WHSB
Encyclopedia
WHSB is a 100,000 watt radio station
licensed to Alpena, Michigan
broadcasting a hot adult contemporary format. The station, which began broadcasting in 1964, has featured some type of contemporary music format since at least the early 1970s, and is currently the only radio station in northeastern Michigan playing currently charted pop music.
) and affiliated with "Best Hits, Best Variety"
, a satellite Hot AC format from ABC Radio. In 1999, WHSB dropped ABC's format in favor of Jones' package and tweaked its identifying moniker from "Bay 108" to the current "107-7 The Bay."
On October 23, 2004, Kerwin Kitzman, a longtime popular WHSB disc jockey, sports play-by-play announcer and sales representative, died suddenly of a heart attack at the age of 46. A tribute album to Kitzman, Teddy Bear Memories, was recorded at the Spyder Byte recording studio in Alpena, and a memorial fund, the K2 Kids fund, has been set up in his name.
In the fall of 2004 the station was sold to Edwards Communications. Past owners have included Huron Shore Broadcasters (the original owners when the station went on the air in the 1960s), WHSB Inc., Daraka Broadcasting, and Northern Radio Network Corporation (from whom Edwards acquired the station along with sister stations WHAK-AM/FM Rogers City and then-WCLS Oscoda in 2004).
107-7 The Bay currently features local personalities from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and airs Dial Global
's Hot AC format the remainder of the time. Despite Dial Global's recently changing the sound of its Hot AC format to more of an Adult Top 40 mix and scaling back pre-2000 music to one or two songs per hour, WHSB continues to play a traditional Hot AC mix of hits of the 1980s through today during its local dayparts. The station's local personalities include longtime morning host Darrell Kelly, midday host Tim Thomas and afternoon drive host Mary Thurston. Special weekend programming on Sundays includes both the '80s and '90s versions of Backtrax USA
and the Hot AC version of American Top 40
with Ryan Seacrest
. WHSB aired the original version of AT40 with Casey Kasem
in years past starting in 1979.
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...
licensed to Alpena, Michigan
Alpena, Michigan
Alpena is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Alpena County. It is considered to be part of Northern Michigan. The Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary is located in the city. The population was 10,483 at the 2010 census...
broadcasting a hot adult contemporary format. The station, which began broadcasting in 1964, has featured some type of contemporary music format since at least the early 1970s, and is currently the only radio station in northeastern Michigan playing currently charted pop music.
History
In the 1980s, the station went by the names "WhisBee" and "HSB, The Music Station." In the early 1990s, the station adopted the moniker "Bay 108" (a reference to nearby Thunder BayThunder Bay (Michigan)
Thunder Bay is a bay in the U.S. state of Michigan on Lake Huron. The bay extends from North Point at to South Point at .The city of Alpena lies at the mouth of the Thunder Bay River at...
) and affiliated with "Best Hits, Best Variety"
Today's Best Hits
Today's Best Hits is an American radio network with a Hot Adult Contemporary format. It plays many contemporary songs. It also features many retro hits, and on Saturday night, it plays only requested retro songs. The network was previously known as Best Hits, Best Variety...
, a satellite Hot AC format from ABC Radio. In 1999, WHSB dropped ABC's format in favor of Jones' package and tweaked its identifying moniker from "Bay 108" to the current "107-7 The Bay."
On October 23, 2004, Kerwin Kitzman, a longtime popular WHSB disc jockey, sports play-by-play announcer and sales representative, died suddenly of a heart attack at the age of 46. A tribute album to Kitzman, Teddy Bear Memories, was recorded at the Spyder Byte recording studio in Alpena, and a memorial fund, the K2 Kids fund, has been set up in his name.
In the fall of 2004 the station was sold to Edwards Communications. Past owners have included Huron Shore Broadcasters (the original owners when the station went on the air in the 1960s), WHSB Inc., Daraka Broadcasting, and Northern Radio Network Corporation (from whom Edwards acquired the station along with sister stations WHAK-AM/FM Rogers City and then-WCLS Oscoda in 2004).
107-7 The Bay currently features local personalities from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and airs Dial Global
Dial Global
Dial Global is a radio syndication company. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Triton Media Group and is a sister company to Townsquare Media, both of which are owned by Oaktree Capital Management....
's Hot AC format the remainder of the time. Despite Dial Global's recently changing the sound of its Hot AC format to more of an Adult Top 40 mix and scaling back pre-2000 music to one or two songs per hour, WHSB continues to play a traditional Hot AC mix of hits of the 1980s through today during its local dayparts. The station's local personalities include longtime morning host Darrell Kelly, midday host Tim Thomas and afternoon drive host Mary Thurston. Special weekend programming on Sundays includes both the '80s and '90s versions of Backtrax USA
Backtrax USA
Backtrax USA is a two hour radio program hosted by former WHTZ DJ Kid Kelly that premiered in 1993.The show originally highlighted hit music from the 1980s. Since 2003, however, Backtrax USA has offered a 1990s version of the show featuring hit music from this decade alongside that of the '80s...
and the Hot AC version of American Top 40
American Top 40
American Top 40 is an internationally syndicated, independent radio program created by Casey Kasem, Don Bustany, Tom Rounds and Ron Jacobs. Originally a production of Watermark Inc...
with Ryan Seacrest
Ryan Seacrest
Ryan John Seacrest is an American radio personality, television host, network producer and voice actor. He is the host of On Air with Ryan Seacrest, a nationally syndicated Top 40 radio show that airs on KIIS-FM in Los Angeles and throughout the United States and Canada on Premiere Radio Networks,...
. WHSB aired the original version of AT40 with Casey Kasem
Casey Kasem
Kemal Amin "Casey" Kasem is an American radio personality and voice actor who is best known for being the host of the nationally syndicated Top 40 countdown show American Top 40, and for voicing Shaggy in the popular Saturday morning cartoon franchise Scooby-Doo.Kasem, along with Don Bustany and...
in years past starting in 1979.