WGHN

WGHN-FM (92.1 FM) & WGHN (1370 AM) are a pair of radio stations in Grand Haven, Michigan. The FM broadcasts an adult contemporary format and the AM station broadcasts syndicated sports programming from ESPN Radio.

History

WGHN-AM 1370 signed on on July 16, 1956. The station was founded by Robert Runyon and Robert Kirby, former employees of WOOD radio and television in Grand Rapids. WGHN went through several ownership changes in the next decade. Over the years, the station also moved several times, from its original studios on Washington Avenue (above Grand Haven Jewelry) to Franklin Avenue to South Seventh Street; WGHN has been housed at its current location on South Harbor Street in Grand Haven since 1985.

WGHN-FM 92.1 was added on January 28, 1969. In 1976 the station changed its call letters to WFMG (those calls are now used at 101.3 FM in Richmond, Indiana) and separated programming from its AM sister, airing an easy listening format while the AM station continued with a format of adult contemporary music and talk. After the stations were sold in 1983, the FM's call letters were changed back to WGHN-FM and the two stations resumed simulcasting, which continued until January 4, 2008.

2007-08: Sale and Changes

WGHN owners Bill Struyk, President and General Manager, and Ron Mass, Vice President (known on the air as "Ron Stevens"), announced in April 2007 that they were selling WGHN-AM and WGHN-FM to Lansing-based businessman Will Tieman, owner of Michigan State University's Spartan Sports Network. Struyk told the Grand Haven Tribune that he and Mass were both ready for retirement (1). Despite speculation that Tieman would try to move WGHN out of Grand Haven to become a Muskegon- or Grand Rapids-market station, Tieman told The Muskegon Chronicle that he did not plan to make any major programming changes (see: "New owner plans to keep WGHN local," The Muskegon Chronicle, 08 May 2007) 1, nor would he immediately discontinue WGHN's University of Michigan sports broadcasts in favor of Michigan State sports.

In early January 2008, Will Tieman discontinued WGHN-AM's simulcast of the FM signal and changed the format to ESPN Radio. 92.1 FM continues with its adult contemporary format.

Current Programming

The weekday broadcast lineup on WGHN-FM consists of "Jesse in the Morning" hosted by Jesse Bruce (6 AM - 10 AM) the remainder of the programming is automated. CBS News airs at the top of each hour. The station also carries other programming from CBS (HealthWatch and the Osgood File), Michigan State University Football/Basketball, Focus on the Family, the Back to God Hour, and Words of Hope. A community affairs program "Sunday Forum" airs on Sundays, with the Michigan Radio Network's "Capitol Pressroom" on other Sundays.

In the fall, high school football (rotating between Grand Haven and Spring Lake) airs on Friday nights. Saturdays in the fall have University of Michigan football on WGHN-FM and Michigan State University football on WGHN. The Detroit Lions are carried on Sundays. In the winter high school basketball airs on Tuesday and Friday nights. Michigan State University basketball is also carried on the station. When the Spartans conflict with high school basketball, the Spartans are aired on WGHN and the high school game on WGHN-FM. The high school sports broadcasts are also streamed via WGHN.com.

WGHN (AM 1370) became an ESPN affiliate in January 2008. It is mostly a straight ESPN feed, with local segments in the afternoon from Ryan Terpstra (3 to 5:30 PM) and the syndicated "Huge" show with Bill Simonson. 1370 is also the home for University of Michigan Football/ Westwood One NFL/NCAA Basketball and ESPN Sunday Night Baseball.

Sources

• Michiguide.com - WGHN-FM History
• Michiguide.com - WGHN History

External links

WGHN AM

• Query the FCC's AM station database for WGHN
• Radio-Locator Information on WGHN
• Query Arbitron's AM station database for WGHN

WGHN-FM

• Query the FCC's FM station database for WGHN
• Radio-Locator information on WGHN
• Query Arbitron's FM station database for WGHN