Smile FM
 | |
| Slogan | "Michigan's Positive Hits" |
|---|---|
| Format | Religious; Contemporary Christian |
| Owner | Superior Communications |
| Webcast | http://www.smile.fm/streaming/ |
| Website | http://www.smile.fm |
Smile FM is a network of non-commercial, contemporary Christian radio stations. Most programming originates from studios in Williamston, Michigan (just east of Lansing) and is relayed (with local inserts) by an expanding number of stations throughout the state. The network also has studios in Imlay City, Michigan.
Smile FM was originally two separate networks. The first, The Light, was founded on December 2, 1996 when WLGH Lansing, Michigan began broadcasting. The second, Joy FM, began on December 12, 2000 with WHYT (renamed as WWKM and again as WDTR) in Imlay City. While both played contemporary Christian music, The Light aimed for a younger audience. In June 2004 the two networks were combined to form Smile FM in a "wedding ceremony" conducted at Oldsmobile Park in Lansing. The new name eliminated confusion since many other unrelated stations used The Light and Joy FM names.
The network is notable for putting stations on the air at a low cost. They lease existing towers and use voice tracking. This allows the network to operate with a minimal number of employees. Unlike many Christian stations, they play music with only a few short breaks for weather, news, announcements and features. Smile FM has also pioneered the use of new technology to help distribute and customize its programming, including developing an emergency weather notification system that is faster and more reliable than the required EAS system (which they also operate).
The network's stations, although having the same ownership, are officially owned by one of four non-profit entities: Superior Communications, Michigan Community Radio, Northland Community Broadcasters and Smile FM. All four were founded by Jennifer and Edward Czelada.
WCZE 103.7 Harbor Beach, owned by Jennifer and Edward Czelada, aired Smile FM programming until December 12, 2012, when WSMB Harbor Beach began broadcasting.
In January 2008, Smile FM established WWKM (now WDTR) Imlay City as the flagship of an experimental Smile FM Praise network playing Christian contemporary worship music. Previously, the station had broadcast traditional Christian music and hymns. The Smile FM Praise experiment was ended in 2009 and plans made to move that station to the northern suburbs of Detroit.
The owners have often recycled the call letters of famous Michigan stations of the past for their stations. WDTR (now WRCJ), WHYT (now WDVD), and WVMV (now WDZH) were once used by Detroit stations. WTAC (now WSNL) was the leading top 40 station in Flint during the 1960s (and, ironically, a pioneering contemporary Christian station during the 1980s). WKPK was used by a popular top 40 station of the 1980s and 1990s in northern Michigan (now WSRT). WAIR was an oldies station in northern Michigan (now WFCX) and the calls were also used for a construction permit for a station in Honor (now WSRJ). WWKM was a now-defunct station in Harrison (and Smile FM's 88.5 FM station in the Alpena area, WSFP, once bore the calls of WWKM's sister station WKKM, which is now WTWS in Houghton Lake).
Others were named for the original formats of the stations. WLGH and WTLI were The Light. All of the stations beginning with WJ were in or scheduled to be in the Joy FM network. All call letters beginning with WDT (WDTE, WDTP and WDTR) serve portions of the Detroit metropolitan area.
On-air staff
- Jenn Czelada (Morning Expresso from Imlay City)
- Brian Dumont (Morning Expresso from Lansing)
- Dennis
- Wayne Marks
- Amanda
- Rob Dale (Weather; former WLNS meteorologist)
- Vivian Nitecki (News headlines)
- Andy Delancey (News headlines)
- Faron Dice
- Rob Dempsey
- Elly Singer
Smile FM Network Stations
Stations owned and operated by Smile FM include:
| Call sign | Frequency (MHz) | City of license | ERP W | Height m (ft) | Class | FCC info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WLGH | 88.1 | Leroy Township, Ingham County, Michigan | 6,700 | 174 m (571 ft) | B1 | WLGH FCC |
| WSMF | 88.1 | Monroe, Michigan | 1,200 | 41 m (135 ft) | A | WSMF FCC |
| WHYT | 88.1 | Goodland Township, Michigan | 400 | 177 m (581 ft) | A | WHYT FCC |
| WSFP | 88.1 | Harrisville, Michigan | 18,000 | 143 m (469 ft) | C2 | WSFP FCC |
| WEJC | 88.3 | White Star, Michigan | 55,000 | 114 m (374 ft) | C1 | WEJC FCC |
| WKPK | 88.3 | Michigamme, Michigan | 15,000 | 252 m (827 ft) | C2 | WKPK FCC |
| WSMZ | 88.3 | Crystal Valley, Michigan | 1,500 | 200 m (660 ft) | A | WSMZ FCC |
| WDTE | 88.3 | Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan | 5,500 | 50 m (160 ft) | A | WDTE FCC |
| WJOM | 88.5 | Eagle, Michigan | 4,300 | 40 m (130 ft) | A | WJOM FCC |
| WYOR | 88.5 | Republic, Ohio | 100 | 32 m (105 ft) | A | FCC |
| KOYR | 88.5 | Yorktown, Arkansas | 4,500 | 190 m (620 ft) | C3 | FCC |
| WSIS | 88.7 | Riverside, Michigan | 6,000 | 117 m (384 ft) | B1 | WSIS FCC |
| WDTR | 89.1 | Imlay City, Michigan | 1,500 | 52 m (171 ft) | A | WDTR FCC |
| WTLI | 89.3 | Bear Creek Township, Michigan | 50,000 | 312 m (1,024 ft) | C1 | WTLI FCC |
| WSMB | 89.3 | Harbor Beach, Michigan | 12,000 | 145 m (476 ft) | C3 | FCC |
| WDTP | 89.5 | Huron Charter Township, Michigan | 700 | 95 m (312 ft) | A | WDTP FCC |
| WJOJ | 89.7 | Rust Township, Michigan | 31,000 | 143 m (469 ft) | C2 | WJOJ FCC |
| WTAC | 89.7 | Burton, Michigan | 15,000 | 110 m (360 ft) | B1 | WTAC FCC |
| WKKM | 89.7 | Speaker Township, Michigan | 100 | 32 m (105 ft) | A | FCC |
| WSLI | 90.9 | Belding, Michigan | 11,500 | 73 m (240 ft) | B1 | WSLI FCC |
| WJOG | 91.3 | Good Hart, Michigan | 6,000 | 190 m (620 ft) | C3 | WJOG FCC |
| WJOH | 91.5 | Raco, Michigan | 5,500 | 100 m (330 ft) | A | WJOH FCC |
| WVMV | 91.5 | China Township, Michigan | 1,050 | 75 m (246 ft) | A | WVMV FCC |
| WSMO | 91.9 | Mount Forest, Michigan | 6,000 | 100 m (330 ft) | A | FCC |
| W246CW | 97.1 | Long Lake Township, Michigan | 10 | 261 m (856 ft) | D | W246CW FCC |
| W247CG | 97.3 | Russellville, Michigan | 80 | 12 m (39 ft) | D | W247CG FCC |
| W260CQ | 99.9 | Plainfield Township, Kent County, Michigan | 10 | 126 m (413 ft) | D | W260CQ FCC |
| W285ET | 102.5 | East Bay Township, Michigan | 10 | 265 m (869 ft) | D | W285ET FCC |
| W280EL | 103.9 | Yates, Michigan | 10 | 119 m (390 ft) | D | W280EL FCC |
| WAIR | 104.9 | Lake City, Michigan | 1,600 | 195 m (640 ft) | A | WAIR FCC |
Future Stations/Upgrades Approved by the FCC
- WDTP Huron Township/Detroit -- move to 90.1 and increase to 50kW (expired 8/31/2015)
- WDTR Imlay City -- move to 88.9 from near Romeo and increase to 5kW (expires 8/2/2016)
- WSIS (FM) Riverside/Benton Harbor -- increase to 50kW (expires 9/17/2016)
- W272DG Pittsfield/Ann Arbor -- (102.3) new translator for WTAC (expires 1/15/2017)
- W248CC Ecorse -- (97.5) new translator for WSMF (expires 1/15/2017)
- WAIR Lake City/Cadillac -- increase to 2.8kW (expires 4/29/2017)
- WYOR Republic, OH -- increase to 25 kW from a different tower (expires 2/26/2018)
- WJOM Eagle/Lansing -- increase to 25 kW (expires 11/2/2018)
References
- FCC Database
- Michiguide.com