The Michigan Radio Network (or MRN) was a satellite-distributed

news News is information about current events. This may be provided through many different media: word of mouth, printing, postal systems, broadcasting, electronic communication, or through the testimony of observers and witnesses to event ...

service that provides actualities, newscasts, and

talk shows A talk show (or chat show in British English) is a television programming or radio programming genre structured around the act of spontaneous conversation.Bernard M. Timberg, Robert J. Erler'' (2010Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Sh ...

to affiliates in

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...

. It was most recently owned by Learfield Communications and had headquarters in

Lansing, Michigan Lansing () is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is mostly in Ingham County, although portions of the city extend west into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. The 2020 census placed the city's population at 112,644, makin ...

. Over the years MRN had been around in various forms and names, and is a sister network to the

Michigan Farm Radio Network The Michigan Farm Radio Network (MFRN) is a radio network that provides specialty programming geared toward farmers in Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population ...

History

The Michigan Radio Network can trace its roots to the Michigan Regional Network, the first radio network in Michigan. The modern incarnation of the Michigan Radio Network began in 1970 with the formation of the

(MFRN) in

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city ...

. The network that came to be known as the Michigan Radio Network was first called the ''Michigan News Network'' (MNN). The MFRN and MNN were owned by a company called the Great Lakes Radio group, headed up by Jim Rayl. The Michigan News Network split from the Great Lakes Radio group in the 1980s and moved to

Caro Caro may refer to: Places * Caro, Michigan, United States * Caro, Morbihan, France * Çaro, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France Other uses * Caro (given name), including a list of people with the given name * Caro (surname), including a list of peo ...

. The MNN was bought by former Detroit Tiger

Denny McLain Dennis Dale McLain (born March 29, 1944) is an American former professional baseball player. He played for ten seasons in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher, most prominently as a member of the Detroit Tigers. In 1968, McLain beca ...

and headquarters moved to

Lansing Lansing () is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is mostly in Ingham County, although portions of the city extend west into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. The 2020 census placed the city's population at 112,644, maki ...

. McLain, convicted of embezzlement and stealing from workers pensions, went bankrupt. The network was sold to back to Jim Rayl, still called the Michigan News Network, and now owned by Full Circle Broadcasting. Full Circle sold the MNN to Grosse Pointe Farms based Saga Communications, headed by Ed Christian. The name of the network was changed to the ''Michigan Radio Network''. The Michigan Radio Network (MRN) and MFRN was sold to Learfield Communications in December, 2014. In March 2016, it was announced that Learfield would end the Michigan Radio Network on March 31 due to financial reasons, and sell MRN's Lansing studios.

Programs

* Michigan Radio Network News, hourly one and two-minute newscasts. * Michigan Radio Network Sports, morning and afternoon sports updates. * Capital Pressroom with Rob Baykian, a thirty-minute weekly public affairs program. * Outdoor Magazine with Mike Avery, a three-hour weekend program about hunting and fishing, originating from WSGW.

Special events

The Michigan Radio Network covered events related to the

Michigan Legislature The Michigan Legislature is the legislature of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is organized as a bicameral body composed of an upper chamber, the Senate, and a lower chamber, the House of Representatives. Article IV of the Michigan Constitution ...

, including the annual State of the State address and election night coverage.

Affiliates

* WAAM, Ann Arbor *

WAGN (AM) WAGN (1340 AM) is a radio station licensed to Menominee, Michigan broadcasting an oldies and talk format. Formerly an affiliate of ABC Radio's OldiesRadio network, the web site ''dx-midAMerica'' reported in January 2008 that the station had ...

, Menominee *

WAKV WAKV (980 AM, 980 AM broadcasting, AM) is a radio station broadcasting a classic country format. Licensed to Otsego, Michigan, it first began broadcasting in 1958 with the WDMC call sign. In February 2021, WAKV changed their format from adult sta ...

, Otsego *

WATT The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantify the rate of energy transfer. The watt is named after James ...

, Cadillac *

WATZ-FM WATZ-FM (99.3 FM, "99.3 WATZ") is a radio station broadcasting a country music format. The station is licensed to the city of Alpena. WATZ has been assigned the same call sign since it signed on in the late 1960s. The station, along with s ...

, Alpena *

WBCH (AM) WBCH (1220 AM) is a radio station licensed to Hastings, Michigan broadcasting a news/talk Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather ...

, Hastings *

WBCK WBCK (95.3 FM) is a radio station in Battle Creek, Michigan, United States, owned by Townsquare Media. WBCK has a news-talk format. History WBCK began broadcasting at 1000 watts on AM 930 in Battle Creek and surrounding areas of West Michigan. ...

, Battle Creek *

WBCM (FM) BCM may refer to: Automotive *Body Control Module, in automotive electronics Business *Boots Contract Manufacturing, part of Alliance Boots * Bravo Company Manufacturing, an American firearms manufacturing company *Bus contracting model of Singap ...

, Boyne City * WBMI, West Branch * WBRN (AM), Big Rapids * WCBY, Cheboygan * WCCW-FM, Traverse City *

WCCY WCCY (1400 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a contemporary hit radio format. Licensed to Houghton, Michigan Houghton (; ) is the largest city and seat of government of Houghton County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located on the Keween ...

, Houghton * WCSY-FM, South Haven * WDBC, Escanaba *

WDMJ WDMJ (1320 AM broadcasting, AM) is a all-news radio, news/Talk radio, talk radio station licensed to Marquette, Michigan, with a power output of 5,000 watts during the day and 135 watts at night, covering much of Marquette County, Michigan. It is ...

, Marquette *

WGHN (AM) WGHN (1370 kHz) is an AM radio station licensed to Grand Haven, Michigan. The station broadcasts an adult contemporary format. History WGHN signed on the air on July 16, 1956. The station was founded by Robert Runyon and Robert Kirby, former ...

, Grand Haven * WGLM, Greenville * WHTO, Iron Mountain * WHYB, Menominee * WIDL, Caro *

WILS WILS (1320 AM) is a commercial news/talk radio station in Lansing, Michigan. WILS is owned by MacDonald Broadcasting and features a local news department and a mixture of local and national talk personalities. WILS is powered at 25,000 watts ...

, Lansing * WIOS, Tawas City *

WKHM (AM) WKHM (970 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Jackson, Michigan. It is owned by Jamie McKibbin, through licensee McKibbin Media Group, Inc., and broadcasts a talk radio format. Studios, offices and the transmitter are on Glen ...

, Jackson * WKJC, Tawas City * WKYO, Caro *

WLDN WLDN is an FM radio station owned by Synergy Media and is licensed to Ludington, Michigan. WLDN broadcasts from studios in Ludington, Michigan along with sister stations WKLA, WWMN, WKZC, WMLQ, and WWKR. It runs a news/talk/sports format and ...

, Ludington * WMOM, Pentwater *

WNBY (AM) WNBY (1450 AM) is a radio station licensed to Newberry, Michigan broadcasting a classic country format. The station has been owned by Sovereign Communications since 2004, and shares a call-sign and ownership history with sister station WNBY-FM (Old ...

, Newberry * WNGE, Negaunee * WPHM, Port Huron * WQXO, Munising * WRCI, Three Rivers *

WRGZ WKLT 97.5 Kalkaska (Traverse City), WBCM 93.5 Boyne City (Petoskey) and WRGZ 96.7 Rogers City (Alpena) are classic rock-leaning mainstream rock stations simulcasting as "KLT The Rock Station". The stations serve all of northern lower Michi ...

, Rogers City * WSAQ, Port Huron *

WSGW (AM) WSGW (790 kHz) is an AM radio station licensed to Saginaw, Michigan that broadcasts with 5,000 watts of power during the day and 1,000 watts at night. WSGW is owned by Alpha Media, the nation's fourth largest owner of radio stations. The radio ...

, Saginaw * WSOO, Sault Ste Marie * WTIQ, Manistique *

WTKG WTKG (1230 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a talk radio format. Licensed to Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States, and now owned by iHeartMedia, Inc., Previous to adopting the current calls and format in 1997, the station played country un ...

, Grand Rapids *

WUPY WUPY 101.1 FM (also called "Y-101") is a radio station broadcasting a country music format in Ontonagon, Michigan, where it is licensed by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. The station is owned by J & J Broadcasting. The studios are ...

, Ontonagon *

WXLA WXLA (1180 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Dimondale, a suburb of Lansing, Michigan. It is owned by MacDonald Broadcasting and airs a soft adult contemporary radio format. It uses the branding "Easy 93.3". The dial positi ...

, Lansing * WZTK, Alpena

References

Defunct radio networks in the United States Radio stations disestablished in 2016 Defunct mass media in Michigan {{michigan-stub