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WTCM-FM
WTCM-FM 103.5 is a radio station in Traverse City, Michigan. The station carries a country music format and is owned by Midwestern Broadcasting.
In 1939, WTCM founder Les Biederman and several of his friends - engineer Bill Kiker and Drew McClay among others - decided to start a radio station in an undeveloped radio market. They chose Traverse City, Michigan as a city destined for growth which had no local radio station. They moved to the city and built the 250-watt transmitter that would be Traverse City's first radio station.[citation needed] WTCM initially broadcast from a small studio at the base of the tower. The WTCM control console was hand-built by Biederman and Kiker, and served the station until its replacement around 1980.[original research?]
When WTCM signed on in 1940, it was a local channel station at 1370 kc.[clarification needed] briefly before moving to 1400 kc. The station was licensed to broadcast 24 hours at 250 watts, but only broadcast from 6 AM to 11 PM. WTCM was an NBC affiliate and, like most radio stations at the time, aired block programming - some local shows, network shows, music programs, etc.
In the mid-1940s, the studio moved to the Anderson Building in the 100 block of downtown Traverse City. Because WTCM had a limited reach, Biederman wanted to start other small stations aimed exclusively towards the towns they broadcast in. After fighting in World War II, Biederman started WATT 1240 Cadillac, Michigan in 1945, WATZ 1450 Alpena, Michigan in 1946, WMBN 1340 Petoskey, Michigan in 1947 and WATC 900 Gaylord, Michigan in 1950, all collectively known as the Paul Bunyan Network. All but WATC are still on the air today, but Midwestern Broadcasting owns only WTCM and WATZ.
In 1954, Biederman signed on NBC WPBN-TV 7 in Traverse City, just months after the Traverse City market got its first TV station, Sparton's CBS/ABC/DuMont WWTV 13 in Cadillac, now known as channels 9 & 10. In 1959, WPBN increased its reach to WTOM 4 in Cheboygan, bringing NBC shows to the eastern upper peninsula.
Big changes came to WTCM and the rest of the Paul Bunyan Network in the 1960s when the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) allowed local channel stations to increase their daytime power to 1,000 watts. All of the local channel stations complied, and boosted their power.
In 1964, long time WTCM air staffer Merlin Dumbrille started hosting the popular Farm and Orchard Time program, a WTCM staple since 1941. He retired as host of the show on October 30, 2009.
WTCM became contemporary (as "14-T") in 1975 under the supervision of long-time Traverse City broadcaster Jerry Meyer. In 1977, former WCCW afternoon host Lin McNett ("Michael O'Shea") became WTCM's program director and morning personality.
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WTCM-FM
WTCM-FM 103.5 is a radio station in Traverse City, Michigan. The station carries a country music format and is owned by Midwestern Broadcasting.
In 1939, WTCM founder Les Biederman and several of his friends - engineer Bill Kiker and Drew McClay among others - decided to start a radio station in an undeveloped radio market. They chose Traverse City, Michigan as a city destined for growth which had no local radio station. They moved to the city and built the 250-watt transmitter that would be Traverse City's first radio station.[citation needed] WTCM initially broadcast from a small studio at the base of the tower. The WTCM control console was hand-built by Biederman and Kiker, and served the station until its replacement around 1980.[original research?]
When WTCM signed on in 1940, it was a local channel station at 1370 kc.[clarification needed] briefly before moving to 1400 kc. The station was licensed to broadcast 24 hours at 250 watts, but only broadcast from 6 AM to 11 PM. WTCM was an NBC affiliate and, like most radio stations at the time, aired block programming - some local shows, network shows, music programs, etc.
In the mid-1940s, the studio moved to the Anderson Building in the 100 block of downtown Traverse City. Because WTCM had a limited reach, Biederman wanted to start other small stations aimed exclusively towards the towns they broadcast in. After fighting in World War II, Biederman started WATT 1240 Cadillac, Michigan in 1945, WATZ 1450 Alpena, Michigan in 1946, WMBN 1340 Petoskey, Michigan in 1947 and WATC 900 Gaylord, Michigan in 1950, all collectively known as the Paul Bunyan Network. All but WATC are still on the air today, but Midwestern Broadcasting owns only WTCM and WATZ.
In 1954, Biederman signed on NBC WPBN-TV 7 in Traverse City, just months after the Traverse City market got its first TV station, Sparton's CBS/ABC/DuMont WWTV 13 in Cadillac, now known as channels 9 & 10. In 1959, WPBN increased its reach to WTOM 4 in Cheboygan, bringing NBC shows to the eastern upper peninsula.
Big changes came to WTCM and the rest of the Paul Bunyan Network in the 1960s when the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) allowed local channel stations to increase their daytime power to 1,000 watts. All of the local channel stations complied, and boosted their power.
In 1964, long time WTCM air staffer Merlin Dumbrille started hosting the popular Farm and Orchard Time program, a WTCM staple since 1941. He retired as host of the show on October 30, 2009.
WTCM became contemporary (as "14-T") in 1975 under the supervision of long-time Traverse City broadcaster Jerry Meyer. In 1977, former WCCW afternoon host Lin McNett ("Michael O'Shea") became WTCM's program director and morning personality.