WJML
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| City | WJML: Petoskey, Michigan WJNL: Kingsley, Michigan |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | WJML: Petoskey, Michigan WJNL: Traverse City, Michigan |
| Branding | NewsTalk 1110 & 1210 |
| Slogan | The Talk of the North |
| Frequency | WJML: 1110 kHz WJNL: 1210 kHz |
| Translator(s) | W266CS 101.1 Traverse City |
| First air date | WJML: December 6, 1966 WJNL: April 17, 1947 |
| Format | News/Talk |
| Power | WJML: 10,000 watts (Daytime) WJML: 10 watts (Nighttime) WJNL: 50,000 watts (Daytime) WJNL: 2,500 watts (Critical Hours) W266CS: 250 watts |
| Class | D |
| Callsign meaning | WJML: John, Michael, and Linda Harrington |
| Former callsigns |
WJML: none WJNL: WLDR (5/3/02-4/25/07) WWJR (1/24/02-5/3/02) WLDR (8/13/01-1/24/02) WJZZ (2/1/97-8/13/01) WKNX (1947-2/1/97) |
| Owner | John Yob (Mitten News, LLC) |
| Website | http://www.wjml.com/ |
WJML consists of AM stations WJML 1110 in Petoskey, Michigan and WJNL 1210 in Kingsley, Michigan. Both stations are owned by John Yob, and both stations have simulcast the same programming, with a mixture of liberal talk format and conservative talk.
During the 1970s and 1980s, WJML was one of the most successful AM/FM radio combos in northern Michigan. The FM station has long since been sold off, but WJML/WJNL remains one of the most-popular talk stations in northern Michigan.
In somewhat of a rarity, WJML-FM 98.9 started first, on December 7, 1965, since in most situations, the AM station is usually the first to sign on. In the beginning, the station was an automated MOR format, with one live DJ, Bill Supernaw, in the morning (Supernaw is now the owner of the Cinema III movie theatre in Charlevoix). The station was owned by a Chicago broadcaster who named his station after his three children, John, Michael and Linda. It was one of northern Michigan's first-ever FM stations, and since many folks didn't have an FM radio at the time, an AM station, WJML-AM 1110 was born on December 6, 1966. WJML-AM was at the time the strongest AM station in northern Michigan during the daytime at 10 kW. However, the station was daytime only.
The 1970s saw several changes for WJML-FM/AM as the Harrington family sold the station, following the unexpected death of John Harrington, to a small group that owned WMUS FM/AM Muskegon, MI, KQDS FM/AM in Duluth MN, and WPLY AM in Plymouth, WI. On February 14, 1977 WJML flipped from MOR to Top 40. Tim Achterhoff, an 11-year vet of WMUS at the time, plugged in the programming formula used successfully at the country station... but with a pop/rock playlist. The station was very music-intensive. News was moved to :54 past the hour, so JML was always in a music-sweep at the top of the hour. Great on-air talent included: Jay Alexander, Rob Hazelton, Ted Stevens, John Clark [Dennis Martin], Tim Nixon, Tom Tyler, Mike Daniels, Kurt Kelly, Art Morrison, Mark Kage, Nick Scott, Dave Walker, Cindy Smith and Sarah Wilson with news... and many more wonderful personalities. In a year and a half, the JML FM/AM combo had more AQH audience than all other stations COMBINED in an 11-county area in a survey conducted by Arbitron. And the advertising revenue poured in... making it future target for plenty of move-ins! The station also adopted an easily remembered slogan: "The Music Station." American Top 40 aired on this station starting in 1979.
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Wikipedia