WTKG (1230 AM) is a

radio station Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radi ...

broadcasting a

talk radio Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often featu ...

format. Licensed to

Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the second most-populated city in the state after Detroit. Grand Rapids is the ...

, United States, and now owned by

iHeartMedia, Inc. iHeartMedia, Inc., formerly CC Media Holdings, Inc., is an American mass media corporation headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It is the holding company of iHeartCommunications, Inc. (formerly Clear Channel Communications, Inc.), a company fou ...

, Previous to adopting the current calls and format in 1997, the station played

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while ...

under the WJEF (the station on which radio Hall of Famer Wally Phillips started his career) and WCUZ calls.

History

The station began as WJEF (1230 AM) on February 8, 1945 with studios located on the 10th floor of the Pantlind Hotel (

Amway Grand Plaza Hotel Amway Grand Plaza Hotel is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan and is named after Amway Corporation, which is based in nearby Ada Township. Originally known as The Pantlind Hotel (founded in 1913), the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel reopened in 1981 af ...

) in Downtown Grand Rapids, Mi. It's ERP at that time was 250 Watts. It would be Grand Rapids 3rd radio station behind

WOOD (AM) WOOD (1300 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station in Grand Rapids, Michigan, serving West Michigan and owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. It has a news/talk radio format and is simulcast on co-owned WOOD-FM at 106.9 MHz. The studios and offices ar ...

and WLAV-AM. It also was a sister station to WKZO (590 AM) in Kalamazoo which was also owned by

John E. Fetzer John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

. In 1951, WJEF would gain an FM sister station in WJEF-FM (

WBCT WBCT (93.7 MHz, "B-93") is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Grand Rapids, Michigan and owned by iHeartMedia. The studios and offices are located at 77 Monroe Center in Downtown Grand Rapids. The station has had a country music radio ...

)(93.7). The AM station was sold to Pathfinder Communications in 1973 and would take on the WCUZ calls on June 18 of 1973. WCUZ-AM and later WCUZ-AM/FM would be Grand Rapids only country music station until 1992 when in a weird twist of fate, former FM sister WBCT ended WCUZ's hold on the Grand Rapids country music radio audience. During the early 1980s the station would begin broadcasting in AM stereo with the Magnavox system. However AM Stereo broadcasting would end when the Motorola C-QUAM standard won out. In 1992 WCUZ-AM's former sister station

(93.7)(WJEF and later WJFM-FM)would also be sold by Fetzer Broadcasting.

flipped to a country format and went head to head with WCUZ. In the end

would win out, likely due to the facts that WBCT has a grandfathered 320,000 watt superpower signal and (more likely) because they targeted the younger generation of listeners recently discovering country music.

Bronco Radio Network

WTKG was an affiliate of the

Western Michigan University Western Michigan University (Western Michigan, Western or WMU) is a public research university in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It was initially established as Western State Normal School in 1903 by Governor Aaron T. Bliss for the training of teachers ...

"Broncos Radio Network" and carried all of the Broncos football and men's basketball games. WTKG was dropped as an affiliate after WMAX was added for both sports.

References

Michiguide.com - WTKG History

External links

FCC History Cards for WTKG
TKG Radio stations established in 1945 1945 establishments in Michigan IHeartMedia radio stations {{Michigan-radio-station-stub