| |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 1340kHz |
| Branding | The Ticket |
| Programming | |
| Format | Sports |
| Affiliations | |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
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| History | |
First air date | September 16,1940 (as WLAV) |
Former call signs |
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Call sign meaning | WJR in Western Michigan[1] |
| Technical information[2] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 41679 |
| Class | C |
| Power | 1,000 watts unlimited |
Transmitter coordinates | 42°57′5.1″N85°41′55.1″W / 42.951417°N 85.698639°W /42.951417; -85.698639 |
| Translator | 106.1 W291DJ (Grand Rapids) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live |
| Website | theticketmi.com |
WJRW (1340AM) – branded asThe Ticket – is a commercialsports radio station licensed toGrand Rapids, Michigan, serving theGrand Rapids metropolitan area. Owned byCumulus Media, WJRW is the Grand Rapidsaffiliate for theBetMGM Network,Infinity Sports Network, andFox Sports Radio. The WJRW studios and transmitter both reside in Grand Rapids. In addition to a standardanalog transmission, the station also simulcasts over low-power FMtranslator W291DJ (106.1 FM) and is available online.
On September 16, 1940, the stationsigned on under the WLAVcall sign (which stood for Leonard Adrian Versluis, the station's original owner). It was Grand Rapids' second radio station. Versluis addedWLAV-FM in 1947 and WLAV-TV, West Michigan's first television station, in 1949. He sold the television station to the owners of Grand Rapids' first radio station,WOOD; it is nowWOOD-TV.
WLAV became a full-timeTop 40 music station in the summer of 1963, and was originally consulted byMike Joseph, who later on went to develop theHot Hits format in the late 1970s. One popular WLAV personality was Larry Adderley, who later worked as a sportscaster at various radio and TV stations in the Detroitmedia market as well as an announcer for theDetroit Tigers.
WLAV soon overtook rival stationsWGRD andWMAX as the dominant hit music station in Grand Rapids, but its market share declined in the 1970s with the popularity of FM stations such asWZZM-FM,WGRD-FM, and WLAV's ownsister station WLAV-FM, which found success as analbum rock station. "Music Radio WLAV" went to a moreadult contemporary sound in 1974, which continued until 1980, when the station tried atalk radio format as the "1340 Townhouse", featuring popular talk show hosts Lee Harris and Bob Kwesell. Along with the new format came new call letters, WTWN.
The heritage WLAV call letters were restored in 1984, and the station flipped tooldies, which lasted for the next eight years. Although WLAV was a modest success with oldies, it was hurt whenWODJ debuted in 1989 as an FM oldies station with a stronger signal and swept the ratings.
In 1993, the format changed to amodern rock-based sound called "1340 Underground". This happened shortly after an experiment with changing the format to modern rock on WLAV-FM had failed. WLAV-FM then reverted toclassic rock. The "1340 Underground" format gained a considerable cult following in the Grand Rapids area, even though its night-time signal was poor.[citation needed]
The callsign WBBL and sports radio format debuted on May 25, 1994, when ownership of the radio station had changed.[3] On May 28, 2009, WBBL began simulcasting its sports programming on 107.3 FM inGreenville, which became WBBL-FM.
On July 27, 2009, the call sign on 1340 AM was changed to WJRW and the format was changed totalk radio on Tuesday, August 18, 2009.[4] The callsign WJRW was chosen to remind listeners that the station is co-owned and would carry many of the sameWestwood One shows that are heard on 50,000–watt Detroit stationWJR. The extra "W" signifies the Grand Rapids station is in the Western part of Michigan. WBBL-FM continued airing sports.
On January 8, 2011, thesyndicated weeklyKim Komando Show switched to WJRW after airing for a decade on a competing station.[5] Shortly thereafter, Komando's technology column began appearing in the Sunday edition ofThe Grand Rapids Press.[6] On March 31, 2011, it was announced that local radio veteran Michelle McKormick would be joining WJRW as host ofThe Buzz with Michelle McKormick. Her show debuted on June 6, 2011.[7]
On January 4, 2019, the station switched tosports radio following the flip of co-owned WBBL-FM from sports tocountry music.[8][9] WJRW now carries a couple of shows previously heard on WBBL-FM, as well as programming from theCBS Sports Radio Network.
| Call sign | Frequency | City of license | FID | ERP (W) | HAAT | Class | Transmitter coordinates | FCC info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W291DJ | 106.1 FM | Grand Rapids, Michigan | 200865 | 75 | 79 m (259 ft) | D | 42°57′6″N85°41′56″W / 42.95167°N 85.69889°W /42.95167; -85.69889 | LMS |