Smile FM
{{short description|Contemporary Christian music radio network in Michigan}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{Infobox radio network
| name = Smile FM
| logo = smilefmlogo.jpg
| format = Religious; Contemporary Christian
| owner = Superior Communications
| founded = 1996Demske, Kristyne E. "Smile! It's a new radio station", St. Clair Shores Sentinel. May 16, 2012. p. 3A.
| webcast = {{URL|http://www.smile.fm/streaming/}}
| website = {{URL|http://www.smile.fm}}
}}
Smile FM is a network of non-commercial, contemporary Christian radio stations in the state of Michigan owned by Superior Communications, a nonprofit organization. Most programming originates from studios in Williamston (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 was originally two separate networks. The first, The Light, was founded in December 1996, when WLGH in Leroy Township, serving Lansing, signed on.[https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/2000/D-Radio-All-BC-YB-2000-2.pdf Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2000]. Broadcasting & Cable. 2000. p. D-227. Retrieved December 20, 2021. 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.Austerman, Mike. "[http://www.michiguide.com/archives2004/2004/06/june-2004-news-and-notes.html June 2004 News and Notes]", Michiguide.com. June 30, 2004. Retrieved December 20, 2021.{{Dead link|date=February 2025}}{{Cite web|title=Josh Strickland Exits Townsquare/Lansing To Join Smile FM Radio Network|url=https://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/166851/josh-strickland-exits-townsquare-lansing-to-join-s|date=June 19, 2017|access-date=February 14, 2023|website=All Access|language=en}} 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 licenses for the stations are split between four subsidiaries: 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 WFDX) 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.
Smile FM Network Stations
The combined footprint of Smile FM's stations covers most of Michigan's densely populated area (though much of West Michigan relies on translators).
Stations owned and operated by Smile FM include:
{{RadioTranslators
| call1 = KOYH
| freq1 = 95.5
| watts1 = 6,000
| haat1 = 85
| class1 = A
| city1 = Elaine, Arkansas
| notes1 =
| call2 = WLGH
| freq2 = 88.1
| watts2 = 6,700
| haat2 = 174
| class2 = B1
| city2 = Leroy Township, Ingham County, Michigan
| notes2 = Serves the Lansing area
| call3 = WSMF
| freq3 = 88.1
| watts3 = 1,200
| haat3 = 41
| class3 = A
| city3 = Monroe, Michigan
| notes3 = Serves Monroe
| call4 = WHYT
| freq4 = 88.1
| watts4 = 400
| haat4 = 177
| class4 = A
| city4 = Goodland Township, Michigan
| notes4 = Serves Lapeer
| call5 = WEJC
| freq5 = 88.3
| watts5 = 55,000
| haat5 = 114
| class5 = C1
| city5 = White Star, Michigan
| notes5 = Serves the Tri-Cities area
| call6 = WKPK
| freq6 = 88.3
| watts6 = 15,000
| haat6 = 252
| class6 = C2
| city6 = Michigamme, Michigan
| notes6 = Serves Marquette
| call7 = WSMZ-FM
| freq7 = 88.3
| watts7 = 1,500
| haat7 = 200
| class7 = A
| city7 = Crystal Valley, Michigan
| notes7 = Serves Hart
| call8 = WDTE
| freq8 = 88.3
| watts8 = 5,500
| haat8 = 50
| class8 = A
| city8 = Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan
| notes8 = Serves Metro Detroit
| call9 = WJOM
| freq9 = 88.5
| watts9 = 4,300{{refn|group=nb|WJOM currently holds a construction permit to increase to 25,000 watts.{{fact|date=October 2022}}}}
| haat9 = 40
| class9 = A
| city9 = Eagle, Michigan
| notes9 = Serves Portland
| call10 = WSIS
| freq10 = 88.7
| watts10 = 6,000
| haat10 = 117
| class10 = B1
| city10 = Riverside, Michigan
| notes10 = Serves Benton Harbor
| call11 = WDTR
| freq11 = 88.9
| watts11 = 3,200
| haat11 = 61
| class11 = A
| city11 = Imlay City, Michigan
| notes11 = Serves the far northern Detroit suburbs
| call12 = WTLI
| freq12 = 89.3
| watts12 = 50,000
| haat12 = 312
| class12 = C1
| city12 = Bear Creek Township, Michigan
| notes12 = Serves Gaylord
| call13 = WSMB
| freq13 = 89.3
| watts13 = 12,000
| haat13 = 145
| class13 = C3
| city13 = Harbor Beach, Michigan
| notes13 = Serves Bad Axe
| call14 = WDTP
| freq14 = 89.5
| watts14 = 700
| haat14 = 95
| class14 = A
| city14 = Huron Charter Township, Michigan
| notes14 = Serves the Downriver communities
| call15 = WJOJ
| freq15 = 89.7
| watts15 = 31,000
| haat15 = 143
| class15 = C2
| city15 = Rust Township, Michigan
| notes15 = Serves Alpena
| call16 = WTAC
| freq16 = 89.7
| watts16 = 15,000
| haat16 = 110
| class16 = B1
| city16 = Burton, Michigan
| notes16 = Serves Flint and Fenton
| call17 = WSLI-FM
| freq17 = 90.9
| watts17 = 11,500
| haat17 = 73
| class17 = B1
| city17 = Belding, Michigan
| notes17 = Serves the Belding and Portland areas
| call18 = WJOG
| freq18 = 91.3
| watts18 = 6,000
| haat18 = 209.2
| class18 = C2
| city18 = Good Hart, Michigan
| notes18 = Serves Petoskey
| call19 = WVMV
| freq19 = 91.5
| watts19 = 1,050
| haat19 = 75
| class19 = A
| city19 = China Township, Michigan
| notes19 = Serves New Baltimore, Algonac and Marine City
| call20 = WAIR
| freq20 = 104.9
| watts20 = 2,800
| haat20 = 149
| class20 = A
| city20 = Lake City, Michigan
| notes20 = Serves Cadillac, Michigan
| call21 = WJOH
| freq21 = 91.5
| watts21 = 5,500
| haat21 = 100
| class21 = A
| city21 = Raco, Michigan
| notes21 = Serves Sault Sainte Marie
| call22 = WYOR
| freq22 = 88.5
| watts22 = 100
| haat22 = 32
| class22 = A
| city22 = Republic, Ohio
| notes22 =
| fid1 = 190430
| fid3 = 89277
| fid4 = 84187
| fid5 = 64021
| fid6 = 92241
| fid7 = 175566
| fid8 = 175093
| fid9 = 121794
| fid10 = 741647
| fid11 = 92635
| fid12 = 84479
| fid13 = 175249
| fid14 = 176302
| fid15 = 88667
| fid16 = 88040
| fid17 = 91446
| fid18 = 121776
| fid19 = 176215
| fid20 = 92345
| fid21 = 121795
| fid22 = 174213
| fid2 = 78460
}}
=Translators=
Translators rebroadcasting Smile FM include:
{{RadioTranslators
| call1 = W242BH
| freq1 = 96.3
| watts1 = 170
| haat1 = 32.1
| class1 = D
| city1 = Marshall, Michigan
| notes1 = repeats WLGH; serves Battle Creek
| call2 = W246CW
| freq2 = 97.1
| watts2 = 10
| haat2 = 260.8
| class2 = D
| city2 = Long Lake Township, Michigan
| notes2 = repeats WTLI; serves Traverse City
| call3 = W247CU
| freq3 = 97.3
| watts3 = 25
| haat3 = 83
| class3 = D
| city3 = Fort Gratiot, Michigan
| notes3 = repeats WVMV; serves Port Huron
| call4 = W262AF
| freq4 = 100.3
| watts4 = 38
| haat4 = 52.5
| class4 = D
| city4 = Parchment, Michigan
| notes4 = repeats WSIS; serves Kalamazoo
| call5 = W273CI
| freq5 = 102.5
| watts5 = 250
| haat5 = 191
| class5 = D
| city5 = Grand Haven, Michigan
| notes5 = repeats WSMZ-FM; serves Muskegon
| call6 = W280EL
| freq6 = 103.9
| watts6 = 10
| haat6 = 119.3
| class6 = D
| city6 = Yates, Michigan
| notes6 = repeats WVMV; serves northern Metro Detroit suburbs
| call7 = W286CI
| freq7 = 105.1
| watts7 = 250
| haat7 = 49
| class7 = D
| city7 = Saginaw, Michigan
| notes7 = repeats WEJC
| call8 = W299CB
| freq8 = 107.7
| watts8 = 19
| haat8 = 98
| class8 = D
| city8 = Manistee, Michigan
| notes8 = repeats WSMZ-FM
| call9 = W272DG
| freq9 = 102.3
| watts9 = 19
| haat9 = 98
| class9 = D
| city9 = Pittsfield Township, Michigan
| notes9 = repeats WTAC; serves Ann Arbor
| call10 = W244EN
| freq10 = 96.7
| watts10 = 250
| haat10 = 276.5
| class10 = D
| city10 = Lapeer, Michigan
| notes10 = repeats WTAC; serves Flint
| call11 = W260CQ
| freq11 = 99.9
| watts11 = 10
| haat11 = 126
| class11 = D
| city11 = Plainfield Township, Kent County, Michigan
| notes11 = repeats WSLI-FM; serves Grand Rapids
| call12 = WLHT
| freq12 = 95.7
| watts12 = 40,000
| haat12 = 147
| class12 = B
| city12 = Grand Rapids, Michigan
| notes12 = uses HD2 subchannel, repeats WSLI-FM
| fid1 = 145241
| fid2 = 158283
| fid3 = 157054
| fid4 = 78387
| fid5 = 148894
| fid6 = 156357
| fid7 = 143161
| fid8 = 153183
| fid9 = 157119
| fid10 = 157076
| fid11 = 158538
| fid12 = 37457
}}
Future stations
On October 6, 2022, it was announced that Smile FM has filed a $60,000 deal to purchase WGVU (1480 AM) in Grand Rapids from Grand Valley State University.{{cite web | url=https://www.insideradio.com/free/deal-digest-new-owners-for-adams-radio-televisaunivision-sells-in-san-juan/article_79b3ba04-453f-11ed-a284-1f1c7cd9cf18.html | title=Deal Digest: New Owners for Adams Radio, TelevisaUnivision Sells in San Juan }} The station, along with WGVS (850 AM) in Muskegon, originally carried an oldies radio format until January 7, 2022, when both stations closed down.{{cite news |last1=Venta |first1=Lance |title=WGVU To Shut Down Real Oldies 1480/850 |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/217365/wgvu-to-shut-down-real-oldies-1480-850/ |access-date=December 29, 2021 |work=RadioInsight |date=December 29, 2021}} Smile FM had already acquired WGVS effective June 28, 2022, for $25,000.
Explanatory notes
{{reflist|group=nb}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://smile.fm Smile FM Website]
{{Smile FM stations}}
{{American broadcast radio}}
Category:American radio networks
Category:Christian radio stations in the United States