 | |
| Frequency | 1230kHz |
|---|---|
| Branding | AM 1230 WTKG |
| Programming | |
| Format | News/talk/sports |
| Affiliations | ABC News Radio Fox News Radio Fox Sports Radio Compass Media Networks Michigan Radio Network Detroit Pistons Detroit Red Wings |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| WBCT,WBFX,WMAX-FM,WOOD,WSNX-FM,WSRW-FM | |
| History | |
First air date | February 8, 1945; 80 years ago (1945-02-08) |
Former call signs | WJEF (1945–1973) WCUZ (1973–1997) |
Call sign meaning | Talk Grand Rapids |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 51729 |
| Class | C |
| Power | 1,000watts |
| Repeater | 96.1WMAX-HD2 (Holland) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | wtkg.iheart.com |
WTKG (1230AM) is aradio station broadcasting anews/talk/sportsformat consisting ofnews andsports. Licensed toGrand Rapids, Michigan, United States, and now owned byiHeartMedia, Inc., Previous to adopting the current calls and format in 1997, the station playedcountry under the WJEF (the station on which radio Hall of FamerWally Phillips started his career) and WCUZ calls.
The station began as WJEF (1230 AM) on February 8, 1945 with studios located on the 10th floor of the Pantlind Hotel (Amway Grand Plaza Hotel) in Downtown Grand Rapids, Mi. It's ERP at that time was 250 Watts. It would be Grand Rapids 3rd radio station behindWOOD (AM) and WLAV-AM. It also was a sister station toWKZO (590 AM) in Kalamazoo which was also owned byJohn E. Fetzer. In 1951, WJEF would gain an FM sister station in WJEF-FM (WBCT)(93.7). The AM station was sold to Pathfinder Communications in 1973 and would take on the WCUZ calls on June 18 of 1973. WCUZ-AM and later WCUZ-AM/FM would be Grand Rapids only country music station until 1992 when in a weird twist of fate, former FM sister WBCT ended WCUZ's hold on the Grand Rapids country music radio audience. During the early 1980s the station would begin broadcasting in AM stereo with the Magnavox system. However AM Stereo broadcasting would end when the MotorolaC-QUAM standard won out. In 1992 WCUZ-AM's former sister stationWBCT (93.7)(WJEF and later WJFM-FM)would also be sold by Fetzer Broadcasting.WBCT flipped to a country format and went head to head with WCUZ. In the endWBCT would win out, likely due to the facts that WBCT has a grandfathered 320,000 watt superpower signal and (more likely) because they targeted the younger generation of listeners recently discovering country music.
WTKG was an affiliate of theWestern Michigan University "Broncos Radio Network" and carried all of the Broncosfootball andmen's basketball games. WTKG was dropped as an affiliate afterWMAX was added for both sports.
42°59′42″N85°40′36″W / 42.99500°N 85.67667°W /42.99500; -85.67667
  | This article about a radio station in Michigan is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |