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WGHN (1370 kHz) is an AM radio station licensed to Grand Haven, Michigan. The station broadcasts an album-oriented rock format.

History

WGHN signed on the air on July 16, 1956. The station was founded by Robert Runyon and Robert Kirby, former employees of WOOD radio and television in Grand Rapids. WGHN went through several ownership changes in the next decade. Over the years, the station also moved several times, from its original studios on Washington Avenue (above Grand Haven Jewelry) to Franklin Avenue to South Seventh Street; WGHN has been housed at its current location on South Harbor Street in Grand Haven since 1985.

WGHN-FM 92.1 was added on January 28, 1969. In 1976 the station changed its call sign to WFMG (that call sign is now used at 101.3 FM in Richmond, Indiana) and separated programming from its AM sister, airing an easy listening format while the AM station continued with a format of adult contemporary music and talk. After the stations were sold in 1983, the FM's call sign was changed back to WGHN-FM and the two stations resumed simulcasting, which continued until January 4, 2008.

2007-08: Sale and Changes

WGHN owners Bill Struyk, President and General Manager, and Ron Mass, Vice President (known on the air as "Ron Stevens"), announced in April 2007 that they were selling WGHN and WGHN-FM to Lansing-based businessman Will Tieman, owner of Michigan State University's Spartan Sports Network. Struyk told the Grand Haven Tribune that he and Mass were both ready for retirement (1). Despite speculation that Tieman would try to move WGHN out of Grand Haven to become a Muskegon- or Grand Rapids-market station, Tieman told The Muskegon Chronicle that he did not plan to make any major programming changes (see: "New owner plans to keep WGHN local," The Muskegon Chronicle, 8 May 2007) 1, nor would he immediately discontinue WGHN's University of Michigan sports broadcasts in favor of Michigan State sports.

In early January 2008, Will Tieman discontinued WGHN's simulcast of the FM signal and changed the format to ESPN Radio.

On May 25, 2018, WGHN changed its format from ESPN sports to oldies, branded as "Oldies 94.9".

On November 21, 2022, WGHN temporarily replaced its oldies format with WGHN-FM's adult contemporary format, due to WGHN-FM being off the air.

On September 12, 2023, WGHN dropped its simulcast with WGHN-FM and changed formats to album-oriented rock, branded as "94.9 The Channel".

Current programming

Sports

Spring Lake High School football & basketball air in-season. Saturdays in the fall have University of Michigan Football.

Previous logo

Sources

• Michiguide.com-WGHN History

References

1. "Facility Technical Data for WGHN". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
2. WGHN Flips To Oldies; WMPA To Classic Rock Radioinsight - May 25, 2018
3. Michigan Pair Off the air After City Eviction Radioinsight
4. WGHN Changes Its Channel Radioinsight - September 12, 2023

External links

• Facility details for Facility ID 72104 (WGHN) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
• WGHN in Nielsen Audio's AM station database
• Facility details for Facility ID 145404 (W235CM) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
• W235CM at FCCdata.org

43°02′17″N 86°13′46″W / 43.03806°N 86.22944°W / 43.03806; -86.22944

• Radio stations in Michigan
• Radio stations established in 1956
• 1956 establishments in Michigan
• Grand Haven, Michigan
• Rock radio stations in the United States