Northern Christian Radio

Northern Christian Radio is a group of non-commercial FM radio stations, based in Gaylord, Michigan.

In the early 1980s a group of Christian men began to explore the possibility of starting a Christian radio station for Northern Michigan. Through their efforts, Northern Christian Radio, Incorporated was formed, and WPHN went on the air on Easter Sunday in 1985.

Northern Christian Radio's main network, which changed its name from "Northern Christian Radio" to 90.5 The Promise FM in the fall of 2009 and includes WPHN, WOLW, WHST, WTHN and the two translators in Petoskey and Newberry, programs a mix of adult contemporary Christian music and teaching programs. Sacred Favorites Radio is also broadcast on a subcarrier of the station.

90.5 The Promise FM is a reporter to Radio and Records' Christian Soft AC/Inspirational playlist panel; it reports under the calls of WOLW, its simulcast station in Cadillac.

Stations

The main station of the network, WPHN, is based in Gaylord, Michigan and operates on 90.5 MHz with 100,000 watts. Northern Christian Radio's studios are located on highway M-32 east of Gaylord. The station has three full-power repeater stations:

• WHST Tawas City, which operates on 106.1 MHz with 25,000 watts and began operation in 2001. The history of WHST can be traced back to 1972, when the station signed on as WDBI, operating originally at 101.7 and later 107.3 MHz with beautiful music and later CHR formats. In 1993 the station became WHST, originally simulcasting 107.7 WHSB in Alpena. Four years later WHST moved from 107.3 to 106.1 and took the name "Mix 106," continuing to air ABC Radio's Best Hits, Best Variety format with some local shows. This continued until the station went dark in 2000, returning to the air the following year with Northern Christian Radio programming.
• WOLW Cadllac, which operates on 91.1 MHz with 50,000 watts and began operation in 1988.
• WTHN Sault Ste. Marie, which operates on 102.3 MHz with 22,500 watts and began operation in 2005.

Additionally, WPHN also has two translators.

• W204AQ Newberry, Michigan on 88.7 MHz with 11 watts (Sacred Favorites Radio on subcarrier)
• W259AH Petoskey, Michigan on 99.7 MHz with 10 watts

In addition, Northern Christian Radio formerly owned and operated WRQC East Tawas, which operates on 91.3 MHz with 20,000 watts and began operation in the summer of 2008. Originally WZHN, WRQC simulcast the programming of its sister stations for several months but eventually adopted a separate format of Christian Rock music as "91-3 The Rock." The station returned to the air on October 22, 2011, after a lengthy period of silence during which the station was sold to Baraga Broadcasting (owners of WTCK in Charlevoix), with Catholic programming from EWTN.

Sources

• Michiguide.com - WPHN History
• Michiguide.com - WHST History
• Michiguide.com - WOLW History
• Michiguide.com - WTHN History

External links

• Query the FCC's FM station database for WPHN
• Radio-Locator information on WPHN
• Query Arbitron's FM station database for WPHN
• Query the FCC's FM station database for WHST
• Radio-Locator information on WHST
• Query Arbitron's FM station database for WHST
• Query the FCC's FM station database for WOLW
• Radio-Locator information on WOLW
• Query Arbitron's FM station database for WOLW
• Query the FCC's FM station database for WTHN
• Radio-Locator information on WTHN
• Query Arbitron's FM station database for WTHN