WTCM-FM
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| City |
WTCM-FM: Traverse City, Michigan WBCM: Boyne City, Michigan |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area |
WTCM-FM: Traverse City, Michigan WBCM: Petoskey, Michigan |
| Branding | TCM, Today's Country Music |
| Frequency |
WTCM-FM: 103.5 MHz WBCM: 93.5 MHz |
| First air date |
WTCM-FM: 1965 WBCM: 1978 (as WCLX) |
| Format | Country |
| ERP |
WTCM-FM: 100,000 watts WBCM: 14,000 watts |
| HAAT |
WTCM-FM: 302 meters WBCM: 283 meters |
| Class |
WTCM-FM: C0 WBCM: C2 |
| Facility ID |
WTCM-FM: 70525 WBCM: 71210 |
| Callsign meaning |
WTCM-FM: Traverse City, Michigan WBCM: Boyne City, Michigan |
| Former callsigns |
WTCM-FM: none WBCM: WCLX (1978-8/12/91) |
| Affiliations | Michigan Radio Network |
| Owner | Midwestern Broadcasting Company |
| Sister stations | WATZ-FM, WCCW, WCCW-FM, WJZQ, WRGZ, WTCM, WZTK |
| Website | wtcmi.com |
WTCM-FM consists of two radio stations: WTCM-FM 103.5 in Traverse City, Michigan and simulcast WBCM 93.5 FM in Boyne City, Michigan. The two stations carry a country music format and are owned by Midwestern Broadcasting. Today, WTCM-FM/WBCM is on or near the top of the Arbitron ratings [1]. WTCM-FM's 100,000 watt signal can be heard south toward Grand Rapids at times. During the summer its signal wafts southeast into southern lower Michigan,(heard in the Tri-Cities mixing with WMUZ-FM in Detroit). This is a good 150 miles from its originating city, Traverse City.
In 1939, WTCM founder Les Biederman and several of his friends - engineer Bill Kiker and Drew McClay among others - wanted to start a radio station, but in an undeveloped radio market. They decided that Traverse City, Michigan was a city destined for growth and had no local radio station, so they moved to the city and built the 250-watt transmitter that would be Traverse City's first radio station. WTCM initially broadcast from a small studio at the base of the tower. The WTCM control console was hand built by Biederman and Kiker, and served the station until its replacement around 1980.
When WTCM signed on in 1940, it was a local channel station at 1370 kc. briefly before moving to 1400 kc. The station was licensed to broadcast 24 hours at 250 watts, but only broadcast from 6 AM to 11 PM. WTCM was an NBC affiliate and like most radio stations at the time, aired block programming - some local shows, network shows, music programs, etc.
They soon outgrew the tiny studio and moved to the Anderson Building in the 100 block of downtown Traverse City in the mid =-1940s. Long-time Midwestern employees Kenn Haven and Merlin Dumbrille began working there in the 1940s.
Because WTCM had a limited reach, Biederman wanted to start other small stations aimed exclusively towards the towns they broadcast in. After fighting in World War II, Biederman started WATT 1240 Cadillac, Michigan in 1945, WATZ 1450 Alpena, Michigan in 1946, WMBN 1340 Petoskey, Michigan in 1947 and WATC 900 Gaylord, Michigan in 1950, all collectively known as the Paul Bunyan Network. All but WATC are still on the air today, but Midwestern still owns only WTCM and WATZ.
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Wikipedia