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Programming | |
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Format | Religious; Contemporary Christian |
Ownership | |
Owner | Superior Communications |
History | |
Founded | 1996 [1] |
Links | |
Webcast | www |
Website | www |
Smile FM is a network of non-commercial, contemporary Christian radio stations owned by Superior Communications, a nonprofit organization. Most programming originates from studios in Williamston, Michigan (just east of Lansing) and is relayed (with local inserts) by an expanding number of stations throughout the state. The network also has studios in Imlay City, Michigan.
Smile FM was originally two separate networks. The first, The Light, was founded in December 1996, when WLGH Lansing, Michigan began broadcasting. [2] The second, Joy FM, began on December 12, 2000, with WHYT (renamed as WWKM and again as WDTR) in Imlay City. While both played contemporary Christian music, The Light aimed for a younger audience. In June 2004, the two networks were combined to form Smile FM in a "wedding ceremony" conducted at Oldsmobile Park in Lansing. [3] [4] The new name eliminated confusion since many other unrelated stations used The Light and Joy FM names.
The network is notable for putting stations on the air at a low cost. They lease existing towers and manufacture some of their own equipment. Unlike many Christian stations, they play music with only a few short breaks for weather, news, announcements, and features. Smile FM has also pioneered the use of new technology to help distribute and customize its programming, including developing an emergency weather notification system that is faster and more reliable than the required EAS system (which they also operate).
The licenses for the four stations are split between four subsidiaries: Superior Communications, Michigan Community Radio, Northland Community Broadcasters and Smile FM.
In January 2008, Smile FM established WWKM (now WDTR) Imlay City as the flagship of an experimental Smile FM Praise network playing Christian contemporary worship music. Previously, the station had broadcast traditional Christian music and hymns. The Smile FM Praise experiment was ended in 2009 and plans made to move that station to the northern suburbs of Detroit.
The owners have often recycled the call letters of famous Michigan stations of the past for their stations. WDTR (now WRCJ), WHYT (now WDVD), and WVMV (now WDZH) were once used by Detroit stations. WTAC (now WSNL) was the leading top 40 station in Flint during the 1960s (and, ironically, a pioneering contemporary Christian station during the 1980s). WKPK was used by a popular top 40 station of the 1980s and 1990s in northern Michigan (now WSRT). WAIR was an oldies station in northern Michigan (now WFDX) and the calls were also used for a construction permit for a station in Honor (now WSRJ). WWKM was a now-defunct station in Harrison (and Smile FM's 88.5 FM station in the Alpena area, WSFP, once bore the calls of WWKM's sister station WKKM, which is now WTWS in Houghton Lake).
Others were named for the original formats of the stations. WLGH and WTLI were The Light. All of the stations beginning with WJ were in or scheduled to be in the Joy FM network. All call letters beginning with WDT (WDTE, WDTP, and WDTR) serve portions of the Detroit metropolitan area.
The combined footprint of Smile FM's stations covers most of Michigan's densely populated area (though much of West Michigan relies on translators).
Stations owned and operated by Smile FM include:
Call sign | Frequency | City of license | FID | ERP (W) | HAAT | Class | FCC info |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
KOYH | 95.5 FM | Elaine, Arkansas | 190430 | 6,000 | 85 m (279 ft) | A | LMS |
WLGH | 88.1 FM | Leroy Township, Ingham County, Michigan | 78460 | 6,700 | 174 m (571 ft) | B1 | LMS |
WSMF | 88.1 FM | Monroe, Michigan | 89277 | 1,200 | 41 m (135 ft) | A | LMS |
WHYT | 88.1 FM | Goodland Township, Michigan | 84187 | 400 | 177 m (581 ft) | A | LMS |
WEJC | 88.3 FM | White Star, Michigan | 64021 | 55,000 | 114 m (374 ft) | C1 | LMS |
WKPK | 88.3 FM | Michigamme, Michigan | 92241 | 15,000 | 252 m (827 ft) | C2 | LMS |
WSMZ-FM | 88.3 FM | Crystal Valley, Michigan | 175566 | 1,500 | 200 m (656 ft) | A | LMS |
WDTE | 88.3 FM | Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan | 175093 | 5,500 | 50 m (164 ft) | A | LMS |
WJOM | 88.5 FM | Eagle, Michigan | 121794 | 4,300 [nb 1] | 40 m (131 ft) | A | LMS |
WSIS | 88.7 FM | Riverside, Michigan | 741647 | 6,000 | 117 m (384 ft) | B1 | LMS |
WDTR | 88.9 FM | Imlay City, Michigan | 92635 | 3,200 | 61 m (200 ft) | A | LMS |
WTLI | 89.3 FM | Bear Creek Township, Michigan | 84479 | 50,000 | 312 m (1,024 ft) | C1 | LMS |
WSMB | 89.3 FM | Harbor Beach, Michigan | 175249 | 12,000 | 145 m (476 ft) | C3 | LMS |
WDTP | 89.5 FM | Huron Charter Township, Michigan | 176302 | 700 | 95 m (312 ft) | A | LMS |
WJOJ | 89.7 FM | Rust Township, Michigan | 88667 | 31,000 | 143 m (469 ft) | C2 | LMS |
WTAC | 89.7 FM | Burton, Michigan | 88040 | 15,000 | 110 m (361 ft) | B1 | LMS |
WSLI-FM | 90.9 FM | Belding, Michigan | 91446 | 11,500 | 73 m (240 ft) | B1 | LMS |
WJOG | 91.3 FM | Good Hart, Michigan | 121776 | 6,000 | 209.2 m (686 ft) | C2 | LMS |
WVMV | 91.5 FM | China Township, Michigan | 176215 | 1,050 | 75 m (246 ft) | A | LMS |
WAIR | 104.9 FM | Lake City, Michigan | 92345 | 2,800 | 149 m (489 ft) | A | LMS |
WJOH | 91.5 FM | Raco, Michigan | 121795 | 5,500 | 100 m (328 ft) | A | LMS |
WYOR | 88.5 FM | Republic, Ohio | 174213 | 100 | 32 m (105 ft) | A | LMS |
Translators rebroadcasting Smile FM include:
Call sign | Frequency | City of license | FID | ERP (W) | HAAT | Class | FCC info | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
W242BH | 96.3 FM | Marshall, Michigan | 145241 | 170 | 32.1 m (105 ft) | D | LMS | repeats WLGH ; serves Battle Creek |
W246CW | 97.1 FM | Long Lake Township, Michigan | 158283 | 10 | 260.8 m (856 ft) | D | LMS | repeats WTLI; serves Traverse City |
W247CU | 97.3 FM | Fort Gratiot, Michigan | 157054 | 25 | 83 m (272 ft) | D | LMS | repeats WVMV; serves Port Huron |
W262AF | 100.3 FM | Parchment, Michigan | 78387 | 38 | 52.5 m (172 ft) | D | LMS | repeats WSIS; serves Kalamazoo |
W273CI | 102.5 FM | Grand Haven, Michigan | 148894 | 250 | 191 m (627 ft) | D | LMS | repeats WSMZ-FM; serves Muskegon |
W280EL | 103.9 FM | Yates, Michigan | 156357 | 10 | 119.3 m (391 ft) | D | LMS | repeats WVMV; serves northern Metro Detroit suburbs |
W286CI | 105.1 FM | Saginaw, Michigan | 143161 | 250 | 49 m (161 ft) | D | LMS | repeats WEJC |
W299CB | 107.7 FM | Manistee, Michigan | 153183 | 19 | 98 m (322 ft) | D | LMS | repeats WSMZ-FM |
W272DG | 102.3 FM | Pittsfield Township, Michigan | 157119 | 19 | 98 m (322 ft) | D | LMS | repeats WTAC; serves Ann Arbor |
W244EN | 96.7 FM | Lapeer, Michigan | 157076 | 250 | 276.5 m (907 ft) | D | LMS | repeats WTAC; serves Flint |
W260CQ | 99.9 FM | Plainfield Township, Kent County, Michigan | 158538 | 10 | 126 m (413 ft) | D | LMS | repeats WSLI-FM; serves Grand Rapids |
WLHT | 95.7 FM | Grand Rapids, Michigan | 37457 | 40,000 | 147 m (482 ft) | B | LMS | uses HD2 subchannel, repeats WSLI-FM |
On October 6, 2022, it was announced that Smile FM has filed a $60,000 deal to purchase WGVU (1480 AM) in Grand Rapids from Grand Valley State University. [5] The station, along with WGVS (850 AM) in Muskegon, originally carried an oldies radio format until January 7, 2022, when both stations closed down. [6] Smile FM had already acquired WGVS effective June 28, 2022, for $25,000.
WMAX-FM is the callsign of a radio station owned by iHeartMedia located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The studios and offices are located at 77 Monroe Center in Downtown Grand Rapids while its transmitter is located near Felch St and 32nd Ave south of the town of Hudsonville outside of Grand Rapids.
WCSX is a commercial radio station licensed to Birmingham, Michigan, and serving Metro Detroit. It broadcasts a classic rock radio format and is owned by the Beasley Broadcast Group. The studios and transmitter are on Radio Plaza in Ferndale. Despite its call sign, WCSX is not affiliated with the CSX Corporation.
WDVD is a hot adult contemporary radio station in Detroit, Michigan. Owned and operated by Cumulus Media, WDVD's studios and offices are located in the Fisher Building in Detroit's New Center district near downtown, while its transmitter is located in Royal Oak Township at 8 Mile Road and Wyoming Avenue.
WGVU Public Media is a group of radio and television stations licensed to and operated by Grand Valley State University, serving the Greater Grand Rapids, Michigan / Western Michigan area of the United States.
WSLI is a radio station which serves the Greater Grand Rapids, Michigan area. The main broadcast frequency is 1480 kHz, which is licensed to Kentwood, Michigan, a Grand Rapids suburb. It broadcasts Smile FM's contemporary Christian music format.
WGVU-FM is an NPR member station serving Grand Rapids, Michigan. Owned by Grand Valley State University, it is simulcast in West Michigan. The main broadcast frequency is 88.5 MHz, which is licensed to Allendale, the Grand Rapids suburb that is home to Grand Valley State's main campus. It is simulcast on WGVS-FM 95.3 MHz, which is licensed to Whitehall and serves Muskegon. The format is talk radio from NPR, along with jazz.
WKQI is a commercial radio station licensed to Detroit, Michigan, featuring a top 40 (CHR) format known as "Channel 955", pronounced "nine-five-five". Owned by iHeartMedia, the station serves Metro Detroit and much of Southeast Michigan and southwestern portions of Ontario, including Windsor. The station's studios are located in Farmington Hills, while the transmitter is located in Oak Park, Michigan, on 10 Mile Road near Greenfield Road. In addition to a standard analog transmission, WKQI broadcasts over HD Radio using the in-band on-channel standard, and is available online via iHeartRadio.
WTWS, known as 92.1 The Twister, is a 920-watt radio station broadcasting at 92.1 FM in Houghton Lake, Michigan, with a country music format.
WDKL is a contemporary Christian formatted radio station licensed to Mount Clemens, Michigan, and serving the Detroit metropolitan area. The station is owned by Educational Media Foundation. The station broadcasts with 50,000 watts of power from an antenna located Northeast of the intersection of Gratiot Avenue and Fourteen Mile Road in Clinton Charter Township, Macomb County, Michigan, and directs its signal mainly toward the north and east to avoid interfering with WWWW-FM in Ann Arbor.
WRDT is a commercial radio station licensed to Monroe, Michigan, and serving Metro Detroit. It is owned by Crawford Broadcasting and it broadcasts a Christian talk and teaching radio format. The studios and offices are on Capitol Avenue near Burt Road in the Weatherby section of Detroit.
WLQV is a commercial radio station licensed to Detroit, Michigan. It is owned by the Salem Media Group and broadcasts a Christian talk and teaching radio format. It uses paid brokered programming where hosts buy time on the station and may seek donations to their ministries during their programs. Religious leaders heard on WLQV include David Jeremiah, John MacArthur, Alistair Begg, Jim Daly, Tony Evans and Charles Stanley. The studios are on Radio Plaza in Ferndale, Michigan.
WDMK is a commercial FM radio station in Detroit, Michigan. Owned by Beasley Broadcast Group, it broadcasts an urban adult contemporary format. The studios and offices are on Radio Plaza in Ferndale.
WLGH is a non-commercial, contemporary Christian FM radio station located in Lansing, Michigan. The station, which broadcasts on 88.1 MHz FM, is owned by Superior Communications. Edward Czelada is the CEO.
WWKM may refer to:
WWSJ is an AM radio station broadcasting from St. Johns, Michigan on 1580 kHz, featuring a black gospel format. The station transmits with 1,000 watts during the day using a directional antenna that sends the signal primarily to the north and south. At night, it operates with a 3 watts.
WSMZ is an AM radio station in Muskegon, Michigan. It is the oldest radio station in Muskegon. The station is part of the contemporary Christian-formatted Smile FM network.
WDVH-FM is an FM radio station licensed to Trenton, Florida and broadcasting to the Gainesville-Ocala, Florida radio market on 101.7 MHz. It is owned by the Radio Training Network and airs a Contemporary Christian radio format known as The Joy FM. The Radio Training Network owns about a dozen FM stations and translators in Florida as part of "The Joy FM" network originating from WJIS in Bradenton. While WDVH-FM is a licensed as a commercial station, The Joy FM Network operates as a non-commercial organization, asking for donations during on-air fundraisers.
WLAW-FM is a radio station broadcasting a country music format. Licensed to Whitehall, Michigan, the station serves the Muskegon, Michigan market. The station's programming was derived from Cumulus Media Networks' Hits & Favorites format until Westwood One took over. It is heard as far as Grand Rapids, Michigan, east of US-131, and it experiences interference from WJIM-FM from Lansing. It is now affiliated with Westwood One's country program. Also heard on W256DM-FM 99.1 in Muskegon.
WWDK is a radio station broadcasting a classic country format. Licensed to Jackson, Michigan, it first began broadcasting on July 14, 1958 as WMKZ-FM. The station broadcasts from a tower near Springport, Michigan.
WQTX is a radio station broadcasting a rhythmic adult contemporary format to the Lansing, Michigan radio market. Licensed to St. Johns, Michigan, it first began broadcasting in 1972, and has been through a number of different calls and formats during its history.