WHTC
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| City | Holland, Michigan |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | [1] |
| Branding | 1450 WHTC |
| Slogan | Holland's News Leader |
| Frequency | 1450 kHz |
| Translator(s) | 99.7 W259CO early 2017 |
| First air date | July 31, 1948 |
| Format | News Talk |
| Power | 1,000 watts |
| Class | C |
| Callsign meaning | Holland Tulip City |
| Owner | Duey E. Wright (Midwest Communications, Inc.) |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | 1450 WHTC |
WHTC is a news/talk AM radio station broadcasting at 1450 kHz in Holland, Michigan.
The station signed on July 31, 1948 at 6:00 pm and originally was owned by six Holland-area businessmen: I.H Marsilje, Nelson Bosman (who served as mayor of Holland from 1961 to 1971), W.A. Butler (former owner of the Holland Evening Sentinel), Millard Westrate, Willard Wichers and P.T. Chef. All are since deceased. Michael Walton of Milwaukee, WI purchased the station (along with the old WHTC-FM) from the original owners in 1981. On September 20, 2000 Walton sold his four-station operation (including WHBL, WWJR and WBFM Sheboygan, WI) to Midwest Communications, Inc.
WHTC-FM (96.1), which signed on in 1961 and later went by the call letters WYXX and WKEZ, was sold to Federated Communications in 1994. It was subsequently acquired by Clear Channel Communications and has undergone a number of call letter and format changes, currently operating as WMAX-FM, with an all-sports format (ESPN).
WHTC is an affiliate of CBS Radio and carries Detroit Tigers Baseball, area high school football and basketball, the Detroit Lions and Red Wings and the West Michigan Whitecaps.
In July 2014 the station slogan was changed to Holland's News Leader after using the moniker Holland's Hometown Station since the mid 1990s.
In February 2016 the station was granted a construction permit to operate an FM translator, W259CO, on 99.7 FM. Plans are to have the translator operational by early 2017.
Juke Van Oss worked at WHTC from August 12, 1951 until his passing on March 7, 2016, logging nearly 65 years. During his career he served as an engineer, program host and assistant-station manager. In 1961 Juke became co-host of Talk of the Town, a daily two-hour call-in program developed by Bill Gargano in 1959. Van Oss and Gargano shared hosting duties until Van Oss became sole host of the program in 1981. Van Oss was inducted into the Michigan Broadcasting Hall of Fame on July 14, 2009. The induction ceremony was held at the Michigan Association of Broadcasters Conference at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. Van Oss was 92 at the time of his passing. Learn more about Juke Van Oss.
WHTC's Morning News debuted in July 2014 and features news, weather, sports, traffic reports and various segments including local sponsors, community events and history. Among the many guests featured on a weekly basis are the Mayor Of Holland, authors, political figures and many other local and national guests. Veteran area broadcaster Mary Ellen Murphy joined the show in 2015 as news anchor/co-host and delivers a mix of local, state and national news. Dan Spadafora, who left the station in December 2015, was the original host and also served as the brand manager of WHTC. News Director Gary Stevens has assumed the role of morning show host with Murphy.
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