WATT
Radio station in Cadillac, Michigan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
WATT (1240 AM, "News Talk 1240") is a radio station broadcasting a news-talk-sports format. Licensed to Cadillac, Michigan, it began broadcasting in 1946.
| |
| Frequency | 1240 kHz |
|---|---|
| Branding | News Talk 1240 |
| Programming | |
| Format | News-Talk-Sports |
| Affiliations | Michigan Radio Network |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | MacDonald Garber Broadcasting |
| WKAD, WKHQ-FM, WLXT, WLXV, WMKT, WMBN | |
| History | |
First air date | September 30, 1945 |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 65928 |
| Class | C |
| Power | 1,000 watts |
| Translators | W291DE (106.1 MHz, Cadillac) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
WATT officially began broadcasting on September 30, 1945, as Cadillac's first radio station[2] on the frequency of 1240 kHz.[3] The station was founded by Les Biederman, a broadcast pioneer who had previously launched WTCM in Traverse City. WATT was a key member of Biederman’s Paul Bunyan Network, a group of small-market stations designed to provide localized news and entertainment to Northern Michigan communities.[4] During its early years, WATT operated with a power of 250 watts and served as an NBC Radio Network affiliate, bringing national programming and block-style variety shows to Wexford County residents.[5]
In the 1970s, Les Biederman sold WATT to Kenneth MacDonald Sr., the founder of MacDonald Broadcasting. MacDonald, a former hall-of-fame broadcaster from Saginaw, purchased the station alongside its FM sister (WLXV) and properties in Petoskey.[6]
In 1998, as part of a corporate reorganization of the family business, the Northern Michigan stations—including WATT—were spun off into a separate entity called MacDonald-Garber Broadcasting, headed by Patricia MacDonald-Garber.[7]
