WJYM
Encyclopedia
WJYM is an American
radio station licensed to broadcast from Bowling Green, Ohio
. Its studios and transmitter are located in Lime City near Perrysburg
, and the station serves the Toledo
metropolitan area.
Presently, WJYM is a Christian radio station
, and is owned by the ministry of noted evangelist
Jimmy Swaggart
. It operates 24 hours a day with 1 kW during daylight hours, and reduced power of 250 W and 59 W during post-sunset, nighttime, and pre-sunrise hours.
format before the late 70s when it became WJYM, "Son Life Radio." The call letters are evocative of the name "Jim", after owner Jimmy Swaggart. For many years the station operated locally with a full staff of approximately 12. During this time WJYM carried Bowling Green State University
football and basketball games in conjunction with WFOB and WBVI, as the nighttime signal of WJYM could be heard as far away as Columbus and Dayton, Ohio, and Fort Wayne and Indianapolis, Indiana.
In the late 1990s all operations were transferred to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and WJYM currently simulcasts the signal of WJFM, located at the headquarters of Jimmy Swaggart Ministries.
WJYM signed on under the original calls WWBG operating with 250 watts using two towers located East of Bowling Green, Ohio
just off US 6
. The station operated daytime only. Howard Ward, the original owner then changed the calls to WTLG for "We're Toledo's Little Giant" and moved studios to The Secor Hotel in Toledo.
Ward was famous for stunting including a fight he had with General Telephone
(GTE) concerning a teletype circuit which they could not provide to his station in rural Bowling Green. Ward purchased an old truck and painted "WTLG Carrier Pigion news service" on the side and made a ceremony each day of driving it through the streets of Bowling Green to supposedly return his birds for dispatch of news releases out to his station from downtown. The local papers and wire services picked up on the story which embarrassed GTE. When GTE still would not budge he announced that he was giving away a free savings bond to the 10th caller to his station. He did not answer the phones during the contest and successfully locked up the GTE system in Bowling Green several times until they obtained an injunction against him.
Later, a Tornado formed East of Bowling Green and took down both towers. Ward planted several telephone poles then floated a temporary antenna wire with helium balloons until a local farmer shot them down. The towers, studio building and grounds were abandoned for many years.
The station was off air until moved to the present location in Lime City and returned to the air with 1,000 watts day and four towers with the calls WHRW, Ward's initials. He then sold to Max Good who changed calls to WMGS for "With more good sounds" or as the D.J's of the station used to say "MAX GOODS STATION".
Under a country format the station sported DJs, including Jim Bonnett as "Big Jim" and was the station manager until 1966, Roger Price as "Pistol Pete" and P.D.1962-1966, Johnny Dauro as "Lonesome John" and manager 1966-1970, George Lubgate as "Tiny Tim", Ron Kitchen as "Ron the Dude" and P.D.1966, Lowell Thomas (Not the famous newscaster) as "L.T.", Bob Zrake as "Buffalo Bob", Jerry Kiefer as P.D. in 1972, Earl Sharninghouse as "Rick Allen" and P.D.and Chief engineer in 1972 1973, Ken Robey as "Ken Roberts", Dennis Rutherford Chief engineer and part time air 1973, Klaus Helfers as "J.P. Jones" and The Reverend Max Good, who preached daily. The chief engineer Bob Daney handled most of the weekend air programming just playing music and giving station ID's from '62 thru 72. Weekdays from 9 to noon featured all Gospel and religious programing, with country music at all other times. WMGS broke the Toledo market in with country music.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
radio station licensed to broadcast from Bowling Green, Ohio
Bowling Green, Ohio
Bowling Green is the county seat of Wood County in the U.S. state of Ohio. At the time of the 2010 census, the population of Bowling Green was 30,028. It is part of the Toledo, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bowling Green is the home of Bowling Green State University...
. Its studios and transmitter are located in Lime City near Perrysburg
Perrysburg, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,945 people, 6,592 households, and 4,561 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,899.2 people per square mile . There were 6,964 housing units at an average density of 780.5 per square mile...
, and the station serves the Toledo
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
metropolitan area.
Presently, WJYM is a Christian radio station
Christian radio
Christian radio is a category of radio formats that focus on transmitting programming with a Christian message. In the United States, where it is more established, many such broadcasters play popular music of Christian influence, though many programs have talk or news programming covering...
, and is owned by the ministry of noted evangelist
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
Jimmy Swaggart
Jimmy Swaggart
Jimmy Lee Swaggart is a Pentecostal American pastor, teacher, musician, television host, and televangelist. He has preached to crowds around the world through his weekly telecast...
. It operates 24 hours a day with 1 kW during daylight hours, and reduced power of 250 W and 59 W during post-sunset, nighttime, and pre-sunrise hours.
History
Previously, it was a clear-channel 5-kW station known as WHRW, after its owner and founder, Howard Ward. As a daytime-only station in the 1960s as WWBG with a middle of the road format then in 1962 as WMGS with a country musicCountry music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
format before the late 70s when it became WJYM, "Son Life Radio." The call letters are evocative of the name "Jim", after owner Jimmy Swaggart. For many years the station operated locally with a full staff of approximately 12. During this time WJYM carried Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green State University, often referred to as Bowling Green or BGSU, is a public, coeducational research university located in Bowling Green, Ohio, United States. The institution was granted a charter in 1910 by the State of Ohio as part of the Lowry Bill, which also established Kent State...
football and basketball games in conjunction with WFOB and WBVI, as the nighttime signal of WJYM could be heard as far away as Columbus and Dayton, Ohio, and Fort Wayne and Indianapolis, Indiana.
In the late 1990s all operations were transferred to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and WJYM currently simulcasts the signal of WJFM, located at the headquarters of Jimmy Swaggart Ministries.
WJYM signed on under the original calls WWBG operating with 250 watts using two towers located East of Bowling Green, Ohio
Bowling Green, Ohio
Bowling Green is the county seat of Wood County in the U.S. state of Ohio. At the time of the 2010 census, the population of Bowling Green was 30,028. It is part of the Toledo, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bowling Green is the home of Bowling Green State University...
just off US 6
U.S. Route 6
U.S. Route 6 , also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, a name that honors an American Civil War veterans association, is a main route of the U.S. Highway system, running east-northeast from Bishop, California to Provincetown, Massachusetts. Until 1964, it continued south from Bishop to...
. The station operated daytime only. Howard Ward, the original owner then changed the calls to WTLG for "We're Toledo's Little Giant" and moved studios to The Secor Hotel in Toledo.
Ward was famous for stunting including a fight he had with General Telephone
GTE
GTE Corporation, formerly General Telephone & Electronics Corporation was the largest independent telephone company in the United States during the days of the Bell System....
(GTE) concerning a teletype circuit which they could not provide to his station in rural Bowling Green. Ward purchased an old truck and painted "WTLG Carrier Pigion news service" on the side and made a ceremony each day of driving it through the streets of Bowling Green to supposedly return his birds for dispatch of news releases out to his station from downtown. The local papers and wire services picked up on the story which embarrassed GTE. When GTE still would not budge he announced that he was giving away a free savings bond to the 10th caller to his station. He did not answer the phones during the contest and successfully locked up the GTE system in Bowling Green several times until they obtained an injunction against him.
Later, a Tornado formed East of Bowling Green and took down both towers. Ward planted several telephone poles then floated a temporary antenna wire with helium balloons until a local farmer shot them down. The towers, studio building and grounds were abandoned for many years.
The station was off air until moved to the present location in Lime City and returned to the air with 1,000 watts day and four towers with the calls WHRW, Ward's initials. He then sold to Max Good who changed calls to WMGS for "With more good sounds" or as the D.J's of the station used to say "MAX GOODS STATION".
Under a country format the station sported DJs, including Jim Bonnett as "Big Jim" and was the station manager until 1966, Roger Price as "Pistol Pete" and P.D.1962-1966, Johnny Dauro as "Lonesome John" and manager 1966-1970, George Lubgate as "Tiny Tim", Ron Kitchen as "Ron the Dude" and P.D.1966, Lowell Thomas (Not the famous newscaster) as "L.T.", Bob Zrake as "Buffalo Bob", Jerry Kiefer as P.D. in 1972, Earl Sharninghouse as "Rick Allen" and P.D.and Chief engineer in 1972 1973, Ken Robey as "Ken Roberts", Dennis Rutherford Chief engineer and part time air 1973, Klaus Helfers as "J.P. Jones" and The Reverend Max Good, who preached daily. The chief engineer Bob Daney handled most of the weekend air programming just playing music and giving station ID's from '62 thru 72. Weekdays from 9 to noon featured all Gospel and religious programing, with country music at all other times. WMGS broke the Toledo market in with country music.