WIDG
Encyclopedia
WIDG is a radio station
licensed to St. Ignace, Michigan
, broadcasting a Catholic religious
format. Until October 2008, the station was owned and operated by Northern Star Broadcasting
and had aired ESPN Radio
under the brand name AM 940 The Fan. The station then went silent for a short period and returned to the air in December 2008, simulcasting Baraga Broadcasting's 90.9 FM WTCK
in Charlevoix
. Pending FCC approval and closing, WIDG is being sold from Northern Star Broadcasting to Baraga Broadcasting for the sum of $100,000.
" and aired mainly middle of the road music, at times a blend of top 40.
The nickname "Widge by the Bridge" was coined by a longtime friend of station founder Donald E. Benson, a Lansing-based dentist who thought WITL-Lansing's slogan "Whittle while you work" was something that WIDG needed. The original CP for the station had the call letters WSTI, "St.Ignace" but Benson felt the call letters looked like "Stye." In 1979 Benson obtained a dark license and kept the station dark until April 1981. WIDG returned with an MOR format until a format change to Big Band and standards and the call letters WLVM ("We Love Michigan," with the station's music format provided by TM's "TMOR" package). In 1985, the station returned to the WIDG calls with an top 40 oldies format until 1988 when WIDG simulcast of sister FM's WMKC St.Ignace and WCKC-Cadillac's country music format.
Eventually, in the early 1990s, WIDG once again adopted separate programming from WMKC, airing first oldies
(as "Cool 940") and then classic country
(as "Classic KC Country") before the sports-talk format was introduced. WIDG was initially an affiliate of One-on-One Sports (which later became Sporting News Radio
) before switching to the ESPN Radio feed.
WIDG operates with a omni-directional antenna and with very low power after local sunset to avoid interference with the now-defunct CINW (formerly CBC Radio
-owned CBM-AM) in Montreal. In WIDG's heyday it constantly fought for an good signal into the north and was stymied by 10kw CKCY-920 Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
. WIDG's signal was obliterated by CKCY north of Rudyard. When CKCY went dark WIDG finally got the full potential of it's 5kw signal and can be heard well into the province of Ontario.
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 St. Ignace, Michigan
St. Ignace, Michigan
Saint Ignace, usually written as St. Ignace, is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 2,678. It is the county seat of Mackinac County. From the Lower Peninsula, St. Ignace is the gateway to the Upper Peninsula.St...
, broadcasting a Catholic religious
Christian radio
Christian radio is a category of radio formats that focus on transmitting programming with a Christian message. In the United States, where it is more established, many such broadcasters play popular music of Christian influence, though many programs have talk or news programming covering...
format. Until October 2008, the station was owned and operated by Northern Star Broadcasting
Northern Star Broadcasting
Northern Star Broadcasting is a radio broadcasting company which owns nine radio stations in northern Michigan, with offices in Cheboygan and Traverse City. In 2010 it sold several of its Upper Peninsula radio stations toSovereign Communications of Sault Ste...
and had aired ESPN Radio
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...
under the brand name AM 940 The Fan. The station then went silent for a short period and returned to the air in December 2008, simulcasting Baraga Broadcasting's 90.9 FM WTCK
WTCK
WTCK is a radio station broadcasting a Catholic religious format, simulcasting WDEO of Ypsilanti, Michigan. Licensed to Charlevoix, Michigan USA, the station is currently owned by Baraga Broadcasting.WTCK programming is also heard in St...
in Charlevoix
Charlevoix, Michigan
Charlevoix is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 2,994. It is the county seat of Charlevoix County....
. Pending FCC approval and closing, WIDG is being sold from Northern Star Broadcasting to Baraga Broadcasting for the sum of $100,000.
History
Founded in 1966 by Donald E. Benson's Mighty-Mac Broadcasting Company, the station was known for many years as "Widge by the BridgeMackinac Bridge
The Mackinac Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Straits of Mackinac to connect the non-contiguous Upper and Lower peninsulas of the U.S. state of Michigan. Opened in 1957, the bridge is the third longest in total suspension in the world and the longest suspension bridge between anchorages...
" and aired mainly middle of the road music, at times a blend of top 40.
The nickname "Widge by the Bridge" was coined by a longtime friend of station founder Donald E. Benson, a Lansing-based dentist who thought WITL-Lansing's slogan "Whittle while you work" was something that WIDG needed. The original CP for the station had the call letters WSTI, "St.Ignace" but Benson felt the call letters looked like "Stye." In 1979 Benson obtained a dark license and kept the station dark until April 1981. WIDG returned with an MOR format until a format change to Big Band and standards and the call letters WLVM ("We Love Michigan," with the station's music format provided by TM's "TMOR" package). In 1985, the station returned to the WIDG calls with an top 40 oldies format until 1988 when WIDG simulcast of sister FM's WMKC St.Ignace and WCKC-Cadillac's country music format.
Eventually, in the early 1990s, WIDG once again adopted separate programming from WMKC, airing first 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....
(as "Cool 940") and then classic country
Classic country
Classic country is a music radio format that specializes in playing mainstream country hits from past decades.This genre generally follows one of two formats: those specializing in hits from the 1920s through the early 1970s, and focus primarily on innovators and artists from country music's Golden...
(as "Classic KC Country") before the sports-talk format was introduced. WIDG was initially an affiliate of One-on-One Sports (which later became Sporting News Radio
Sporting News Radio
Yahoo! Sports Radio, formerly Sporting News Radio is a United States sports radio network that broadcasts sports news, talk, scores, and highlights 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. On August 1, 2011, it was announced the network would change its name to Yahoo! Sports Radio, effective...
) before switching to the ESPN Radio feed.
WIDG operates with a omni-directional antenna and with very low power after local sunset to avoid interference with the now-defunct CINW (formerly CBC Radio
CBC Radio
CBC Radio generally refers to the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which are outlined below.-English:CBC Radio operates three English language...
-owned CBM-AM) in Montreal. In WIDG's heyday it constantly fought for an good signal into the north and was stymied by 10kw CKCY-920 Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Sault Ste. Marie is a city on the St. Marys River in Algoma District, Ontario, Canada. It is the third largest city in Northern Ontario, after Sudbury and Thunder Bay, with a population of 74,948. The community was founded as a French religious mission: Sault either means "jump" or "rapids" in...
. WIDG's signal was obliterated by CKCY north of Rudyard. When CKCY went dark WIDG finally got the full potential of it's 5kw signal and can be heard well into the province of Ontario.
