WIHC

WIHC
City of license	Newberry, Michigan
Broadcast area	Sault Ste. Marie (MI-ON)
Branding	Strong Tower Radio
Slogan	Where God's character is proclaimed!
Frequency	97.9 MHz
First air date	December 1988
Format	Christian talk
Language(s)	English
ERP	50,000 watts
HAAT	150.1 meters (492 ft)
Class	C2
Facility ID	8125
Transmitter coordinates	46°26′58″N 85°06′04″W / 46.44944°N 85.10111°W / 46.44944; -85.10111
Callsign meaning	Hot Country 97.9 (previous owner & format)
Former callsigns	WUPQ
Affiliations	Strong Tower Radio Three Angels Broadcasting Network
Owner	West Central Michigan Media Ministries
Sister stations	WGCP, WUPJ, WBHL, WAVC
Website	strongtowerradio.org

WIHC (97.9 FM) is an American radio station licensed to Newberry, Michigan to serve the city of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. The station is owned by West Central Michigan Media Ministries, broadcasting a Christian talk radio format simulcasted from Cadillac, Michigan under the branding "Strong Tower Radio".

History

WIHC has operated under numerous owners and formats since its launch in 1988 under the ownership of Cambrian Broadcasting. Originally an easy listening station with the callsign WUPQ, the station switched to a country music format under the branding "Hot Country 97.9" in 1995, with its callsign changing to WIHC to match the new name and format. The station's license was transferred to Marathon Media in 1998, who ran the station until the fall of 2001, when WIHC was sold to Northern Star Broadcasting as part of a $7.95 million deal involving 10 other stations.^[1]

Under the new ownership, WIHC became a part of Northern Star's "Classic Rock: The Bear" network of classic rock stations in February 2002, broadcasting the same music and syndicated programs as WGFN in Glen Arbor, Michigan, but with local on-air personalities & commercials. When Northern Star Broadcasting sold off their stations in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in February 2010 to Sault Ste. Marie company Sovereign Communications, WIHC was the only station retained to ensure that Sovereign's ownership concentration in the Sault Ste. Marie area did not exceed U.S. Federal Communications Commission limits. However, Northern Star opted to take WIHC dark later that month, as it was no longer financially viable to keep on air.^[2]

In November 2011, West Central Michigan Media Ministries agreed to purchase WIHC from Northern Star Broadcasting for $150,000, and the deal was finalized in February 2012. After two years of silence, WIHC was brought back on air in March 2012 as a simulcast of WGCP in Cadillac, Michigan, simulcasting its Christian talk format under the branding "Strong Tower Radio".

References

External links

WIHC official website

Query the FCC's FM station database for WIHC

Radio-Locator information on WIHC

Query Nielsen Audio's FM station database for WIHC

Radio stations in the Sault Ste. Marie–Newberry, Michigan area (U.S.-licensed stations only)

By FM frequency	88.7 89.9/99.7/103.3 90.1 91.5 93.9 95.1 96.7 97.9 98.3 99.5 101.3 102.3 105.5

By AM frequency	1230 1400 1450

By callsign	W204AQ WCMZ-FM WHWG/W259AD/W277AG WIHC WJOH WKNW WLSO WMJT WMKD WNBY WNBY-FM WSOO WSUE WTHN WUPN WYSS

Nearby radio markets Alpena Marquette Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Traverse City–Petoskey See also List of radio stations in Michigan

Religious radio stations in the state of Michigan

Stations	KTGG – Spring Arbor WAWB-LP – West Branch WAVC – Mio WBHL – Harrison WBLW – Gaylord WCAR – Livonia WCSG – Grand Rapids WDEO – Ypsilanti WDTR – Imlay City WEJC – White Star WEUL – Kingsford WFUR – Grand Rapids WFUR-FM – Grand Rapids WGLN – Cedar Lake WFDF – Farmington Hills WGCP – Cadillac WGNB – Zeeland WHEY – North Muskegon WHST – Tawas City WHWG – Trout Lake WHWL – Marquette WIHC – Newberry WJKN – Jackson WKIW – Ironwood WKPR – Kalamazoo WLCM – Charlotte WLCM – Holt WLJN – Elmwood Township WLJN-FM – Traverse City WLJW – Cadillac WLQV – Detroit WMAX – Bay City WMCQ – Muskegon WMLY – Marshall WMPC – Lapeer WMSD – Rose Township WNFA – Port Huron WNFR – Sandusky WOFR – Schoolcraft WOLW – Cadillac WPCJ – Pittsford WPHN – Gaylord WRDS-LP – Roscommon WRDT – Monroe WSFT – Berrien Springs WSNL – Flint WTCK – Charlevoix WTHN – Sault Sainte Marie WUFL – Sterling Heights WUFN – Albion WUGN – Midland WUNN – Mason WUPJ – Escanaba WVCM – Iron Mountain WVCN – Baraga WYBA – Coldwater

See also adult contemporary classic hits college country news/talk NPR oldies religious rock sports top 40 urban other radio stations in Michigan

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