in Windsor, Ontario
. Later that same year, Del Reynolds bought WAVC and began using it to simulcast WJZJ, which then aired Jones Radio Networks
' smooth jazz format as "Coast FM" (WLJZ 94.5 in Mackinaw City also carried the format). Calibre Communications purchased "Coast FM" in 1998 and flipped it to "The Zone", and WAVC remained part of the "Zone" network until dropping the simulcast to simulcast WMKC in March 2001. The WMKC simulcast remained until March 2010.
Naismith returned the station to the air with a hot adult contemporary format as WFGE, known as "Fudgie 94" (as in Mackinac Island
's famous fudge). Then in 1995, the station changed calls to WLJZ and changed its frequency to 94.5 with an increase in power, which increased its broadcast area substantially to include most of the northern tip of the lower peninsula, bringing a better signal to Petoskey
, Gaylord
, and Rogers City
and reaching almost as far north as Sault Ste. Marie
(though the station did, and still does, suffer from interference from co-channel WCEN-FM in the southern fringes of its listening area). WLJZ adopted Jones Radio Networks
' satellite-fed smooth jazz
format as "Coast FM," simulcasting with WAVC 93.9 FM in Mio and WJZJ 95.5.
In 1998, "Coast FM," suffering from low ratings, was dropped in favor of "The Zone." WAVC eventually dropped out of the "Zone" network to simulcast country sister WMKC
. For more on "The Zone," see WJZJ
.
In 2006, WLJZ also abandoned the "Zone" simulcast in favor of a standalone Hot AC format using Waitt Radio's "AC Active" package, taking the name "Star 94.5, Today's Best Variety." This left WJZJ as the only remaining "Zone" station.
On April 1, 2008, WLJZ changed to its current classic country format. The classic country package complements the "Big Country Hits" contemporary-country format on sister stations WMKC
and WAVC.
In April 2010, WLJZ announced on-air that its classic country format would be moving to AM sister station WCBY
AM 1240, displacing the adult standards
format currently heard there. WLJZ's new format turned out to be a WGFN simulcast. According to the on-air announcements, the changes were due to low ratings and low advertising revenue for the classic country format.
The move returns the "Bear" format to the airwaves in the Straits Area and the eastern Upper Peninsula, as former "Bear" affiliate WGFM 105.1 in Cheboygan now airs a mainstream rock format simulcast with WJZJ
95.5 FM in Traverse City as "Real Rock 95-5 & 105.1," and WIHC 97.9 FM in Newberry, the "Bear" affiliate that served the Sault Ste. Marie market, has been taken dark.
(AOR) stalwart WKLT
from the Arbitron
#2 spot all the way down to #5, while in many books, The Bear is in the top five. Bob and Tom - whose radio career started at WJML
in the late 1970s - are now one of the most-popular morning shows in northern Michigan.
Also, WGFN was made the flagship of The Bear stations, even though most of their operations are in Cheboygan, partially due to Traverse City being the biggest city in northern Michigan.
Unfortunately, the deal between Calibre and Reynolds failed, though a new company, Northern Star Broadcasting, was formed to take over Reynolds' stations. Although no longer owner, Reynolds remained as the station's engineer.
, Nine Inch Nails
, Soundgarden
, Live
, Stone Temple Pilots
and Depeche Mode
. The Bear has since dropped most of those artists and returned to the straightforward classic rock format it aired previously.
format with WJZJ
95.5 out of Traverse City called Real Rock 105.1/95.5. 105.1 continued to carry Bob and Tom until August 2010, when it was replaced by The Free Beer and Hot Wings Show
, which was already the morning show on WJZJ. Bob & Tom is still available for area listeners, on The Bear's Mackinaw City feed at 94.5 FM.
In February 2010, Northern Star Broadcasting fired staff and sold off all of their stations in Michigan's Upper Peninsula (including stations in the Sault Ste. Marie, Marquette, and Iron Mountain areas) to Sault Ste. Marie company Sovereign Communications, except for WIHC, which had been operating at a loss. It wasn't part of the sale to ensure that Sovereign's ownership concentration in the area did not exceed FCC
limits. Rather than keep the station on air, Northern Star decided to take the station silent later that month and reassess possible options to make WIHC economically viable.
In April 2010, WLJZ 94.5 FM in Mackinaw City flipped from satellite-fed classic country to a simulcast of WGFN, thus returning the format to some of the northern Michigan real estate formerly covered by WGFM 105.1 and WIHC 97.9. WLJZ's signal covers the Straits of Mackinac region and the Petoskey
area, and can be heard as far south as Gaylord
and as far north as Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
.
At the same time, WAVC 93.9 FM in Mio also joined "The Bear" network, changing from a simulcast of country sister WMKC
"102.9 Big Country Hits." WAVC delivers a fair to strong signal to the Gaylord, Grayling
and Houghton Lake
areas.
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
that simulcast a classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
format, with The Bob & Tom Show
The Bob & Tom Show
The Bob & Tom Show is a syndicated US radio program established by Bob Kevoian and Tom Griswold at radio station WFBQ in Indianapolis, Indiana, March 7, 1983, and syndicated nationally since January 6, 1995....
& Nights with Alice Cooper
Nights with Alice Cooper
Nights with Alice Cooper is a radio show hosted by rock and roll artist and shock rock pioneer Alice Cooper. It is syndicated by United Stations Radio Networks and broadcast on over 100 radio stations in the US, seven in Canada, and is also available in the UK , Germany , Ireland, Australia ,...
, called "The Bear". Those stations are:
- 98.1 WGFN Glen Arbor
- 107.1 WCKC CadillacCadillac, MichiganCadillac is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is the county seat of Wexford County. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 10,000. The city is situated at the junction of US 131, M-55 and M-115...
- 94.5 WLJZWLJZWLJZ, "The Bear," is an FM radio station at 94.5 MHz based in Mackinaw City, Michigan, which features a Classic rock format simulcast from WGFN 98.1 FM "The Bear" in the Traverse City area. The station aired a Classic Country format, satellite-fed from Dial Global Local, until April 2010, when the...
Mackinaw CityMackinaw City, MichiganMackinaw City is a village in Emmet and Cheboygan counties in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2000 census the population was 859. The name "Mackinaw City" is a bit of a misnomer as it is actually a village... - 93.9 WAVC MioMio, MichiganMio is an unincorporated community in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Oscoda County and is situated along the boundary between Mentor Township on the east and Big Creek Township on the west....
Two other Michigan stations, 105.1 WGFM out of Cheboygan
Cheboygan, Michigan
Cheboygan is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 5,295. It is the county seat of Cheboygan County....
and 97.9 WIHC out of Newberry
Newberry, Michigan
Newberry is a village in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Luce County. Located within McMillan Township at its very southern end, it shares some administrative responsibilities with the surrounding township. The population was 2,686 at the 2000 census.The village was named in...
had previously been Bear simulcasts. WGFM became a partial simulcast of Glen Arbor mainstream rock station WJZJ
WJZJ
WJZJ in Glen Arbor, Michigan is an American radio station, which airs a mainstream rock format branded as Real Rock 105.1/95.5...
("Real Rock 105.1/95.5") in September 2009, while WIHC stopped broadcasting in February 2010 in the aftermath of a major radio purchase in the Upper Peninsula by Sovereign Communications
Sovereign Communications
Sovereign Communications, LLC is an American radio broadcasting company which owns 15 radio stations in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, with offices in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. The company is owned and operated by William C...
.
Beginnings: W-Gold FM
In 1989, longtime northern Michigan radio personality and engineer Del Reynolds and wife Mary purchased 100,000 watt CHRContemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
WQLZ (formerly WCBY-FM) in Cheboygan. Shortly afterward, he changed the station's format to classic rock with the WGFM call letters, meaning "W-Gold-FM". The station's main focus was classic rock, but also played new cuts from classic rock artists as well. The station was live/local 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. and aired Westwood One
Westwood One
Westwood One was an American radio network and was based in New York City. At one time, it was managed by CBS Radio, the radio arm of CBS Corporation, and Viacom and was later purchased by the private equity firm The Gores Group...
's Adult Rock format overnights. Del was the station's morning man.
In the 1990s, Del's radio empire grew when he acquired many other local stations and built new ones as well. He purchased WIDG
WIDG
WIDG is a radio station licensed to St. Ignace, Michigan, broadcasting a Catholic religious format. Until October 2008, the station was owned and operated by Northern Star Broadcasting and had aired ESPN Radio under the brand name AM 940 The Fan...
940 in St. Ignace, MI and WCBY AM in Cheboygan the station that launched his career in the late 1960s. He purchased 98.1 WMLB Glen Arbor, which had previously simulcast WUPS
WUPS
WUPS is a 100 kW radio station broadcasting at 98.5 licensed to Harrison, Michigan and serving central and northern Michigan, with its chief focus on the Mount Pleasant area. The station is owned by John Salov and broadcasts a classic hits format....
in Houghton Lake, and changed that to WGFN, giving WGFM a clearer signal in the Traverse City, MI area. He also took over 107.1 WCKC "Cadillac KC Country" Cadillac which was simulcasting his 102.9 WMKC
WMKC
WMKC is a radio station licensed to Indian River, Michigan. It airs a country music format called Big Country 102.9. WMKD 105.5 in Pickford airs mostly the same programming as WMKC, but IDs separately as "Big Country 105.5." These stations are all owned by Northern Star...
"KC Country" St. Ignace, MI, but eventually changing to a WGFM simulcast.
WCKC History
In 1985 Donald "Doc" Benson, then-owner of WMKC-FM/WIDG-AM in St. Ignace, obtained the CP (Construction Permit) for a new FM in Cadillac at 107.1. Cadillac previously had a WITW (now WLXVWLXV
WLXV is a radio station licensed to Cadillac, Michigan broadcasting a hot adult contemporary format.The station, which began broadcasting on July 7, 1974, has previously programmed easy listening and adult contemporary music as WITW, beautiful music as WEZV, and CHR as WWLZ...
) and Doc reportedly believed he could capitalize on the "good will" of the other station's calls and came up with WYTW. It was called Y-107 and ran satellite adult contemporary music for a short period, but the station was unable to make enough money to pay its expenses. In 1989 WYTW changed to WCKC ("Cadillac KC Country") and simulcast with WMKC and WIDG. This continued until WCKC became a member of the "Bear" network. (See WMKC
WMKC
WMKC is a radio station licensed to Indian River, Michigan. It airs a country music format called Big Country 102.9. WMKD 105.5 in Pickford airs mostly the same programming as WMKC, but IDs separately as "Big Country 105.5." These stations are all owned by Northern Star...
article for more information).
WAVC History
93.9 FM first signed on in 1994 as WCLX with an adult contemporary format, relaying the programming of "Sunny 100.7" WCLS-FM (now WWTHWWTH
WWTH and WHAK , Thunder Country, are a pair of radio stations broadcasting a country music format to northeastern lower Michigan. Additionally, the group has a translator, W231BF,...
) Oscoda. The station soon went silent. In 1997, broadcaster Todd Mohr purchased WCLX, changed the calls to WAVC, and operated the station from a studio in Gaylord, returned it to the air with a satellite-fed adult album alternative
Adult album alternative
Adult album alternative is a radio format. A spinoff from the album-oriented rock format, its roots trace to the 1960s and 1970s from the earlier freeform and progressive formats....
format and the name "The River", presumably an imitation of CIDR-FM
CIDR-FM
CIDR-FM is the callsign for a radio station, broadcasting at 93.9 FM in Windsor, Ontario. The station broadcasts a adult album alternative format using the brand name 93-9 The River. It is owned and operated by Bell Media. It is one of the few commercial adult album alternative stations in Canada...
(also on 93.9) in Windsor, Ontario
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
. Later that same year, Del Reynolds bought WAVC and began using it to simulcast WJZJ, which then aired Jones Radio Networks
Jones Radio Networks
Jones Radio Networks & Jones Media Group were branches of Jones International before being sold to Triton Media Group. JRN and JMN provide local radio stations with satellite-delivered formats. They also offer other services to local radio such as news and talk programs, syndicated radio shows,...
' smooth jazz format as "Coast FM" (WLJZ 94.5 in Mackinaw City also carried the format). Calibre Communications purchased "Coast FM" in 1998 and flipped it to "The Zone", and WAVC remained part of the "Zone" network until dropping the simulcast to simulcast WMKC in March 2001. The WMKC simulcast remained until March 2010.
WLJZ History
The license for 94.5 FM was first issued in February 1985. The station's original call letters were WSSW (for the station's founder, Sonora S. Wray), which were first issued in October 1986. After a series of construction-related delays, WSSW first signed on at 94.3 in 1989 with an automated MOR format, but went dark not long after that. The station, while at 94.3, was initially assigned a Class A power output of 3,000 watts, which made the station all but unlistenable outside of the Mackinaw City-St. Ignace area, a seasonal, tourist-driven market barely able to sustain the competing radio stations that were already on the air and firmly established. WSSW's management thought that perhaps packing the station with tourist-related information for the local area would help reverse its fortunes. The station did improve, but not enough. Wray sold the station to Robert A. Naismith in February 1992.Naismith returned the station to the air with a hot adult contemporary format as WFGE, known as "Fudgie 94" (as in Mackinac Island
Mackinac Island
Mackinac Island is an island and resort area covering in land area, part of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located in Lake Huron, at the eastern end of the Straits of Mackinac, between the state's Upper and Lower Peninsulas. The island was home to a Native American settlement before European...
's famous fudge). Then in 1995, the station changed calls to WLJZ and changed its frequency to 94.5 with an increase in power, which increased its broadcast area substantially to include most of the northern tip of the lower peninsula, bringing a better signal to Petoskey
Petoskey, Michigan
Petoskey is a city and coastal resort community in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 6,080. It is the county seat of Emmet County....
, Gaylord
Gaylord, Michigan
Gaylord is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 3,681. It is the county seat of Otsego County. The city is also the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gaylord; it is by far the smallest settlement serving as the location of an active Roman...
, and Rogers City
Rogers City, Michigan
-Commercial airports:The nearest commercial airports are Alpena County Regional Airport an Cherry Capital Airport -US Highway Business Loops:* BUS US 23-Intercounty Highways:* F-21-Demographics:...
and reaching almost as far north as Sault Ste. Marie
Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
Sault Ste. Marie is a city in and the county seat of Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is in the north-eastern end of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, on the Canadian border, separated from its twin city of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, by the St. Marys River...
(though the station did, and still does, suffer from interference from co-channel WCEN-FM in the southern fringes of its listening area). WLJZ adopted Jones Radio Networks
Jones Radio Networks
Jones Radio Networks & Jones Media Group were branches of Jones International before being sold to Triton Media Group. JRN and JMN provide local radio stations with satellite-delivered formats. They also offer other services to local radio such as news and talk programs, syndicated radio shows,...
' satellite-fed smooth jazz
Smooth jazz
Smooth jazz is a genre of music that grew out of jazz fusion and is influenced by R&B, funk, rock, and pop music styles ....
format as "Coast FM," simulcasting with WAVC 93.9 FM in Mio and WJZJ 95.5.
In 1998, "Coast FM," suffering from low ratings, was dropped in favor of "The Zone." WAVC eventually dropped out of the "Zone" network to simulcast country sister WMKC
WMKC
WMKC is a radio station licensed to Indian River, Michigan. It airs a country music format called Big Country 102.9. WMKD 105.5 in Pickford airs mostly the same programming as WMKC, but IDs separately as "Big Country 105.5." These stations are all owned by Northern Star...
. For more on "The Zone," see WJZJ
WJZJ
WJZJ in Glen Arbor, Michigan is an American radio station, which airs a mainstream rock format branded as Real Rock 105.1/95.5...
.
In 2006, WLJZ also abandoned the "Zone" simulcast in favor of a standalone Hot AC format using Waitt Radio's "AC Active" package, taking the name "Star 94.5, Today's Best Variety." This left WJZJ as the only remaining "Zone" station.
On April 1, 2008, WLJZ changed to its current classic country format. The classic country package complements the "Big Country Hits" contemporary-country format on sister stations WMKC
WMKC
WMKC is a radio station licensed to Indian River, Michigan. It airs a country music format called Big Country 102.9. WMKD 105.5 in Pickford airs mostly the same programming as WMKC, but IDs separately as "Big Country 105.5." These stations are all owned by Northern Star...
and WAVC.
In April 2010, WLJZ announced on-air that its classic country format would be moving to AM sister station WCBY
WCBY
WCBY is a radio station in Cheboygan, Michigan, broadcasting a classic country format delivered by Dial Global Local known as "Big Country Gold".The station began broadcasting in 1954 as a 250-watt station under the ownership of Straits Broadcasting...
AM 1240, displacing the adult standards
Adult standards
Adult standards is a North American radio format heard primarily on AM or class A FM stations.Adult standards is aimed at "mature" adults, meaning mainly those persons over 50 years of age, but it is mostly targeted for senior citizens...
format currently heard there. WLJZ's new format turned out to be a WGFN simulcast. According to the on-air announcements, the changes were due to low ratings and low advertising revenue for the classic country format.
The move returns the "Bear" format to the airwaves in the Straits Area and the eastern Upper Peninsula, as former "Bear" affiliate WGFM 105.1 in Cheboygan now airs a mainstream rock format simulcast with WJZJ
WJZJ
WJZJ in Glen Arbor, Michigan is an American radio station, which airs a mainstream rock format branded as Real Rock 105.1/95.5...
95.5 FM in Traverse City as "Real Rock 95-5 & 105.1," and WIHC 97.9 FM in Newberry, the "Bear" affiliate that served the Sault Ste. Marie market, has been taken dark.
The Bear Debuts
In 1998, Reynolds sold his stations to Calibre Communications for $7 million. As a result, the station would remain classic rock, but under a new moniker, The Bear, and Reynolds would leave the morning show host position. When Calibre asked Reynolds who should replace him, he suggested Bob and Tom. It was a wise decision on the station's part since they would pry album-oriented rockAlbum-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock is an American FM radio format focusing on album tracks by rock artists.-Music played:Most radio formats are based on a select, tight rotation of hit singles...
(AOR) stalwart WKLT
WKLT
WKLT 97.5 Kalkaska and WKLZ-FM 98.9 Petoskey are mainstream rock stations simulcasting as "KLT The Rock Station". The station serves the Traverse City-Petoskey radio market. It can Be Heard as far North as Sault Ste Marie, Ontario...
from the Arbitron
Arbitron
Arbitron is a consumer research company in the United States that collects listener data on radio audiences. It was founded as American Research Bureau by Jim Seiler in 1949 and became national by merging with L.A. based Coffin, Cooper and Clay in the early 1950s...
#2 spot all the way down to #5, while in many books, The Bear is in the top five. Bob and Tom - whose radio career started at WJML
WJML
WJML consists of AM stations WJML 1110 in Petoskey, Michigan and WJNL 1210 in Kingsley, Michigan. Both stations are owned by Rick Stone, and both stations have simulcast the same programming, with a mixture of liberal talk format and conservative talk....
in the late 1970s - are now one of the most-popular morning shows in northern Michigan.
Also, WGFN was made the flagship of The Bear stations, even though most of their operations are in Cheboygan, partially due to Traverse City being the biggest city in northern Michigan.
Unfortunately, the deal between Calibre and Reynolds failed, though a new company, Northern Star Broadcasting, was formed to take over Reynolds' stations. Although no longer owner, Reynolds remained as the station's engineer.
Playlist Tweak
For a time, The Bear experimented with an updating of its classic-rock playlist to include more hit AOR and alternative rock tracks from the 1980s and 1990s, from artists such as White Zombie, Alice in ChainsAlice in Chains
Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. The initial lineup was rounded out by drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr...
, Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
, Soundgarden
Soundgarden
Soundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by singer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto...
, Live
Live (band)
Live is an American rock band from York, Pennsylvania, composed of Chad Taylor , Patrick Dahlheimer , and Chad Gracey . Lead singer and principal songwriter Ed Kowalczyk left the band in November 2009....
, Stone Temple Pilots
Stone Temple Pilots
Stone Temple Pilots is an American rock band from San Diego, California that consists of Scott Weiland , brothers Robert DeLeo and Dean DeLeo , and Eric Kretz ....
and Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
. The Bear has since dropped most of those artists and returned to the straightforward classic rock format it aired previously.
The Bear Loses, Then Gains Affiliates
In September 2009, 105.1 dropped out of the Bear simulcast and started simulcasting a Mainstream RockMainstream rock
Mainstream rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations in the United States and Canada.-Format background:...
format with WJZJ
WJZJ
WJZJ in Glen Arbor, Michigan is an American radio station, which airs a mainstream rock format branded as Real Rock 105.1/95.5...
95.5 out of Traverse City called Real Rock 105.1/95.5. 105.1 continued to carry Bob and Tom until August 2010, when it was replaced by The Free Beer and Hot Wings Show
The Free Beer and Hot Wings Show
The Free Beer and Hot Wings Show is a syndicated talk radio show based at WGRD-FM in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The show is hosted by Gregg "Free Beer" Daniels and Chris "Hot Wings" Michaels with Eric "Zane" Zeitunian, "Producer" Joseph Gasmann, Jr, Assistant Producer Steve McKiernan, and Robot. The...
, which was already the morning show on WJZJ. Bob & Tom is still available for area listeners, on The Bear's Mackinaw City feed at 94.5 FM.
In February 2010, Northern Star Broadcasting fired staff and sold off all of their stations in Michigan's Upper Peninsula (including stations in the Sault Ste. Marie, Marquette, and Iron Mountain areas) to Sault Ste. Marie company Sovereign Communications, except for WIHC, which had been operating at a loss. It wasn't part of the sale to ensure that Sovereign's ownership concentration in the area did not exceed FCC
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
limits. Rather than keep the station on air, Northern Star decided to take the station silent later that month and reassess possible options to make WIHC economically viable.
In April 2010, WLJZ 94.5 FM in Mackinaw City flipped from satellite-fed classic country to a simulcast of WGFN, thus returning the format to some of the northern Michigan real estate formerly covered by WGFM 105.1 and WIHC 97.9. WLJZ's signal covers the Straits of Mackinac region and the Petoskey
Petoskey, Michigan
Petoskey is a city and coastal resort community in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 6,080. It is the county seat of Emmet County....
area, and can be heard as far south as Gaylord
Gaylord, Michigan
Gaylord is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 3,681. It is the county seat of Otsego County. The city is also the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gaylord; it is by far the smallest settlement serving as the location of an active Roman...
and as far north as Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Sault Ste. Marie is a city on the St. Marys River in Algoma District, Ontario, Canada. It is the third largest city in Northern Ontario, after Sudbury and Thunder Bay, with a population of 74,948. The community was founded as a French religious mission: Sault either means "jump" or "rapids" in...
.
At the same time, WAVC 93.9 FM in Mio also joined "The Bear" network, changing from a simulcast of country sister WMKC
WMKC
WMKC is a radio station licensed to Indian River, Michigan. It airs a country music format called Big Country 102.9. WMKD 105.5 in Pickford airs mostly the same programming as WMKC, but IDs separately as "Big Country 105.5." These stations are all owned by Northern Star...
"102.9 Big Country Hits." WAVC delivers a fair to strong signal to the Gaylord, Grayling
Grayling, Michigan
Grayling is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Crawford County. The population was 1,952 at the 2000 census. Grayling takes its name from the Grayling fish that was once prevalent in its lakes and streams....
and Houghton Lake
Houghton Lake, Michigan
Houghton Lake is an unincorporated community in Roscommon Township, Roscommon County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The Census Bureau has defined a census-designated place for statistical purposes with the same name. The population was 3,749 at the 2000 census.The community is situated on the...
areas.
Sources
- Michiguide.com - WGFN History
- Michiguide.com - WCKC History
- Michiguide.com - WLJZ History
- Michiguidecom - WAVC History