WFGR flipping? (It is! December 1 is the date.)

[ChrisWL1980]

I don't have access to the full story at RadioInsight as I'm not a subscriber (and the link at Domain Insight is either dead or unavailable to me since I'm not), but they're teasing Townsquare launching "a Talk/Sports brand in multiple Michigan markets," and the teaser shows the WFGR logo. I'm surprised they wouldn't flip WTRV first.
In Lansing, I can't see Townsquare flipping WITL, WMMQ, WFMK or Now, so my guess is WJIM-AM flips to Sports. Which could be smart considering they have an FM translator and the incumbent sports station doesn't (they'd have to fix the audio on 106.9, though, which may be the worst of any station in the state - it sounds literally like it's coming over the phone).
Kalamazoo/Battle Creek, I could see Block FM going away, especially now that Urban AC is on a full-power FM in K'zoo.
That leaves only Flint. I think Cars 108 is probably safe, so could Banana or Club be in danger? Or US 103.1?

[MegaHertz]

Think it could be a frequency exchange? I don't have access either, but I wonder what could be up here.

[jaywmi]

I do have access…and the article goes like this:

RadioInsight, November 2nd, 2025, “Townsquare Making Michigan Moves?”

(Edit: I apologize for pasting in the whole article, so I will summarize instead)

Townsquare may be thinking of launching a regional Talk or Sports network. Numerous web domains were recently registered to give that clue. Affected markets potentially include Grand Rapids, Lansing, Kalamazoo, and Battle Creek, involving stations such as 95.3 WBCK, 1360 WKMI, the WJIM combo or WVFN, and 98.7 WFGR.

[radio_sparty]

Many states have regional sports talk brands. Wisconsin and Minnesota come to mind.

The Fan in Minneapolis is owned by iHeart, but is syndicated on a dozen or so stations including Hubbard, Midwest, and Townswquare owned stations.

Could a format originating from WXYT be syndicated to affiliates statewide, thus "The Ticket" domain?

I could also see the same for news talk, since Townsquare has some sort of deal to rebroadcast WJR weekend shows like MSU Today, the Car Show, and Travel Michigan. Could they partner with WJR to rebroadcast weekday programming statewide?

Now the Michigan Talk Radio Network last I knew was owned by Steve Gruber, and the Michigan Sports Radio Network is where H*** originates from. So I'm kind of confused why they registered those two domains.

As for Lansing, can 106.9 be moved to the 730 signal, thus the Ticket 1069 domain refers to WVFN and the Talk Radio 1240 domain would be WJIM?

My prediction: WJIM and WKMI stay exactly as it. WBCK and WFGR try some sort of news talk/sports talk hybrid. Perhaps trying to emulate NJ 101.5 but will be severely under funded and will rely on mostly syndication.

[GnashManDu]

Michigan Sports Network is already used and service marked by the parent company of the H*** Show and their syndicated morning show. For them to use that name they would have to have an agreement in place and likely have to clear the network shows. I can't see them giving up their home on 96.1FM Grand Rapids for a half ass network run by a blogging company.

The Ticket would overlap with Cumulus' GR sports station and The Game would overlap with IHM's 96.1FM. So both of those would be useless as a network name. Also, Michigan Sports Radio and MI Sports Radio have been used since 2020 by a streaming broadcaster based out of Rockford, so that would further complicate these matters.

If a sports 'network' gets off the ground at TSM, it will be disjointed at best. Plus I believe they've lost their statewide VP of Content, so no idea who would spearhead this.

[48125er]

Townsquare is beyond hope if they dont swap 104.9 with 100.5

Sports radio on 98.7 will be a 0.2 to 0.6 on average, 1.0 tops on a good MSU/UM or any detroit season.

[MWmetalhead]

Zero chance WBCK's very successful news/talk format gets dropped. I suspect Michigan Talk Network programming will add Grand Rapids. Townsquare wants to chip away at WOOD.

If 98.7 dumps Classic Hits, I could easily see 95.7 flipping to the format. Or, The River repositions for the thousandth time.

WKMI is a question mark. Terrible ratings with its current programming, but they became a Wolverines affiliate weeks ago. Kalamazoo is missing an all sports station. I could see them flipping to Sports.

[GrahamWellington]

Without knowing the contents of the article, if they are planning to use the 106.9 translator in Lansing as one of the key pieces of this network, they need to work on relocating it right away. Not only does it have terrible audio as mentioned previously, it doesn't cover Lansing well at all. The only areas that get a static free signal from it are Okemos. Haslett, and maybe East Lansing.

[MWmetalhead]

I agree. The Spring Arbor station makes reliable reception a tall task. I bet WOOD-FM also booms in during certain tropo events.

A clueless, stupid person evidently chose that frequency.

[craigrussell100]

"If 98.7 dumps Classic Hits, I could easily see 95.7 flipping to the format. Or, The River repositions for the thousandth time."

Maybe. BIG Maybe. TSQ seemingly has been looking to dump Classic Hits off of 98.7 for years. GRD and Mix are the 2 big revenue generators. FGR and the River are the red headed step children. Trade a rollercoaster 2.5-4.0 Classic Hits station for the THIRD sports talk station in a market that has NO major league sports? Good luck with that. Might as well just turn off the signal and put it out of it's misery. AND this isnt the first time TSQ has flirted with this very thing. IIRC sometime in 2013 or 14 this idea was floated, but shot down by stronger local management. Which doesnt appear t be there anymore.

[MWmetalhead]

I agree that flipping that signal to All Sports makes zero sense so long as 96.1 continues with the format, unless by some miracle Townsquare pries away meaningful PBP rights from iHM. The one exception would be if a third party with verifiable financial wherewithal enters into an LMA for the signal at terms attractive to TSQ.

Big 101.3 has the Lions. 96.1 and WOOD share the Tigers. 96.1 and 1230 share the Red Wings and Pistons. WOOD has Wolverines football. I think Cumulus even lost the local MSU rights recently. Those broadcasts now air on 101.3, I believe.

I know Townsquare made a play for Tigers PBP rights in the mid or late 00s, and would've flipped 98.7 to sports if successfully obtained. Citadel held onto the rights by placing all Tigers games (a hot commodity at the time) on WLAV.

If the idea resurfaced in 2013 or 2014, that's really crazy. There were already two 50 kW FM signals programming All Sports at that time.

News/Talk would make more sense to me than Sports, but a lineup with obscure hosts would be no match for WOOD. We don't need an FM version of what WJRW used to be 15 years ago.

WFGR earns decent ratings and has a non-controversial format. If TSQ cannot monetize that, they should find better salespeople.

[radio_sparty]

Don't forget about WTKG! All the second rate Premiere/Fox shows are on that station, so the best that WFGR would end up with is the third rate syndicated crap that stations won't even take even if they're paid to! Wer're talking about stuff from Westwood One that Cumulus won't even air on their own stations (See Vince Show).

[MWmetalhead]

It's amazing to me how much better positioned iHM is versus Townsquare and Cumulus in terms of female AQH share and female targeted buys.

I bet the iHM cluster locally commands at least a 50 share among female adult listeners. They have three strong female-friendly brands in B93, Star 105.7 and WSNX. Two of those formats enjoy monster signals; the third has been programming CHR in some form or fashion for nearly four consecutive decades.

Compare that to Townsquare, who has underachieving WLHT, fickle & inconsistent WFGR, and ratings starved WTRV as potential female advertising magnets.

Then, we have Cumulus, who stunningly launched AAA on 94.5 instead of 107.3 (which reaches downtown Grand Rapids, Eastown, East Grand Rapids, Ada, Cascade, Alpine Twp, Plainfield Twp and Rockford as good or better than 94.5), thereby booting country from its 15+ year home at 94.5 and giving it a much weaker signal in "deep red" Ottawa County. On top of all that, they did a terrible job promoting the frequency change.

Cumulus has a throwaway CHR with relatively crappy reception (WHTS), a throwaway country station with terrible ratings located at the ass-end of the FM dial (WTNR), and a respectably programmed but tough-to-sell AAA format (WKLQ) as its female-friendly options.

[EdWalker]

In Lansing, Townsquare f’d up by not building out the translator they had the CP for to simulcast WJIM-AM on 102.3.

The permit expired and WKAR grabbed the frequency.

The 106.9 translator, licensed to Haslett, is owned by EMF. So they could lose it at some point in the future.

[MWmetalhead]

102.3 isn't completely risk free; there is a risk that 102.5 WIOG could collect listener adjacent channel interference complaints. WIOG's signal has always overachieved in the Lansing area. So far, though, WKAR has operated there unscathed.

I agree it would've been a better choice than using 106.9.

Heck, 106.7 would've been a better choice than 106.9. WLLZ is seldom receivable in usable form within 20 miles of Lansing.