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WLUN (100.9 FM) is a
commercial Commercial may refer to: * (adjective for) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and services ** (adjective for) trade, the trading of something of economic value such as goods, services, information or money * a dose of advertising ...
radio station Radio broadcasting is the broadcasting 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 rad ...
licensed to
Pinconning, Michigan Pinconning is a city in Bay County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,204 at the 2020 census. It is included in the Saginaw, Midland, and Bay City metropolitan area. The city is locally noted for its former production of chees ...
. The station broadcasts a
Sports Sport is a physical activity or game, often competitive and organized, that maintains or improves physical ability and skills. Sport may provide enjoyment to participants and entertainment to spectators. The number of participants in ...
radio format A radio format or programming format (not to be confused with broadcast programming) describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. The radio format emerged mainly in the United States in the 1950s, at a time when Radio broadcasting, ...
. It is owned by the Michigan Baseball Foundation, owner of the
Great Lakes Loons The Great Lakes Loons are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. They are located in Midland, Michigan, and play their home games at Dow Diamond, which opened in April 2007. Hist ...
, with
studio A studio is a space set aside for creative work of any kind, including art, dance, music and theater. The word ''studio'' is derived from the , from , from ''studere'', meaning to study or zeal. Types Art The studio of any artist, esp ...
s at Dow Diamond in
Midland, Michigan Midland is a city in Midland County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. The population was 42,547 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Midland metropolitan statistical area, part of the larger Saginaw-Midland-Bay City ...
. WLUN is powered at 2800
watt The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of Power (physics), 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 quantification (science), quantify the rate of Work ...
s and broadcasts from an antenna in Mount Forest Township near Pinconning. Its signal reaches the Saginaw, Midland, and Bay City metropolitan area and other surrounding cities. Programming comes from
Fox Sports Radio Fox Sports Radio is an Radio in the United States, American Sports radio, sports radio network. Based in Los Angeles, California, the network is operated and managed by Premiere Networks in a content partnership with Fox Corporation's Fox Sports ...
, the station was previously an affiliate of
ESPN Radio ESPN Radio, which is alternatively branded platform-agnostically as ESPN Audio, is an American sports radio network and extension of the ESPN television network. It was launched on January 1, 1992, under the banner "SportsRadio ESPN". The netw ...
.


History

WLUN has broadcast a variety of different formats since it first took the air on November 15, 1983. Formats included
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 ...
, adult contemporary, and classic hits. For much of its early history, it was the co-owned sister of WXOX (now WJMK), originally licensed to Essexville, but over time marketed itself as a Bay City station.


Beginnings in the 1980s

The station was originally signed on by Wegerly Broadcasting Corporation, headed by Robert Naismith, who also served as station general manager. However, the construction permit for the station was first issued in 1982 to Wigwam Bay Broadcasting, who chose the call letters WHFU. The permit would later be sold and the call letters changed prior to sign-on. The station is fondly remembered by some in the Tri-Cities market for its time as
Top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is a list of the 40 currently most popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "To ...
/album rock station WFXZ, "Foxy 101," in the early 1980s. The station then changed format to easy listening in 1984, changing its call letters to WWRM, marketing itself as "Warm 101", taking the call letters and format from another station in Gaylord which had abandoned the format and call letters that year in favor of a Top 40 format. Three years after this format was adopted, the station went through its first ownership change, separating itself from the AM station. The new licensee, BC Communications, acquired the station on May 20, 1987 for $345,000. The company was owned by Floyd Biernat and Milton Carles. BC Communications then changed the station's call letters to WLFS, shifted its music focus to soft adult contemporary and marketed itself as "Sunny 101", targeting the Saginaw-Bay City market. However, the station ran into financial troubles by the end of the decade and fell silent.


Return and Rebirth

WLFS remained silent for a period of about two years. It was acquired on March 11, 1991 by P & G Media Corporation for $55,000. Much of the next year was spent getting the station back on the air, as much of the station's property had been liquidated through bankruptcy proceedings. The station returned in 1992 under the new call sign WBTZ, and boasting an album rock format, originating from its new FM sister station, WUVE-FM in Saginaw. Unlike the television market, Saginaw and Bay City were separate radio markets and were allowed under the more restrictive FCC ownership limits at the time (though they would be relaxed within a year). Station business was conducted out of WUVE's facilities on Gordonville Road in Midland. In 1994, the station changed ownership to WMJK-FM LLC, in a transaction for $222,750. With the change came the change of the station's call letters to mirror that of its new licensee. Concurrently, the station began rebroadcasting a new sister FM station in Saginaw, WMJA, which had signed on in 1992. Both stations, branded as "Magic 101 and 104", then switched to a 70's based format blend of classic rock and oldies. As WYLZ, 100.9 FM and its former sister station,
WILZ WILZ (104.5 FM broadcasting, FM, "Wheelz 104.5") is a radio station broadcasting a classic rock format in Saginaw, Michigan, owned by Cumulus Media. The station is the local affiliate of morning comedy program ''The Bob and Tom Show'', music s ...
, were known together as "Wheelz 104.5 and 101" from 1999 to 2007. In June 2007, WYLZ was sold by
Citadel Broadcasting Citadel Broadcasting Corporation was a Las Vegas, Nevada-based broadcast holding company founded and developed by Larry Wilson. Citadel owned 243 radio stations across the United States and was the third-largest radio station owner in the count ...
(along with ten other stations) to The Last Bastion Station Trust, as part of ABC Radio's absorption into Citadel. Upon ending the simulcast, WYLZ switched to a satellite-fed
country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
format ("Mainstream Country" from
Dial Global Westwood One, Inc. is an American radio network owned by Cumulus Media. The company syndicates talk, music, and sports programming. The company takes its name from an earlier network also named Westwood One, a company founded in 1976. The c ...
) under the "Thunder Country" moniker. Despite the programming changes, WYLZ continued to air play-by-play of
Great Lakes Loons The Great Lakes Loons are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. They are located in Midland, Michigan, and play their home games at Dow Diamond, which opened in April 2007. Hist ...
baseball during the summer of 2007. The satellite country format was a stopgap measure to keep the station on the air until it could be sold to a new owner and debut a permanent format. WILZ 104.5 maintains its classic rock format and Cumulus ownership.


Switch to ESPN Radio

On March 24, 2008, WYLZ announced it would change formats to all
sports radio Sports radio (or sports talk radio) is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sport, sporting events. A widespread programming genre that has a narrow audience appeal, sports radio is characterized by an often-low comed ...
, with programming from
ESPN Radio ESPN Radio, which is alternatively branded platform-agnostically as ESPN Audio, is an American sports radio network and extension of the ESPN television network. It was launched on January 1, 1992, under the banner "SportsRadio ESPN". The netw ...
, under a new moniker, "ESPN 100.9," effective March 25. The Michigan Baseball Foundation acquired the station from Last Bastion, with FCC approval.
ESPN 100.9-FM to launch in Bay City/Midland (Michiguide.com: Michigan's Guide to Radio and Television Broadcasting)
. On March 31, 2008, WYLZ changed their call letters to WLUN. With the debut of ESPN 100.9-FM, the sports-talk format returned to the Tri-Cities area for the first time since 1440 AM WMAX discontinued its simulcast of
WTRX WTRX (1330 AM, "Sports XTRA 1330") was an American radio station broadcasting a sports format in Flint, Michigan. At closure, WTRX was the Flint affiliate for Michigan Wolverines football and men's basketball, and Infinity Sports Network. ...
in Flint. MBF, the 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation that owns Dow Diamond, helped finance the purchase. MBF also funded the construction of the radio studio in the Dow Diamond press box, overlooking the baseball field, which was completed in January 2009. In addition to being the flagship station of the Great Lakes Loons (Single-A,
Midwest League The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...
), the station serves as the home for the
Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...
,
Michigan State Spartans The Michigan State Spartans are the athletic teams that represent Michigan State University. The school's athletic program includes 23 Varsity team, varsity sports teams. Their mascot is a Spartan Army, Spartan warrior named Sparty, and the sc ...
,
Northwood Timberwolves The Northwood Timberwolves are the athletic teams that represent Northwood University, located in Midland, Michigan, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the NCAA Division II ranks, primarily competing in the Great Midwest Athletic Conferenc ...
and high school sports in mid-Michigan. The station has featured on-air personalities including:
Mike Greenberg Michael Darrow Greenberg (born August 6, 1967) is an American television anchor, television show host, radio show host for ESPN and ABC, and novelist. At ESPN, he hosted the weekday evening, most often Monday, ''SportsCenter'' and previously ES ...
,
Mike Golic Michael Louis Golic Sr. (; born December 12, 1962) is an American television host and former professional football player. He played as defensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL). Golic is well known for his 25-year association wi ...
,
Colin Cowherd Colin Murray Cowherd (born January 6, 1964) is an American sports media personality. He began his broadcasting career as sports director of Las Vegas television station KVBC and as a sports anchor on several other stations before joining ESPN ...
,
Scott Van Pelt Scott Van Pelt (born July 9, 1966) is an American sportscaster and sports talk show host employed by ESPN. He is a long time anchor of key editions of '' SportsCenter'' on ESPN, served as the co-host of '' SVP & Russillo'' alongside Ryen Russi ...
, Ryen Russillo, Bill Simonson,
Dan Le Batard Dan Le Batard is an American newspaper sportswriter, ex-radio host, podcast host and television reporter based in Miami, Florida. He has also worked at ESPN, and for his hometown paper, the ''Miami Herald'', for which he wrote from 1990 to 2016. ...
, Jon Weiner,
Trey Wingo Hal Chapman "Trey" Wingo III (; born September 19, 1963) is an American former co-host of ESPN '' Golic and Wingo'', '' SportsCenter'', and '' NFL Live''. He has previously served as host of the Women's NCAA basketball tournament. Early life W ...
, Stephen A. Smith and Matt Shepard.


Fox Sports Radio

On October 2, 2023, WLUN switched to
Fox Sports Radio Fox Sports Radio is an Radio in the United States, American Sports radio, sports radio network. Based in Los Angeles, California, the network is operated and managed by Premiere Networks in a content partnership with Fox Corporation's Fox Sports ...
from
Premiere Radio Networks Premiere Networks, Inc. (formerly Premiere Radio Networks, shortened as PRN) is an American Mass media, media company, a subsidiary of iHeartMedia, for which it currently serves as its main original Radio broadcasting, radio content distribut ...
. The change in affiliation followed a 24 hour stunt of the station playing music referencing "fox" such as What Does the Fox Say? and Fox on the Run. The statewide “Spin on Sports” hosted by Anthony Bellino airs from 6-9am, Fox’s ''
The Dan Patrick Show ''The Dan Patrick Show'' is a syndicated radio and television sports talk show, hosted by former ESPN personality Dan Patrick. It is currently produced by Patrick and is syndicated to radio stations by Premiere Radio Networks, within and inde ...
'' and ''
The Herd with Colin Cowherd ''The Herd with Colin Cowherd'' (or simply ''The Herd'') is an American sports talk show hosted by Colin Cowherd. A simulcast, it airs as both a sports talk radio show and television broadcast on Fox Sports Radio and Fox Sports 1, respectively. ...
'' air middays, with Grand Rapids-based “The Huge Show” with Bill Simonson from 3-6pm. Their local in-house show, "The Payoff" with by Ben Bosscher, airs from 6-7pm on weekdays.


Broadcasters

*Brad Tunney (2014 – Present) *Ben Bosscher (2023 – Present) *John Vicari (2023 – Present) *Blake Froling (2018 – 2020) *Chris Vosters (2015 – 2018) *Jared Sandler (2012 – 2014) *Matt Park (2009 – 2012) *Brad Golder (2007 – 2015)


References


Michiguide.com - WLUN HistoryBroadcasting and Cable Yearbook - 1987Broadcasting and Cable Yearbook -1989Broadcasting and Cable Yearbook -1991Broadcasting and Cable Yearbook - 1993Broadcasting and Cable Yearbook - 1995Broadcasting and Cable Yearbook - 1997


External links

{{Sports Radio Stations in Michigan LUN Radio stations established in 1983 Sports radio stations in the United States