WJNL
Broadcast areaTraverse City, Michigan
Frequency1210 kHz
Programming
FormatStunting
Ownership
OwnerMitten News LLC
History
First air date
April 17, 1947 (as WKNX)[1]
Former call signs
  • WKNX (1947[2]–1997)[3]
  • WJZZ (1997–2001)[3]
  • WLDR (2001–2002)[3]
  • WWJR (2002)[3]
  • WLDR (2002–2007)[3]
Call sign meaning
Similar to sister station WJML
Technical information[4]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID4599
ClassD
Power
Transmitter coordinates
44°33′32″N 85°35′35″W / 44.559°N 85.593°W / 44.559; -85.593
Translator(s)101.1 W266CS (Traverse City)
Links
Public license information

WJNL (1210 AM) is a radio station licensed to Kingsley, Michigan, and serving the Traverse City area.[5] The station is owned by Mitten News LLC. The station is also rebroadcast on 101.1 FM, through a translator in Traverse City, Michigan.

History

WKNX in Saginaw

The station began broadcasting April 17, 1947, holding the call sign WKNX, and was licensed to Saginaw, Michigan.[1][2] The station was owned by Lake Huron Broadcasting.[2][6] The station ran 1,000 watts, during daytime hours only.[2] In 1960, the station's power was increased to 10,000 watts.[2] In the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, the station aired a country music format.[7][8][9] By 1964, the station was airing a top 40 format.[10] The station would become an affiliate of American Top 40.[11] By the late 1970s, the station was airing a MOR format.[12] In 1978, the station was sold to Radiocom for $600,000.[13][2] By 1980, the station was again airing a top 40 format.[14]

By the mid-1980s, the station would begin airing an oldies format.[15][16] In 1993, the station was sold to Bell Broadcasting for $270,000.[17] Bell Broadcasting intended to take the station off the air so that 1200 WCHB in Detroit could increase power.[18] In 1997, the station's oldies format and call sign were moved to 1250 WJZZ, and the station was taken silent, with its call sign changed to WJZZ.[19][3] That year, the station was granted a construction permit to move to Kingsley, Michigan and increase its daytime power to 50,000 watts (2,500 watts critical hours).[20]

After move to Kingsley

The station returned to the air in July 1999, after having been moved to Kingsley, Michigan, airing an urban oldies format, before again being silent in November of that year.[6] It would return to the air in October 2000, again airing an urban oldies format, but again being taken silent in January 2001.[6] In 2001, the station was sold to Fort Bend Broadcasting for $225,000.[21][6] The station returned to the air in February 2001 airing an oldies format, with its format being changed to talk in March of that year, as an affiliate of Michigan Talk Radio Network for most of the day, but airing the audio of CNN Headline News during the afternoon drive.[6][22][23] In August 2001, the station's call sign was changed to WLDR.[3] In January 2002, the station's call sign was changed to WWJR, and in May 2002 it was changed back to WLDR.[3]

In 2004, the station adopted a classic country format.[6][24] In 2007, Fort Bend Broadcasting exchanged the station for 750 WWKK in Petoskey, Michigan and $244,000 in cash, with Stone Communications taking ownership of 1210 WLDR.[6][25] In April 2007, the station's call sign was changed to WJNL, and the station would begin simulcasting the talk programming of 1110 WJML in Petoskey, Michigan.[3][6][26][27] In 2017, Mitten News LLC purchased the station, along with 1110 WJML, for $700,000.[28]

On March 31, 2023, WJNL went silent, due the end of an LMA between Blarney Stone Broadcasting and Mitten News.[29]

On October 18, 2023, WJNL returned to air, initially by stunting with music by Grateful Dead.[30]

FM translator

Broadcast translator for WJNL
Call sign Frequency City of license Class FCC info
W266CS 101.1 FM Traverse City, Michigan D FMQ

References

  1. ^ a b 1971 Broadcasting Yearbook, Broadcasting, 1971. p. B-107. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e f History Cards for WJNL, fcc.gov. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Call Sign History, fcc.gov. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  4. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WJNL". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  5. ^ WJNL-AM 1210 kHz, radio-locator.com. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h WJNL AM 1210 Kingsley/Traverse City, Michiguide.com. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  7. ^ "C&W Booms in Saginaw Area", Billboard, February 9, 1960. p. 3. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  8. ^ "Favorite Folk Disk Jockey", Billboard, October 22, 1949. p. 101. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  9. ^ "Folk Talent and Tunes", Billboard, August 27, 1949. p. 33. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  10. ^ "WKNX-Radio Powervoice 1210 Big Ten Survey", WKNX. October 10, 1964. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  11. ^ "There Just May Be a Hundred Reasons Why This Weekly Three-Hour Program Gets Bigger and Bigger, Market After Market", Billboard, February 6, 1971. p. 39. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  12. ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1977, Broadcasting, 1977. p. C-108. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  13. ^ "Changing Hands", Broadcasting, May 29, 1978. p. 32. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  14. ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1980, Broadcasting, 1980. p. C-117. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  15. ^ Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1984, Broadcasting/Cablecasting, 1984. p. B-133. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  16. ^ Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1986, Broadcasting/Cablecasting, 1986. p. B-146. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  17. ^ "Transactions", Radio & Records, November 5, 1993. p. 10. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  18. ^ "Elsewhere", The M Street Journal. Vol. 11 No. 21. May 25, 1994. p. 8. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  19. ^ "Format Changes & Updates", The M Street Journal. Vol. 14 No. 6. February 12, 1997. p. 2. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  20. ^ "Facilities/Parameters: Grants", The M Street Journal. Vol. 14 No. 23. June 11, 1997. p. 6. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  21. ^ "AMs", Broadcasting & Cable, February 18, 2001. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  22. ^ "2001 Michigan Broadcasting News Highlights", Michiguide.com. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  23. ^ The M Street Radio Directory. 2001-2002. p. 294. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  24. ^ The M Street Radio Directory. 2004-2005. p. 306. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  25. ^ Station Exchange Agreement, fcc.gov. February 7, 2007. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  26. ^ The Radio Book. 2007-2008. p. 313. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  27. ^ "WELCOME to all our new listeners on the new AM-1210". WJML. Archived from the original on June 17, 2007. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  28. ^ "Company buys WJML, WJNL", Traverse City Record-Eagle. February 16, 2017. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  29. ^ WQON and WGRY-FM Lose Simulcast Partners as Mitten News LMA Comes to an End Radioinsight - April 12, 2023
  30. ^ "Michigan Trio Gratefully Returns From The Dead". RadioInsight. October 18, 2023. Retrieved October 22, 2023.

External links

Radio stations in Northwest Michigan, including Traverse City, Petoskey and Cadillac
Daytime-only radio stations in Michigan
Categories