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WJIM stations

Discussion pertaining to Lansing, Jackson, Owosso, and all areas from Alma to Hillsdale
JGP1954
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WJIM stations

Post by JGP1954 » Tue Jul 30, 2019 10:16 pm

What was the fellow's name that owned the WJIM stations for years. I heard he was a handful.



Chris1980
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Re: WJIM stations

Post by Chris1980 » Tue Jul 30, 2019 10:24 pm

You mean Harold Gross?



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HD74
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Re: WJIM stations

Post by HD74 » Wed Jul 31, 2019 11:59 am

Yep, Harold Gross, Gross Telecasting.
The WJIM calls were for his son Jim Gross.


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EdWalker
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Re: WJIM stations

Post by EdWalker » Wed Jul 31, 2019 10:17 pm

Chris1980 wrote:
Tue Jul 30, 2019 10:24 pm
You mean Harold Gross?
After Gross was Lee Licinger



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Calvert DeForest
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Re: WJIM stations

Post by Calvert DeForest » Thu Aug 01, 2019 10:16 am

EdWalker wrote:
Wed Jul 31, 2019 10:17 pm
Chris1980 wrote:
Tue Jul 30, 2019 10:24 pm
You mean Harold Gross?
After Gross was Lee Licinger
Grant Santimore bought WJIM-AM & FM from Gross. Santimore sold the radio stations to Licinger, who later sold them to Bob Liggett. WJIM-TV (WLNS) was sold to John Backe, who eventually sold it to Young Broadcasting.


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Colonel Flagg
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Re: WJIM stations

Post by Colonel Flagg » Fri Aug 02, 2019 9:51 pm

Calvert DeForest wrote:
Thu Aug 01, 2019 10:16 am
EdWalker wrote:
Wed Jul 31, 2019 10:17 pm
Chris1980 wrote:
Tue Jul 30, 2019 10:24 pm
You mean Harold Gross?
After Gross was Lee Licinger
Grant Santimore bought WJIM-AM & FM from Gross. Santimore sold the radio stations to Licinger, who later sold them to Bob Liggett. WJIM-TV (WLNS) was sold to John Backe, who eventually sold it to Young Broadcasting.
I never knew Gross, but Grant Santimore was quite a unique individual himself. Definitely had the "1980's Executive, Country Club member" thing going on. The Frandor studios were basic, but classy. Grant was gruff, but he was fair. He had several partners involved in WJIM. Only one of Grant's partners kept an office at WJIM (Jack somebody, can't recall his last name) but he was rarely there. Not sure who the other investors were. Never saw them. I was sad to hear that Grant passed away, earlier this year, after a long battle with health problems.


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Willie108
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Location: Flint Twp.

Re: WJIM stations

Post by Willie108 » Sat Aug 03, 2019 7:28 am

If I remember correctly, back in the mid 70's MSU applied to the FCC for a student run FM, and Gross blocked it because it was too close to the audio frequency for Channel 6. It took years, but MSU finally got that station...I think it was in the mid to late 80's...I think it became "The Impact".



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GREATLAKESVET
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Re: WJIM stations

Post by GREATLAKESVET » Fri Nov 29, 2019 2:37 pm

I had one passing experience with Hal, I mean literally! I was visiting the WJIM-TV, where a former classmate worked, in the spring of 1979 for a writing project. I found everyone there most helpful and courteous. But as I was walking in the hallway leading toward the reception area and the dining hall, around the corner comes a man in a suit, wearing black plastic horn-rimmed glasses whose face seemed to be etched in a permanent scowl. His gait just screamed out: "TYRANT! STAY CLEAR OF ME! DO NOT SPEAK TO ME UNLESS SPOKEN TO!" Maybe it was just my imagination but nearly everyone in that hallway that could easily accommodate three-lanes of people just seemed to move toward either side, seemingly skimming the walls to let this man by. I soon found out via an oil painting in the lobby that it was THE Hal Gross, founder of Gross Telecasting. I remember thinking at the time that the portrait bore an eerie resemblance to "The Picture of Dorian Gray", only the portrait and the person aged simultaneously and not in a nice way.


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Calvert DeForest
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Re: WJIM stations

Post by Calvert DeForest » Sun Dec 01, 2019 4:35 pm

Gross Telecasting also owned Capital Cablevision, a cable company serving the east end of Lansing Township. Gross held the franchise for the entire township, but which was split into three areas, but only wired up the Groesbeck area by WJIM, leaving the rest of the township without service. He sold the franchise to Continental Caclevision in 1979, and they completed the roll-out.

The Capital Cablevision lineup, from what I heard, was pretty basic. All of 12 channels (2-13 on the VHF tuner). One channel consisted of the old-time "rotating camera" that would alternate between an analog clock, thermometer and barometer.

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