WJKN (1510

kHz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), often described as being equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose formal expression in terms of SI base uni ...

) is a non-commercial

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

talk AM radio station in

Jackson, Michigan Jackson is a city in Jackson County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. The population was 31,309 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located along Interstate 94 in Michigan, Interstate 94 and U.S. Route 127 in Michigan, U.S ...

United States of America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguo ...

. WJKN is owned by Jackson-Lansing Catholic Radio and is rebroadcast on FM translator W227BY at 93.3 FM, also licensed to Jackson.

History

AM 1510 was a

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

station for over three decades under several call signs, including WJCO, WDJD, and WHBT. The WJKN calls were adopted in 1995 and the format changed to a full-service combination of news, talk and

adult contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...

music. In 1998, WJKN phased out music programming and became a predominantly news station. Then, in September 2000, the station went dark after owner Coltrace Communications (the owner of

WUPS WUPS (98.5 FM) is a 100 kW radio station licensed to Harrison, Michigan and serving central and northern Michigan. The station, previously owned by Sindy Fuller, through licensee Bridge to Bridge, Inc., was acquired by Black Diamond Broadcas ...

in Houghton Lake) sold the land on which the station's towers were located to a developer. Shortly afterward, Coltrace donated WJKN to its current owner,

Spring Arbor University Spring Arbor University (SAU) is a private Free Methodist university in Spring Arbor, Michigan. Developing from an earlier academy and junior college, in 1963 it began offering bachelor's degrees. Attaining university status in 1994, it is t ...

, which returned the station to the air briefly in late 2001 and early 2002 with a simulcast of

WSAE WSAE (106.9 FM) is a non-commercial radio station located in Spring Arbor, Michigan. The station is owned by Spring Arbor University. WSAE began broadcasting in 1963 as a 10-watt college station on 89.3 MHz. Power was increased to 1,00 ...

. WJKN was then again dark for several months, and then resurfaced in March 2003 simulcasting 1540

KTGG KTGG (1540 AM) is a radio station broadcasting from Okemos, Michigan, with a Christian radio format of talk and classical music. It is owned by West Central Michigan Media Ministries and airs programming from Strong Tower Radio, a network hear ...

, whose 450-watt signal does not make it far outside of Spring Arbor. In April 2014, it was announced that Spring Arbor University was selling WJKN 1510 to Jackson-Lansing Catholic Radio (d/b/a Good Shepherd Radio). This was the Catholic broadcaster's second go at getting a radio station in the Jackson area, as they had been in the process of buying the now-defunct WJKQ 88.5 FM when that station's license was revoked by the FCC. The sale was completed in August 2014. WJKN's FM translator, W227BY was also formerly owned by Spring Arbor University and operated out of Somerset, Michigan as a translator of WSAE 106.9 FM.

Sources

Michiguide.com - WJKN History
{{Coord, 42, 13, 17, N, 84, 26, 8, W, region:US-MI_source:FCC, display=title JKN (AM) Radio stations established in 1963 1963 establishments in Michigan JKN JKN (AM) Catholic radio stations Talk radio stations in the United States Catholic Church in Michigan