WFGR
Encyclopedia
WFGR is an American
FM
radio station
serving Grand Rapids, Michigan
. It transmits from their facility in Alpine Township
on 98.7 FM. WFGR is owned by Townsquare Media. The station was known as "Oldies
98.7" and played mostly hits of the 1950s through early 1970s until June 29, 2009 when the station tweaked its format to rock-based Classic Hits
and added more music from the 1970s through 1990s. The change left the Grand Rapids market without a local outlet for oldies in the traditional sense of the format, until Grand Valley State University
stepped in to fill the void by flipping its WGVU-AM from NPR news and talk to "Real Oldies" a few months later. The WFGR signal can be heard as far north as Stanwood, Michigan
, far east as Pewamo, Michigan
, and as far south as Plainwell, Michigan
WFGR also broadcasts on a low-power signal (96.5) based out of Big Rapids, Michigan
.
WFGR was previously a classical music station throughout the 1990s, broadcasting the World Classical Network
from WFCC-FM
in Chatham, Massachusetts
. It changed its format to oldies music on October 11, 2004 when Grand Rapids' current oldies station at the time, WODJ, was displaced by rock station WKLQ.
When WFGR debuted its oldies format, it was satellite-fed using ABC Radio's "Oldies Radio" feed, but soon debuted a mostly-local lineup of DJs. WFGR currently plays a wide variety of Pop, Rock, Disco and Funk from the Mid-60's to the Late 80's. The station has also picked up the weekend feature "Awesome 80's" from sister station WLHT 95.7. The feature debuted on March 19, 2011, and has been well received.
On October 5, 2009, The Bob & Tom Show
premiered on the morning lineup, Monday through Saturday 6am to 10am. The show was added when 101.3 The Fox dropped the morning show due to too many stations airing talk and wanted to go to all music in the morning.
10a - 3pm Matt Hendricks (as of October 2010, previously of WBFX)
3pm - 7pm Craig Russell and the Afternoon Hustle
7pm - 12mid Mark Roberts
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
FM
Frequency modulation
In telecommunications and signal processing, frequency modulation conveys information over a carrier wave by varying its instantaneous frequency. This contrasts with amplitude modulation, in which the amplitude of the carrier is varied while its frequency remains constant...
radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
serving Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
. It transmits from their facility in Alpine Township
Alpine Township, Michigan
Alpine Township is a civil township of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The township became a charter township in 1979, but in 1996, the township de-chartered and returned to general law status. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 13,976...
on 98.7 FM. WFGR is owned by Townsquare Media. The station was known as "Oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
98.7" and played mostly hits of the 1950s through early 1970s until June 29, 2009 when the station tweaked its format to rock-based Classic Hits
Classic hits
Classic hits is a radio format which generally includes rock and pop music from 1964 to 1989. The term is sometimes erroneously used as a synonym for the adult hits format, but is more accurately characterized as a contemporary style of the oldies format...
and added more music from the 1970s through 1990s. The change left the Grand Rapids market without a local outlet for oldies in the traditional sense of the format, until Grand Valley State University
Grand Valley State University
Grand Valley State University is a public liberal arts university located in Allendale, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1960, and its main campus is situated on approximately west of Grand Rapids...
stepped in to fill the void by flipping its WGVU-AM from NPR news and talk to "Real Oldies" a few months later. The WFGR signal can be heard as far north as Stanwood, Michigan
Stanwood, Michigan
Stanwood is a village in Mecosta County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 204. The village is within Mecosta Township.-Geography:...
, far east as Pewamo, Michigan
Pewamo, Michigan
Pewamo is a village in Lyons Township, Ionia County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It was founded in 1857 as a station along the Detroit, Grand Haven and Milwaukee Railway. The village name was suggested by J.C. Blanchard in honor of Chief Pewamo, with whom he had hunted along the nearby Grand River...
, and as far south as Plainwell, Michigan
Plainwell, Michigan
Plainwell is a city in Allegan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,933 at the 2000 census.Plainwell is located on M-89 just east of its junction with U.S. 131. The city of Otsego is about three miles to the west. Kalamazoo is about ten miles to the south and Grand Rapids...
WFGR also broadcasts on a low-power signal (96.5) based out of Big Rapids, Michigan
Big Rapids, Michigan
Big Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 10,849. It is the county seat of Mecosta County. The city is located within Big Rapids Township, but is politically independent.-Geography:...
.
WFGR was previously a classical music station throughout the 1990s, broadcasting the World Classical Network
World Classical Network
The World Classical Network is an internet-delivery classical radio broadcasting service owned by Cape Cod Broadcasting in Hyannis, Massachusetts. The service has been in existence since February 1998, when it was owned and operated by Charles River Broadcasting. It filled a void left by the...
from WFCC-FM
WFCC-FM
WFCC-FM is a 50-kilowatt radio station licensed to Chatham, Massachusetts on Cape Cod, with studios and offices in Hyannis and transmitter facilities in Brewster...
in Chatham, Massachusetts
Chatham, Massachusetts
Chatham is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States, Barnstable County being coextensive with Cape Cod. The population was 6,625 at the 2000 census...
. It changed its format to oldies music on October 11, 2004 when Grand Rapids' current oldies station at the time, WODJ, was displaced by rock station WKLQ.
When WFGR debuted its oldies format, it was satellite-fed using ABC Radio's "Oldies Radio" feed, but soon debuted a mostly-local lineup of DJs. WFGR currently plays a wide variety of Pop, Rock, Disco and Funk from the Mid-60's to the Late 80's. The station has also picked up the weekend feature "Awesome 80's" from sister station WLHT 95.7. The feature debuted on March 19, 2011, and has been well received.
On October 5, 2009, The Bob & Tom Show
The Bob & Tom Show
The Bob & Tom Show is a syndicated US radio program established by Bob Kevoian and Tom Griswold at radio station WFBQ in Indianapolis, Indiana, March 7, 1983, and syndicated nationally since January 6, 1995....
premiered on the morning lineup, Monday through Saturday 6am to 10am. The show was added when 101.3 The Fox dropped the morning show due to too many stations airing talk and wanted to go to all music in the morning.
The Current Weekday On-Air Lineup
6am - 10am The Bob & Tom ShowThe Bob & Tom Show
The Bob & Tom Show is a syndicated US radio program established by Bob Kevoian and Tom Griswold at radio station WFBQ in Indianapolis, Indiana, March 7, 1983, and syndicated nationally since January 6, 1995....
10a - 3pm Matt Hendricks (as of October 2010, previously of WBFX)
3pm - 7pm Craig Russell and the Afternoon Hustle
7pm - 12mid Mark Roberts