WMAX-FM
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| City | Holland, Michigan |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Grand Rapids, Michigan |
| Branding | 96.1 ESPN |
| Slogan | West Michigan's New Choice for Sports |
| Frequency | 96.1 MHz (also on HD Radio) |
| Format | Sports |
| ERP | 50,000 watts |
| HAAT | 150 meters |
| Class | B |
| Facility ID | 27471 |
| Callsign meaning | Max FM (previous format) |
| Former callsigns | WVTI (2/21/97-11/16/05) WAKX (11/21/94-2/21/97) WKEZ (5/8/92-11/21/94) WYXX (9/14/83-5/8/92) WHTC-FM (1961-9/14/83) |
| Affiliations | ESPN Radio |
| Owner |
iHeartMedia (CC Licenses, LLC) |
| Sister stations | WBCT, WBFX, WOOD, WSNX-FM, WSRW-FM, WTKG |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | 961espn.com |
WMAX-FM are the call letters of a radio station owned by iHeartMedia located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, transmitting on a frequency of 96.1 MHz.
The station is identified as 96.1 ESPN and carries both locally produced play by play sportscasts and sports talk programs, as well as programming from the ESPN Radio network.
WMAX-FM is licensed for HD Radio operations and features a simulcast of talk sister station WTKG on its HD-2 side channel.
The frequency originally belonged to WHTC-FM, which went on the air in 1961, with an antenna on the WHTC/1450 tower in downtown Holland, Michigan. During this time (from the station's inception until the early 1980s), the station was generally being used as a simulcast to WHTC.
In 1981, Michael Walton, of Milwaukee WI, purchased WHTC and WHTC-FM. By 1983, 96.1 became known as WYXX, with a new tower. After Walton assumed full control of the station, it became a fully automated CHR station, with programming provided by syndicator Century 21. The all-hit format was softened to adult contemporary by 1985, to better compete with existing stations in the Grand Rapids market.
When WOOD-FM dropped its easy listening format in 1992, WYXX adopted the format along with the call letters WKEZ.
By 1994, the station was sold to Federated Media and once Federated had control of the station, a "Young Country" format was adopted. The call letters became WAKX. This format was also unsuccessful; it was not able to effectively compete with WCUZ-FM 101.3/WCUZ 1230, the incumbent country juggernaut at the time. The format changed in 1995 to Hot Adult Contemporary and became known as "Mix 96" and later "Variety 96.1."
In 1997, the station was purchased by Clear Channel Communications and the station became known as "I-96" (taking its name from the highway Interstate 96 passing through Grand Rapids; the station's logo also resembled an interstate highway sign). The call letters were also changed to WVTI. The format shifted from Hot AC to CHR as Continuous Hit Music, I-96. Clear Channel took control of rival station WSNX in the late summer of 1999; much of the "I-96" air lineup moved over to WSNX 104.5, which shifted from CHR/Rhythmic to CHR/Pop as a result, and "I-96" itself shifted back to Hot AC, which it would remain for the next six years. Initially, the station had moderate success as I-96, but as other local radio stations (including sister station WOOD-FM) began putting more Hot AC-oriented acts on their Mainstream AC stations, the ratings began to slide by 2005.
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Wikipedia