WPON
Encyclopedia
WPON is a radio station
in the Detroit market, broadcasting from a 6-tower array in Walled Lake, Michigan
. WPON was founded in September 1954, with studios in Pontiac, Michigan
, and towers located at the corner of Square Lake Road and Telegraph Road in neighboring Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
.
The station was owned for many years by Chief Pontiac Broadcasting, broadcasting such formats as top-40 and Country music. Broadcasting at 1000 watts omnidirectional, the station covered the majority of Oakland County. The station was sold in 1986 to Algis Zaparakis, who in turn sold the land containing the tower array in Bloomfield Hills to developers, and moved the tower array to a swamp near Wolverine Lake in Walled Lake, Michigan
. The move forced WPON to change its power to 1000 watts directional daytime, and 760 watts directional nighttime. This change in power saw many of WPON's listeners unable to pick up the station's signal in much of its former coverage area. The format was changed to ethnic in 1986, and stayed this way until the station was purchased in 1995 by Foreign Radio Programs, Inc. Under the leadership of station manager Marie Fotion, WPON started a semi-successful "Talk and Oldies" brokered radio format in 1997, specializing in hard-to-find oldies from the 1950s through the early 1970s. More recently the station also began airing pre-rock "traditional" pop/nostalgia hits from the early and mid-1950s mixed in with the rock and roll oldies, possibly to appease fans of CKWW-AM, a former adult standards
station which now also plays rock oldies.
WPON was again sold in 2003 to Birach Broadcasting Corporation
, who closed the old Bloomfield Hills studios and moved operations to Birach headquarters located in the Town Center Plaza in Southfield, Michigan
. WPON is streaming their "Talk and Rare Oldies" format live through their website.
The station is currently off the air.
For many years, "Crazy Al" (Allyn Schmitz) hosted the morning show "Crazy Al's Radio Party" along with Larry Matthews and others. The program saw a variety of guests from the community as well as moderately popular "oldies" musicians. Crazy Al, known for his wildly over-the-top personality brought rare oldies and talk to the community until Al and the gang left WPON in May 2004, shortly after the sale of the station to Birach Broadcasting Corporation
. Al continues broadcasting his show via http://www.industrialinfo.com
Travel aficionado, Michael Dwyer hosted weekly radio program "Travel and Adventure" for many years. Dwyer, a freelance travel columnist in Detroit, brought his love for traveling to the airwaves of WPON. Dwyer also worked as a board operator, and like many others, left the station shortly after being sold. Dwyer, along with Jimmy James, and Ted Eberly were said to have left WPON in July 2004 because an agreement could not be reached between them and new owner Birach Broadcasting.
WPON is widely known throughout Detroit's large Indian American
and Desi
population. It has many shows featuring Hindi and other Indian language songs such as Geet Mala, Rockin Raga, Manorajan, Vividh Bharti, Voices of Pakistan, Dil Dil Pakistan and Tamil Amudham.
in Fenton
broadcasting from the WPON studio and still streaming from the WPON web site. Birach plans to eventually relocate WPON and WCXI to the same broadcast tower near Wixom, Michigan
, a few miles west of the old WPON site (which has been razed). Both WPON and WCXI have been issued construction permits for new facilities from the new site, WCXI for 15,000 watts days and 1,000 watts nights, and WPON for 670 watts days and 175 watts nights.
As of August 2011, WPON is still silent and programming is still being carried over WCXI and the WPON Internet stream.
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
in the Detroit market, broadcasting from a 6-tower array in Walled Lake, Michigan
Walled Lake, Michigan
Walled Lake is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 6,999 at the 2010 census.-Origins of the name:The town's name is said to have been given by the first Euro-American settler, Walter Hewitt, in 1825...
. WPON was founded in September 1954, with studios in Pontiac, Michigan
Pontiac, Michigan
Pontiac is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan named after the Ottawa Chief Pontiac, located within the Detroit metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 59,515. It is the county seat of Oakland County...
, and towers located at the corner of Square Lake Road and Telegraph Road in neighboring Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Bloomfield Hills is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan, northwest of downtown Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,869...
.
The station was owned for many years by Chief Pontiac Broadcasting, broadcasting such formats as top-40 and Country music. Broadcasting at 1000 watts omnidirectional, the station covered the majority of Oakland County. The station was sold in 1986 to Algis Zaparakis, who in turn sold the land containing the tower array in Bloomfield Hills to developers, and moved the tower array to a swamp near Wolverine Lake in Walled Lake, Michigan
Walled Lake, Michigan
Walled Lake is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 6,999 at the 2010 census.-Origins of the name:The town's name is said to have been given by the first Euro-American settler, Walter Hewitt, in 1825...
. The move forced WPON to change its power to 1000 watts directional daytime, and 760 watts directional nighttime. This change in power saw many of WPON's listeners unable to pick up the station's signal in much of its former coverage area. The format was changed to ethnic in 1986, and stayed this way until the station was purchased in 1995 by Foreign Radio Programs, Inc. Under the leadership of station manager Marie Fotion, WPON started a semi-successful "Talk and Oldies" brokered radio format in 1997, specializing in hard-to-find oldies from the 1950s through the early 1970s. More recently the station also began airing pre-rock "traditional" pop/nostalgia hits from the early and mid-1950s mixed in with the rock and roll oldies, possibly to appease fans of CKWW-AM, a former 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...
station which now also plays rock oldies.
WPON was again sold in 2003 to Birach Broadcasting Corporation
Birach Broadcasting Corporation
Birach Broadcasting Corporation is a Southfield, Michigan-based company that owns several AM radio stations and one low-power television station in the US....
, who closed the old Bloomfield Hills studios and moved operations to Birach headquarters located in the Town Center Plaza in Southfield, Michigan
Southfield, Michigan
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which 0.04% is water. The main branch of the River Rouge runs through Southfield. The city is bounded to the south by Eight Mile Road, its western border is Inkster Road, and to the east it is bounded by Greenfield Road...
. WPON is streaming their "Talk and Rare Oldies" format live through their website.
The station is currently off the air.
Shows, hosts and DJ's
Through the years, WPON was home for many of to metro-Detroit area's finest on-air talent, aspiring and seasoned alike.For many years, "Crazy Al" (Allyn Schmitz) hosted the morning show "Crazy Al's Radio Party" along with Larry Matthews and others. The program saw a variety of guests from the community as well as moderately popular "oldies" musicians. Crazy Al, known for his wildly over-the-top personality brought rare oldies and talk to the community until Al and the gang left WPON in May 2004, shortly after the sale of the station to Birach Broadcasting Corporation
Birach Broadcasting Corporation
Birach Broadcasting Corporation is a Southfield, Michigan-based company that owns several AM radio stations and one low-power television station in the US....
. Al continues broadcasting his show via http://www.industrialinfo.com
Travel aficionado, Michael Dwyer hosted weekly radio program "Travel and Adventure" for many years. Dwyer, a freelance travel columnist in Detroit, brought his love for traveling to the airwaves of WPON. Dwyer also worked as a board operator, and like many others, left the station shortly after being sold. Dwyer, along with Jimmy James, and Ted Eberly were said to have left WPON in July 2004 because an agreement could not be reached between them and new owner Birach Broadcasting.
WPON is widely known throughout Detroit's large Indian American
Indian American
Indian Americans are Americans whose ancestral roots lie in India. The U.S. Census Bureau popularized the term Asian Indian to avoid confusion with Indigenous peoples of the Americas who are commonly referred to as American Indians.-The term: Indian:...
and Desi
Desi
Desi or Deshi refers to the people, cultures, and products of the Indian subcontinent and, increasingly, to the people, cultures, and products of their diaspora. Desi countries include India, Pakistan, Bangladesh...
population. It has many shows featuring Hindi and other Indian language songs such as Geet Mala, Rockin Raga, Manorajan, Vividh Bharti, Voices of Pakistan, Dil Dil Pakistan and Tamil Amudham.
Programming shifted to WCXI
On October 2010, WPON went silent so the station could make improvements to its broadcast signal. Programming has been shifted to co-owned WCXIWCXI
WCXI is a radio station licensed to Fenton, Michigan. The station broadcasts to the Flint area and the northwestern suburbs of Detroit....
in Fenton
Fenton, Michigan
Fenton is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan that lies mostly in Genesee County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 11,756. The city was incorporated from Fenton Township in Genesee County, and the city and township are administratively autonomous.-History:In the 1970s, the city...
broadcasting from the WPON studio and still streaming from the WPON web site. Birach plans to eventually relocate WPON and WCXI to the same broadcast tower near Wixom, Michigan
Wixom, Michigan
Wixom is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 13,498 at the 2010 census. The city was home to the former Wixom Assembly Plant, which produced the Lincoln LS, the Ford Thunderbird, the Ford GT, and the Lincoln Town Car...
, a few miles west of the old WPON site (which has been razed). Both WPON and WCXI have been issued construction permits for new facilities from the new site, WCXI for 15,000 watts days and 1,000 watts nights, and WPON for 670 watts days and 175 watts nights.
As of August 2011, WPON is still silent and programming is still being carried over WCXI and the WPON Internet stream.