WNIL is an AM 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...

 located in Niles, Michigan

Niles, Michigan

Niles is a city in Berrien and Cass counties in the U.S. state of Michigan, near South Bend, Indiana. The population was 11,600 at the 2010 census. It is the greater populated of two principal cities of and included in the Niles-Benton Harbor, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a...

 and broadcasting to the Niles-Buchanan

Buchanan, Michigan

Buchanan is a city in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,681 at the 2000 census. The city is located at the southeast corner of Buchanan Township, about 5 miles west of Niles. It was named after James Buchanan, the 15th President of the United States...

 region airing a talk radio

Talk radio

Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...

 format. It broadcasts on AM frequency 1290 kHz and is under ownership of Federated Media.

History

WNIL began its broadcasting activities in 1956 under an unknown format but in 1964, it was notable when Tommy James & the Shondells

Tommy James & the Shondells

Tommy James and the Shondells are an American rock and roll group whose period of greatest success came in the late 1960s. They had two No. 1 singles in the U.S. — "Hanky Panky" and "Crimson and Clover"  — and also charted 12 other Top 40 hits, including five in the top ten: "Crystal...

 recorded their hit "Hanky Panky" (it was a summer hit in 1966 and the studio was located at Sycamore and 5th Street). In the 1990s, it has dropped its music format in favor of sports radio

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...

 programming. Shortly in 1999, the sports format is switched to an all-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....

 station from Jones Radio Networks

Jones Radio Networks

Jones Radio Networks & Jones Media Group were branches of Jones International before being sold to Triton Media Group. JRN and JMN provide local radio stations with satellite-delivered formats. They also offer other services to local radio such as news and talk programs, syndicated radio shows,...

' Good Time Oldies

Good Time Oldies

Good Time Oldies was a 24-hour music format produced by Jones Radio Networks. Ittargeted the "baby boomers" and consists of oldies music from the 1960s to early 1970s by The Beatles, The Kinks, The Beach Boys, Hues Corporation, The Rolling Stones and dozens more artists...

 satellite feed. In June 1999, the FCC

Federal Communications Commission

The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...

 approved a license transfer from its original owner Niles Broadcasting to Pathfinder Communications (now Federated Media) along with sister station WAOR

WAOR

WAOR is a radio station broadcasting a classic rock format. Licensed to Nappanee, Indiana, WAOR serves the South Bend, Indiana market.-History:...

.

Less than a year later, WNIL changed affiliations to ABC Radio's "Memories/Unforgettable Favorites

Unforgettable Favorites

Unforgettable Favorites was a satellite driven format distributed by ABC Radio Networks...

" (soft rock

Soft rock

Soft rock is a style of music which uses the techniques of rock music to compose a softer, more toned-down sound. Soft rock songs generally tend to focus on themes like love, everyday life and relationships. The genre tends to make heavy use of acoustic guitars, pianos, synthesizers and sometimes...

) and has been running that feed even throughout the merger with "Stardust" and the name change to Timeless Classics/Timeless Favorites

Timeless (radio network)

Timeless was a 24-hour satellite music service of Citadel Media . It has distributed a mix of soft oldies and adult standards to radio stations around the USA...

. When 2007 began, local newscasts and talk programs were discontinued, making it an all music station. However, in March 2007, the Timeless radio format is dropped in favor of the now syndicated talk programming. As of October, 2010, the format had previously gone to a Christian Radio theme, being described on its website www.1290wnil.com as "The Mighty 1290 - Spirited Talk Radio", focusing on "Faith, and Family Values".