WIBM
Encyclopedia
WIBM is an ESPN Radio
branded Sports Talk
station
in Jackson, Michigan
. The station broadcasts at 1450 kHz on the AM
dial. Jackson Radio Works
owns the station along with news/talk WKHM-AM 970 and hot AC WKHM-FM "K105.3".
The WIBM call letters were assigned to Jackson, Michigan no later than 1930. Prior to that, the same call letters were assigned to a portable transmitter in Chicago (1926-28). (They were assigned in order of availability, and have nothing to do with IBM
.)
WIBM began broadcasting on November 20, 1924, from the 9th floor of the Blake Building (then known as the Reynolds Building). After several more moves the station began operating out of studios at 2511 Kibby Road in September 1948.
WIBM operated on 1370 kHz until 1941 when it moved to the current 1450 kHz.
Jack Paar
, future host of the Tonight Show, was a part-time announcer at the station during the mid-1930s.
In the 1960s and 1970s, WIBM served as the Jackson area's Top 40 music station and was well-known locally for distributing record surveys that resembled an IBM
keypunch card. In 1980, WIBM moved its Top 40 format to its FM sister at 94.1 (now WVIC
and no longer co-owned), and the AM station became WXCM with a country music
format which continued until 1987, when the station went back to the heritage WIBM calls and became a simulcast of 94.1 WIBM-FM, which by then had an oldies
format.
In 1994, WIBM-AM was purchased by Cascades Broadcasting, then owners of WKHM
-AM/FM
, changed its calls to WCXI and returned to a country format; the WIBM calls returned once again the following year. In 1997 the station picked up the soft AC/easy listening
format from sister WKHM-FM after the FM changed to an adult CHR
format as "K105.3." WIBM-AM was known as "Easy Relaxed 1450 AM" until adopting the current ESPN Radio sports format in March 1999.
ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
branded Sports Talk
Sports radio
Sports radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A popular format with an almost exclusively male demographic in most areas, sports radio is characterized by an often-boisterous on-air style and extensive debate and analysis by both hosts and...
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...
in Jackson, Michigan
Jackson, Michigan
Jackson is a city located along Interstate 94 in the south central area of the U.S. state of Michigan, about west of Ann Arbor and south of Lansing. It is the county seat of Jackson County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 33,534...
. The station broadcasts at 1450 kHz on the AM
Amplitude modulation
Amplitude modulation is a technique used in electronic communication, most commonly for transmitting information via a radio carrier wave. AM works by varying the strength of the transmitted signal in relation to the information being sent...
dial. Jackson Radio Works
Jackson Radio Works
Jackson Radio Works is a radio broadcasting network in Jackson and Brooklyn, Michigan. In 2004–2005, one of its stations, WKHM, won the award of the Michigan Association of Broadcasters "station of the year".- List of stations :...
owns the station along with news/talk WKHM-AM 970 and hot AC WKHM-FM "K105.3".
The WIBM call letters were assigned to Jackson, Michigan no later than 1930. Prior to that, the same call letters were assigned to a portable transmitter in Chicago (1926-28). (They were assigned in order of availability, and have nothing to do with IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
.)
WIBM began broadcasting on November 20, 1924, from the 9th floor of the Blake Building (then known as the Reynolds Building). After several more moves the station began operating out of studios at 2511 Kibby Road in September 1948.
WIBM operated on 1370 kHz until 1941 when it moved to the current 1450 kHz.
Jack Paar
Jack Paar
Jack Harold Paar was an author, American radio and television comedian and talk show host, best known for his stint as host of The Tonight Show from 1957 to 1962...
, future host of the Tonight Show, was a part-time announcer at the station during the mid-1930s.
In the 1960s and 1970s, WIBM served as the Jackson area's Top 40 music station and was well-known locally for distributing record surveys that resembled an IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
keypunch card. In 1980, WIBM moved its Top 40 format to its FM sister at 94.1 (now WVIC
WVIC
WVIC is a radio station broadcasting a modern rock format. Licensed to Jackson, Michigan, it first began broadcasting on July 14, 1958 as WMKZ-FM simulcasting WIBM-AM. The station broadcasts from a tower near Springport, Michigan. The station can be heard from Kalamazoo to Ypsilanti, and from...
and no longer co-owned), and the AM station became WXCM with a country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
format which continued until 1987, when the station went back to the heritage WIBM calls and became a simulcast of 94.1 WIBM-FM, which by then had an 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....
format.
In 1994, WIBM-AM was purchased by Cascades Broadcasting, then owners of WKHM
WKHM (AM)
WKHM is a radio station broadcasting a news-talk format. Licensed to Jackson, Michigan, it first began broadcasting in 1951 and offered a full-service format of MOR/adult contemporary music, news, talk and sports for years before evolving to the current news/talk format....
-AM/FM
WKHM-FM
WKHM-FM is a Top 40 FM radio station located in Brooklyn, Michigan serving the Jackson area.-History:The WKHM callsign has a long Jackson tradition and is based on the names of the original owners of WKHM AM...
, changed its calls to WCXI and returned to a country format; the WIBM calls returned once again the following year. In 1997 the station picked up the soft AC/easy listening
Easy listening
Easy listening is a broad style of popular music and radio format that emerged in the 1950s, evolving out of big band music, and related to MOR music as played on many AM radio stations. It encompasses the exotica, beautiful music, light music, lounge music, ambient music, and space age pop genres...
format from sister WKHM-FM after the FM changed to an adult CHR
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
format as "K105.3." WIBM-AM was known as "Easy Relaxed 1450 AM" until adopting the current ESPN Radio sports format in March 1999.
Sources
- Michiguide.com - WIBM History
- MLive - WIBM History
- Broadcasting Yearbook 1938, 1943