WUFN
Encyclopedia
WUFN is an FM station in Albion, Michigan
on 96.7 MHz and WUNN is an AM station on 1110 kHz in Mason, Michigan
. Both are non-commercial
, Christian
stations owned by Family Life Radio.
Family Life Radio began in 1966 with a half-hour Christian program aimed at teenagers airing on WIBM-FM (now WVIC
) on 94.1 in Jackson, Michigan
. Warren and Char Bolthouse, founders of Family Life Radio, produced the program in a studio in the basement of their home on Jericho Road near the Kibby Road studio of WIBM. WIBM-FM had begun broadcasting in 1955, but was simulcasting WIBM-AM and had very few listeners.
Soon Warren and Char Bolthouse convinced Booth Broadcasting, the owners of WIBM, to allow them to program the station full-time. Since few people had FM radios in the mid-1960s, they agreed and Family Life Radio began programming the station from the studio in the middle of the Bolthouse basement. Listenership grew as churches in the Jackson area began to encourage their members to purchase an FM radio and tune into the broadcasts.
As FM radio sales increased, Booth informed Family Life Radio they were planning to take back the programming of the station. Family Life Radio looked to Mason, Michigan, half-way between Lansing and Jackson for the location of its first station. WUNN was founded as a 1,000 watt daytime only AM
station in the late 1960s.
Family Life Radio began looking into the possibility of adding an FM station in the Jackson area so they could get both better coverage in the area and provide programming during the night hours. Otis Meyer donated a piece of property to the station near Albion, Michigan next to the I-94 freeway. A station license was purchased from WALM-FM which then built a new WALM-FM (now WBXX
) on 104.9 in nearby Marshall, Michigan
. Soon the tower of WUFN rose on the property and the station began operation in 1971 at 96.7 MHz from a trailer parked on the site. The trailer continued to be used until it was replaced by a Colonial style building in 1995. In December 2003 WUFN increased power from 1,500 watts to 3,200 watts. In 2005 a 36 watt translator began operating on 95.1 in Kalamazoo, Michigan
, and a translator serving Lansing
at 99.9 began operations in 2010.
After trying a Southern Gospel format on WUNN, it was decided to no longer provide separate programming and WUNN began simulcasting WUFN in 2006.
WUNN and WUFN were the first two stations in the Family Life Radio network that now includes 12 full-power stations in Michigan, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Other Michigan stations are WUGN
99.7 MHz Midland, Michigan and WUFL
1030 kHz Detroit, Michigan. WUFN is also simulcasting on WBFN
1400 AM in Battle Creek, which is currently in Clear Channel Communications
' Aloha Station Trust and is being gifted to Family Life Radio.
NOTE: W260BX lists WUNN-AM 1110 as its primary operating station.
Albion, Michigan
Albion is a city in Calhoun County in the south central region of the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. The population was 9,144 at the 2000 census and is part of the Battle Creek Metropolitan Statistical Area...
on 96.7 MHz and WUNN is an AM station on 1110 kHz in Mason, Michigan
Mason, Michigan
Mason is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is named after the state's first governor, Stevens T. Mason. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,252. It is the county seat of Ingham County. Mason is the only city in the U.S. that serves as a county seat ahead of a state capital,...
. Both are non-commercial
Non-commercial
Non-commercial refers to an activity or entity that does not in some sense involve commerce, at least relative to similar activities that do have a commercial objective or emphasis...
, Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
stations owned by Family Life Radio.
Family Life Radio began in 1966 with a half-hour Christian program aimed at teenagers airing on WIBM-FM (now WVIC
WVIC
WVIC is a radio station broadcasting a modern rock format. Licensed to Jackson, Michigan, it first began broadcasting on July 14, 1958 as WMKZ-FM simulcasting WIBM-AM. The station broadcasts from a tower near Springport, Michigan. The station can be heard from Kalamazoo to Ypsilanti, and from...
) on 94.1 in Jackson, Michigan
Jackson, Michigan
Jackson is a city located along Interstate 94 in the south central area of the U.S. state of Michigan, about west of Ann Arbor and south of Lansing. It is the county seat of Jackson County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 33,534...
. Warren and Char Bolthouse, founders of Family Life Radio, produced the program in a studio in the basement of their home on Jericho Road near the Kibby Road studio of WIBM. WIBM-FM had begun broadcasting in 1955, but was simulcasting WIBM-AM and had very few listeners.
Soon Warren and Char Bolthouse convinced Booth Broadcasting, the owners of WIBM, to allow them to program the station full-time. Since few people had FM radios in the mid-1960s, they agreed and Family Life Radio began programming the station from the studio in the middle of the Bolthouse basement. Listenership grew as churches in the Jackson area began to encourage their members to purchase an FM radio and tune into the broadcasts.
As FM radio sales increased, Booth informed Family Life Radio they were planning to take back the programming of the station. Family Life Radio looked to Mason, Michigan, half-way between Lansing and Jackson for the location of its first station. WUNN was founded as a 1,000 watt daytime only AM
AM broadcasting
AM broadcasting is the process of radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation. AM was the first method of impressing sound on a radio signal and is still widely used today. Commercial and public AM broadcasting is carried out in the medium wave band world wide, and on long wave and short wave...
station in the late 1960s.
Family Life Radio began looking into the possibility of adding an FM station in the Jackson area so they could get both better coverage in the area and provide programming during the night hours. Otis Meyer donated a piece of property to the station near Albion, Michigan next to the I-94 freeway. A station license was purchased from WALM-FM which then built a new WALM-FM (now WBXX
WBXX (FM)
WBXX is a radio station in Battle Creek, Michigan that broadcasts at 104.9 MHz. WBXX broadcasts an adult contemporary format and is now known as "Mix 104-9" after dropping its "Battle Creek's favorite at-work listening station" slogan sometime in December 2007....
) on 104.9 in nearby Marshall, Michigan
Marshall, Michigan
Marshall is a city located in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of the Battle Creek, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 7,459. It is the county seat of Calhoun County...
. Soon the tower of WUFN rose on the property and the station began operation in 1971 at 96.7 MHz from a trailer parked on the site. The trailer continued to be used until it was replaced by a Colonial style building in 1995. In December 2003 WUFN increased power from 1,500 watts to 3,200 watts. In 2005 a 36 watt translator began operating on 95.1 in Kalamazoo, Michigan
Kalamazoo, Michigan
The area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...
, and a translator serving Lansing
Lansing, Michigan
Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...
at 99.9 began operations in 2010.
After trying a Southern Gospel format on WUNN, it was decided to no longer provide separate programming and WUNN began simulcasting WUFN in 2006.
WUNN and WUFN were the first two stations in the Family Life Radio network that now includes 12 full-power stations in Michigan, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Other Michigan stations are WUGN
WUGN
WUGN is a non-commercial Christian FM radio station in Midland, Michigan, operating on 99.7 MHz. The station broadcasts with 100,000 watts from a 997 foot tower, giving it a strong signal throughout the middle of the mitten of Michigan from Houghton Lake southward to Lansing and Flint...
99.7 MHz Midland, Michigan and WUFL
WUFL
WUFL is a non-commercial Christian AM radio station in Sterling Heights, Michigan, operating on 1030 kHz. The station broadcasts with 5,000 watts, daytime only, with coverage of the Detroit, Michigan metropolitan area....
1030 kHz Detroit, Michigan. WUFN is also simulcasting on WBFN
WBFN
WBFN is a radio station in Battle Creek, Michigan, that broadcasts an adult contemporary Christian music and religious teaching format at 1400 kHz....
1400 AM in Battle Creek, which is currently in Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
' Aloha Station Trust and is being gifted to Family Life Radio.
Translators
In addition to the main station, WUFN is relayed by an additional two translators to widen its broadcast area.NOTE: W260BX lists WUNN-AM 1110 as its primary operating station.