WJYM

WJYM is an American radio station licensed to broadcast from Bowling Green, Ohio. Its studios and transmitter are located in Lime City near Perrysburg, and the station serves the Toledo metropolitan area.

Presently, WJYM is a Christian radio station, and is owned by the ministry of noted evangelist Jimmy Swaggart. It operates 24 hours a day with 1 kW during daylight hours, and reduced power of 250 W and 359 W during post-sunset, nighttime, and pre-sunrise hours.

History

Previously, it was a clear-channel 5-kW station known as WHRW, after its owner and founder, Howard Ward. As a daytime-only station in the 1960s as WWBG with a middle of the road format then in 1962 as WMGS with a country music format before the late 70s when it became WJYM, "Son Life Radio." The call letters are evocative of the name "Jim", after owner Jimmy Swaggart. For many years the station operated locally with a full staff of approximately 12. During this time WJYM carried Bowling Green State University football and basketball games in conjunction with WFOB and WBVI, as the nighttime signal of WJYM could be heard as far away as Columbus and Dayton, Ohio, and Fort Wayne and Indianapolis, Indiana.

In the late 1990s all operations were transferred to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and WJYM currently simulcasts the signal of WJFM, located at the headquarters of Jimmy Swaggart Ministries.

WJYM signed on under the original calls WWBG operating with 250 watts using two towers located East of Bowling Green, Ohio just off US 6. The station operated daytime only. Howard Ward, the original owner then changed the calls to WTLG for "We're Toledo's Little Giant" and moved studios to The Secor Hotel in Toledo.

Ward was famous for stunting including a fight he had with General Telephone (GTE) concerning a teletype circuit which they could not provide to his station in rural Bowling Green. Ward purchased an old truck and painted "WTLG Carrier Pigion news service" on the side and made a ceremony each day of driving it through the streets of Bowling Green to supposedly return his birds for dispatch of news releases out to his station from downtown. The local papers and wire services picked up on the story which embarrassed GTE. When GTE still would not budge he announced that he was giving away a free savings bond to the 10th caller to his station. He did not answer the phones during the contest and successfully locked up the GTE system in Bowling Green several times until they obtained an injunction against him.

Later, a Tornado formed East of Bowling Green and took down both towers. Ward planted several telephone poles then floated a temporary antenna wire with helium balloons until a local farmer shot them down. The towers, studio building and grounds were abandoned for many years.

The station was off air until moved to the present location in Lime City and returned to the air with 1,000 watts day and four towers with the calls WHRW, Ward's initials. He then sold to Max Good who changed calls to WMGS for "With more good sounds" or as the D.J's of the station used to say "MAX GOODS STATION". The Program Director was George Mishler who did the Midday personality slot. The Morning Drive announcer was Roy Blair, and the afternoon music host was Jim Hamilton. The music was comparable to a MOR format - only much broader. When the format changed to country, George Mishler went to work for the Voice of America in Washington DC where he ultimately became a manager of the Special English programming. Jim Hamilton headed for Chicago and Roy Blair after spending time as "COUSIN ROY" on the air playing country music, went to Bowling Green State University to complete his B.A. in English. During this time, Roy announced for WFOB AM/FM, Fostoria and began work at WSPD AM after graduation. After WSPD AM, Roy was next heard on WJBK-TV 2, Detroit.

Under a country format the station sported DJs, including Jim Bonnett as "Big Jim" and was the station manager until 1966, Roger Price as "Pistol Pete" and P.D.1962-1966, Johnny Dauro as "Lonesome John" and manager 1966-1970, Roy Blair as Cousin Roy,George Lubgate as "Tiny Tim", Ron Kitchen as "Ron the Dude" and P.D.1966, Lowell Thomas (Not the famous newscaster) as "L.T.", Bob Zrake as "Buffalo Bob", Jerry Kiefer as P.D. in 1972, Earl Sharninghouse as "Rick Allen" and P.D.and Chief engineer in 1972 1973, Ken Robey as "Ken Roberts", Dennis Rutherford Chief engineer and part time air 1973, Klaus Helfers as "J.P. Jones" and The Reverend Max Good, who preached daily. Originally WMGS was an MOR station with a couple of hours of country programming per week, but by 1965 the station was airing country programming full-time. The chief engineer Bob Daney handled most of the weekend air programming just playing music and giving station ID's from '62 thru 72. Weekdays from 9 to noon featured all Gospel and religious programing, with country music at all other times. WMGS broke the Toledo market in with country music.

External links

• Query the FCC's AM station database for WJYM
• Radio-Locator Information on WJYM
• Query Nielsen Audio's AM station database for WJYM

Coordinates: 41°31′57″N 83°33′55″W / 41.53250°N 83.56528°W / 41.53250; -83.56528