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WJIM (AM)
Radio station in Lansing, Michigan From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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WJIM (1240 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Lansing, Michigan. The station broadcasts a sports talk radio format and is owned by Townsquare Media. Studios and offices are on Pinetree Road in Lansing.
Programming includes syndicated sports talk programs originating from WXYT in Detroit branded as The Ticket as well as ESPN Radio programming nights and weekends.[2]
WJIM is a Class C station, powered at 890 watts non-directional. Programming is simulcast on FM translator W295BP at 106.9 MHz.
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Programming
WJIM began airing a sports-talk format December 1st, 2025 as an inaugural affiliate of the Detroit Sports Network. The network is a partnership between Audacy's 97.1 WXYT-FM in Detroit and several Townsquare Media stations in Michigan including WJIM, WFGR in Grand Rapids, WKMI in Kalamazoo, and WBCK in Battle Creek.[3]
Some of the programming that used to be heard on WJIM prior to The Ticket format has since been moved to sister station WVFN including the conservative talk program "The Steve Gruber Show," and "Michigan's Big Show starring Michael Patrick Shiels".[4]
WJIM is the Lansing outlet for Michigan State University's Spartan Sports Network, airing all MSU football and basketball games, as well as volleyball and hockey. It is not, however, the flagship station. That role belongs to WJR in Detroit.[5]
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History
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Early years
WJIM signed on the air on August 22, 1934. It broadcast on 1210 kHz with 250 watts daytime and 100 watts at night. WJIM was owned by Harold Gross and his company, Capital Broadcasting.[6] It is the oldest commercial station in Lansing. The capital's first radio station, WHW,[7] folded in 1923.[8]
According to local legend, Gross won the license, the oldest continually operated commercial license in Lansing, in a card game. He named the station after his son Jim, who would become the station's general manager from the 1960s through the sale of the station.
In 1941, as part of the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement (NARBA), WJIM moved to 1240 kHz with 250 watts. That year, many AM station were required to change their frequencies.
FM station
In July 1941, WJIM was issued an FCC construction permit for a new commercial FM station with the call sign W77XL.[9] However, the station was never completed and the FCC deleted it a little over a year later in September 1942.[10]
In 1960, WJIM again got FCC permission to build an FM station. That became 97.5 WJIM-FM. After initially simulcasting programming from AM 1240, WJIM-FM switched to beautiful music and is today a Top 40 station.
Full service radio
From the 1950s through the 80s, WJIM had a full service middle of the road format and was an NBC Radio News network affiliate. But as music listening shifted to FM radio in the 1980s, WJIM added more talk shows, including NBC Talknet. In the 1990s, it made the transition to all talk programming.[11]
One of WJIM's hallmarks for most of its existence was extensive news coverage. It spawned Lansing's first television station, WJIM-TV (channel 6, now WLNS-TV) in 1950. The two stations combined forces to cover Central Michigan news. In recent years, following the sale to Cumulus and then Townsquare, the station's news department was eliminated. The station now only airs syndicated state and national newscasts, leaving competitor 1320 WILS as the only remaining radio station in the market covering local news.
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Changes in ownership
WJIM was sold in March 1993 to Liggett Broadcasting.[12] Liggett's stations were sold to Citadel Broadcasting in 2000, with Liggett becoming a member of Citadel's board of directors.[13]
Citadel was acquired by Cumulus Media Cumulus Media in 2011.[14]
On August 30, 2013, a deal was announced in which Townsquare would acquire 53 stations, including WJIM, for $238 million. The deal was part of Cumulus' acquisition of Dial Global; Townsquare and Dial Global were both controlled by Oaktree Capital Management.[15][16] The sale to Townsquare was completed on November 14, 2013.[17]
The Big Talker
Starting under Liggett's ownership, WJIM transitioned from full-service radio to talk radio, a format that would continue through the next three owners. The station was branded as "Lansing's Big Talker" and included nationally syndicated such as Paul Harvey, Rush Limbaugh, and Sean Hannity.[18]
Under Cumulus ownership, WJIM dropped Hannity's show in 2013, in favor of Michael Savage, part of a nationwide shakeup of talk stations owned by Cumulus.[19] Hannity was since picked up by competitor WILS in Lansing.
Following Rush Limbaugh's death in 2021, the station added the relatively new Markley, Van Camp & Robbins show from Compass Media Networks to the 12-3pm time slot.[20]
Under the former news-talk format, WJIM also aired The Ramsey Show with Dave Ramsey, The Mark Levin Show, The Joe Pags Show, Our American Stories with Lee Habeeb and Red Eye Radio. Weekends featured shows on money, health, religion, cars, travel and the outdoors. WJIM was a network affiliate of ABC News Radio.
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References
External links
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