Smile FM

Smile FM is a network of non-commercial, contemporary Christian radio stations. Most programming originates from studios in Williamston, Michigan (just east of Lansing) and is relayed (with local inserts) by an expanding number of stations throughout the state. The network also has studios in Imlay City, Michigan.

Smile FM
Slogan"Michigan's Positive Hits"
Programming
FormatReligious; Contemporary Christian
Ownership
OwnerSuperior Communications
Links
Webcasthttp://www.smile.fm/streaming/
Websitehttp://www.smile.fm

Smile FM was originally two separate networks. The first, The Light, was founded on December 2, 1996, when WLGH Lansing, Michigan began broadcasting. The second, Joy FM, began on December 12, 2000, with WHYT (renamed as WWKM and again as WDTR) in Imlay City. While both played contemporary Christian music, The Light aimed for a younger audience. In June 2004 the two networks were combined to form Smile FM in a "wedding ceremony" conducted at Oldsmobile Park in Lansing. The new name eliminated confusion since many other unrelated stations used The Light and Joy FM names.

The network is notable for putting stations on the air at a low cost. They lease existing towers and manufacture some of their own equipment. Unlike many Christian stations, they play music with only a few short breaks for weather, news, announcements, and features. Smile FM has also pioneered the use of new technology to help distribute and customize its programming, including developing an emergency weather notification system that is faster and more reliable than the required EAS system (which they also operate).

The network's stations, although having the same ownership, are officially owned by one of four non-profit entities: Superior Communications, Michigan Community Radio, Northland Community Broadcasters and Smile FM.

In January 2008, Smile FM established WWKM (now WDTR) Imlay City as the flagship of an experimental Smile FM Praise network playing Christian contemporary worship music. Previously, the station had broadcast traditional Christian music and hymns. The Smile FM Praise experiment was ended in 2009 and plans made to move that station to the northern suburbs of Detroit.

The owners have often recycled the call letters of famous Michigan stations of the past for their stations. WDTR (now WRCJ), WHYT (now WDVD), and WVMV (now WDZH) were once used by Detroit stations. WTAC (now WSNL) was the leading top 40 station in Flint during the 1960s (and, ironically, a pioneering contemporary Christian station during the 1980s). WKPK was used by a popular top 40 station of the 1980s and 1990s in northern Michigan (now WSRT). WAIR was an oldies station in northern Michigan (now WFCX) and the calls were also used for a construction permit for a station in Honor (now WSRJ). WWKM was a now-defunct station in Harrison (and Smile FM's 88.5 FM station in the Alpena area, WSFP, once bore the calls of WWKM's sister station WKKM, which is now WTWS in Houghton Lake).

Others were named for the original formats of the stations. WLGH and WTLI were The Light. All of the stations beginning with WJ were in or scheduled to be in the Joy FM network. All call letters beginning with WDT (WDTE, WDTP, and WDTR) serve portions of the Detroit metropolitan area.

On-air staff

  • Josh Strickland (mornings, news, traffic, and more)
  • Rob Dempsey (mid-days)
  • Faron Dice (afternoons)
  • Evie Irwin (evenings)
  • Elly Singer (overnights)
  • Dennis (Weekends from 3-7pm)
  • Mike Couchman (Weekends from 10-3pm)
  • Rob Dale (Weather; former WLNS meteorologist)

Smile FM Network Stations

Map of stations and translators

Stations owned and operated by Smile FM include:

Call signFrequency
(MHz)
City of licenseERP
(W)
Height
(m (ft))
ClassFCC infoNotes
WLGH88.1Leroy Township, Ingham County, Michigan6,700174 m (571 ft)B1FCCWLGH serves the Lansing area
WSMF88.1Monroe, Michigan1,20041 m (135 ft)AFCCWSMF serves Monroe
WHYT88.1Goodland Township, Michigan400177 m (581 ft)AFCCWHYT serves Lapeer
WEJC88.3White Star, Michigan55,000114 m (374 ft)C1FCCWEJC serves the Tri-Cities area
WKPK88.3Michigamme, Michigan15,000252 m (827 ft)C2FCCWKPK serves Marquette
WSMZ88.3Crystal Valley, Michigan1,500200 m (660 ft)AFCCWSMZ serves Hart
WDTE88.3Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan5,50050 m (160 ft)AFCCWDTE serves Metro Detroit
WJOM88.5Eagle, Michigan4,30040 m (130 ft)AFCCWJOM serves Portland
WSIS88.7Riverside, Michigan6,000117 m (384 ft)B1FCCWSIS serves Benton Harbor
WDTR88.9Imlay City, Michigan3,20061 m (200 ft)AFCCWDTR serves the far northern Detroit suburbs
WTLI89.3Bear Creek Township, Michigan50,000312 m (1,024 ft)C1FCCWTLI serves Gaylord
WSMB89.3Harbor Beach, Michigan12,000145 m (476 ft)C3FCCWSMB serves Bad Axe
WDTP89.5Huron Charter Township, Michigan70095 m (312 ft)AFCCWDTP serves the Downriver communities
WJOJ89.7Rust Township, Michigan31,000143 m (469 ft)C2FCCWJOJ serves Alpena
WTAC89.7Burton, Michigan15,000110 m (360 ft)B1FCCWTAC serves Flint and Fenton
WSLI90.9Belding, Michigan11,50073 m (240 ft)B1FCCWSLI serves the Belding and Portland areas
WJOG91.3Good Hart, Michigan6,000209.2 m (686 ft)C2FCCWJOG serves Petoskey
WVMV91.5China Township, Michigan1,05075 m (246 ft)AFCCWVMV serves New Baltimore, Algonac and Marine City
WAIR104.9Lake City, Michigan2,800149 m (489 ft)AFCCWAIR serves Cadillac, Michigan
WJOH91.5Raco, Michigan5,500100 m (330 ft)AFCCWJOH serves Sault Sainte Marie
WYOR88.5Republic, Ohio10032 m (105 ft)AFCCWYOR is Smile FM's only Ohio station to date

Translators rebroadcasting Smile FM include:

Call signFrequency
(MHz)
City of licenseERP
(W)
Height
(m (ft))
ClassFCC infoNotes
W242BH96.3Marshall, Michigan17032.1 m (105 ft)DFCCrepeats WLGH; serves Battle Creek
W246CW97.1Long Lake Township, Michigan10260.8 m (856 ft)DFCCrepeats WTLI; serves Traverse City
W247CU97.3Fort Gratiot, Michigan2583 m (272 ft)DFCCrepeats WVMV; serves Port Huron
W262AF100.3Parchment, Michigan3852.5 m (172 ft)DFCCrepeats WSIS; serves Kalamazoo
W273CI102.5Grand Haven, Michigan250191 m (627 ft)DFCCrepeats WSMZ; serves Muskegon
W280EL103.9Yates, Michigan10119.3 m (391 ft)DFCCrepeats WVMV; serves northern Metro Detroit suburbs
W299CB107.7Manistee, Michigan1998 m (322 ft)DFCCrepeats WSMZ
W272DG102.3Pittsfield Township, Michigan1998 m (322 ft)DFCCrepeats WTAC; serves Ann Arbor
W247CG97.3Russellville, Michigan1998 m (322 ft)DFCCrepeats WTAC; serves Flint
W260CQ99.9Plainfield Township, Kent County, Michigan10126 m (413 ft)DFCCrepeats WSLI; serves Grand Rapids

Future Stations/Upgrades Approved by the FCC

  • WDTP Huron Township/Detroit—move to 90.1 and increase to 50 kW
  • WJOM Eagle/Lansing—increase to 25 kW
gollark: * psychically using the API
gollark: I'll just permanently be invisible.
gollark: Did I stutter?
gollark: It's clearly for when people are psychically connecting to Discord.
gollark: Suuuuuuuuuuuure.

References

  • FCC Database
  • Michiguide.com
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