.gif)
WWCK (AM)
Encyclopedia
WWCK is a radio station
in Flint, Michigan
broadcasting a talk radio
format.
The Cumulus Media
-owned station features a roster of mainly syndicated talk show hosts including Rush Limbaugh
, Michael Savage
, Neal Boortz
, and Coast-to-Coast AM as well as local morning talk with Lou Lobsinger and news with Les Root. The station also simulcasts the audio of WNEM-TV
's morning show, providing that coverage in the southern part of the area television market - WNEM-AM
, which is owned by the television station, broadcasts from the Saginaw area.
, featuring MOR music. The conservative owners of WMRP-AM and WMRP-FM
105.5 refused to allow any cigarette or alcohol advertising on the stations.
The United Methodist Church withdrew support for WMRP-AM/FM in 1971, and the stations were purchased that year by John W. Nogaj, who converted 105.5 to Top 40 and later album rock as WWCK (the calls being a tribute to CKLW in Windsor, Ontario
) and installed a country music
format on AM 1570 with the new calls WCZN ("Your Country Cousin"). The country format was replaced by oldies
as "Solid Gold 16" in 1974. In 1975, following the sale of WWCK and WCZN to Reams Broadcasting, WWCK-FM went full-time album rock, and WCZN picked up the Top 40 format. This was followed by religious programming as WLQB (1976), a female-oriented talk/adult contemporary format as WWMN (1981), and beautiful music
/easy listening
as WGMZ (picking up the calls and format that were dropped by 107.9 FM when it became WCRZ
in 1984).
In 1986, AM 1570 became WWCK-AM and began to simulcast WWCK-FM (which switched from album rock to CHR
on January 1, 1989 following the sale of the stations from Reams Broadcasting to Majac of Michigan). Originally a daytime-only station on a Mexican clear channel, a treaty signed between the American and Mexican governments allowed the station to broadcast full time at reduced power at night in 1986. Cumulus Media
took control of WWCK-AM/FM in March 2000, and a year later, WWCK-AM dropped its simulcast of the FM station in favor of urban contemporary gospel
music via ABC Radio's "Rejoice - Musical Soul Food" network. The current Talk format was adopted on March 1, 2004, allowing Flint to once again have a News/Talk station of its own following WFDF AM 910's move into the Detroit market and metamorphosis into Radio Disney
.
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 Flint, Michigan
Flint, Michigan
Flint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the...
broadcasting 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.
The Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media, Inc. is the second largest Owner and Operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States, behind Clear Channel Communications, operating 570 stations in 150 markets as of September 16, 2011. The company also owns Cumulus Media Networks...
-owned station features a roster of mainly syndicated talk show hosts including Rush Limbaugh
Rush Limbaugh
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in American conservatism. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United...
, Michael Savage
Michael Savage (commentator)
Michael Savage is a conservative American radio host, author, and political commentator. He is the host of The Savage Nation, a nationally syndicated talk show that airs throughout the United States on Talk Radio Network...
, Neal Boortz
Neal Boortz
Neal A. Boortz, Jr. is an American Libertarian radio host, author, and political commentator. His nationally syndicated talk show, The Neal Boortz Show, airs throughout the United States on Dial Global . It is ranked seventh in overall listeners, with 4.25+ million per week...
, and Coast-to-Coast AM as well as local morning talk with Lou Lobsinger and news with Les Root. The station also simulcasts the audio of WNEM-TV
WNEM-TV
WNEM-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Flint/Tri-Cities market in Michigan. It is licensed to Bay City, and broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 22 . Owned by the Meredith Corporation, the station has studios on North Franklin Street in downtown Saginaw, as...
's morning show, providing that coverage in the southern part of the area television market - WNEM-AM
WNEM (AM)
WNEM AM 1250 is an all-news radio station for the Saginaw–Bay City area. It is currently owned by the Meredith Corporation. Although licensed to Bridgeport, WNEM currently operates from the WNEM-TV studios in downtown Saginaw at 107 Franklin Street...
, which is owned by the television station, broadcasts from the Saginaw area.
History
The station began operations on November 11, 1946. As WMRP-AM (Methodist Radio Parish) in the 1960s, it served as a broadcast ministry of the United Methodist ChurchUnited Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
, featuring MOR music. The conservative owners of WMRP-AM and WMRP-FM
WWCK-FM
WWCK-FM is a radio station in Flint, Michigan, broadcasting an adult-oriented Top 40 format. The station is owned by Cumulus Media and has programmed its current format since 1989.-Early History: WMRP:...
105.5 refused to allow any cigarette or alcohol advertising on the stations.
The United Methodist Church withdrew support for WMRP-AM/FM in 1971, and the stations were purchased that year by John W. Nogaj, who converted 105.5 to Top 40 and later album rock as WWCK (the calls being a tribute to CKLW in Windsor, Ontario
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
) and installed 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 on AM 1570 with the new calls WCZN ("Your Country Cousin"). The country format was replaced by 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 "Solid Gold 16" in 1974. In 1975, following the sale of WWCK and WCZN to Reams Broadcasting, WWCK-FM went full-time album rock, and WCZN picked up the Top 40 format. This was followed by religious programming as WLQB (1976), a female-oriented talk/adult contemporary format as WWMN (1981), and beautiful music
Beautiful music
Beautiful music is a mostly instrumental music format that was prominent in American radio from the 1960s through the 1980s...
/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...
as WGMZ (picking up the calls and format that were dropped by 107.9 FM when it became WCRZ
WCRZ
WCRZ is a radio station in Flint, Michigan, broadcasting an adult contemporary format. WCRZ is the top-rated heritage station in the market.-History:...
in 1984).
In 1986, AM 1570 became WWCK-AM and began to simulcast WWCK-FM (which switched from album rock to 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...
on January 1, 1989 following the sale of the stations from Reams Broadcasting to Majac of Michigan). Originally a daytime-only station on a Mexican clear channel, a treaty signed between the American and Mexican governments allowed the station to broadcast full time at reduced power at night in 1986. Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media, Inc. is the second largest Owner and Operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States, behind Clear Channel Communications, operating 570 stations in 150 markets as of September 16, 2011. The company also owns Cumulus Media Networks...
took control of WWCK-AM/FM in March 2000, and a year later, WWCK-AM dropped its simulcast of the FM station in favor of urban contemporary gospel
Urban contemporary gospel
Traditional black gospel is music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music...
music via ABC Radio's "Rejoice - Musical Soul Food" network. The current Talk format was adopted on March 1, 2004, allowing Flint to once again have a News/Talk station of its own following WFDF AM 910's move into the Detroit market and metamorphosis into Radio Disney
Radio Disney
Radio Disney is a radio network based in Burbank, California and headquartered out of the Disney Channel headquarters on West Alameda Ave., from where it has been based since November 2008. Prior to that, the network was based in Dallas, Texas...
.