WHLX

Infobox Radio station
name = WHLX


city = Marine City, Michigan
area = [http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WHLX&service=AM&status=L&hours=D] (Daytime)
[http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WHLX&service=AM&status=L&hours=N] (Nighttime)
branding = 1450 & 1590 WHLS
slogan = Local News, Sports and America's Best Music
airdate = December 10, 1951
frequency = 1590 kHz
format = Adult Standards
power = 1,000 watts (Daytime)
102 watts (Nighttime)
erp =
class = D
callsign_meaning =
former_callsigns = WHYT (11/17/97-9/19/00)
WIFN (6/2/93-11/17/97)
WSMA (?-6/2/93)
WDOG (?-?)
owner = Radio First / Liggett Communications
webcast =
website = [http://www.whls.net/ http://www.whls.net/]
affiliations = Dial Global Adult Standards format

WHLX is an American radio station, licensed to Marine City, Michigan at 1590 kHz on the AM dial, with a power output of 1,000 watts day, 102 watts night. The station is currently a simulcast of 1450 WHLS in Port Huron. Together, the stations are branded as AM 1450 & 1590, WHLS, airing the syndicated Adult Standards music format from Dial Global (formerly Westwood One).

The station transmits from a two-tower directional antenna site along Marine City Highway, which was also its main studio location for much of its existence. Studio facilities today are at 808 Huron Street in downtown Port Huron. WHLX/WHLS are owned by Radio First of Port Huron.

The station started as WSDC in 1951, then WDOG (a prophetic sign of some difficult years that would lie ahead) and later became WSMA with country music for many years.

A History of Challenges

A disadvantage that the station had for much of its history was its geographic separation from more profitable markets. Located about 12 miles from any kind of urban sprawl, it had difficulty attaching itself to another community for more profit potential, as retail business in tiny Marine City was unable to provide a steady source of revenue, even during AM's halcyon years. For a time, WSMA maintained a small sales office in Port Huron, across the street from competitors WHLS and WSAQ. Despite the challenges, WSMA still managed to produce a modest profit during its early years.

The Port Huron office later closed when the station began to fail in the late 80's, not long after coming under the control of a new owner.

Those failures arose out of an overall lack of dependability of the station, often shutting down operations at sunset (even after being granted nighttime power authorization), and sometimes not even going on the air at all during holidays and even some weekends.

On May 17, 1987, Richard S. Sommerville, who by this time owned WCEN-AM/FM in Mount Pleasant, sold WSMA to Frink, Inc., under a land contract agreement to pay for the station in monthly installments of $1,845.00. However, in a letter to the FCC dated November 7, 1990, Washington attorney Earl Stanley stated that Sommerville resumed control of WSMA after Frink Inc. failed to meet its financial obligations, prompting a foreclosure civil action in the Circuit Court of St. Clair County.

Frink Inc. was declared in default on May 7th, 1990, and was given 180 days to bring its monetary obligations to Sommerville from that date. Frink was required to pay more than $30,000 in unpaid promissory note payments and real estate taxes, according to court papers, putting its total amount owed to more than $150,000. The debts were not satisfied, and as of November 3, 1990, the 181st day of the notice, Sommerville recaptured the license, and assumed the role of trustee.

Reborn: WIFN-AM

Hoping to restore WSMA to its former glory, broadcasters David Barr and Rick Schremp formed Barr/Schremp Communications in 1993 and took control of WSMA that year, under conditions set by Sommerville. Coincidentally, Barr's father William was the former owner of WATC AM 900 in Gaylord (which then became WMJZ-AM and WSNQ before going silent in 2002), 220 miles north of Detroit, before selling it in 1986.

Barr/Schremp Communications changed the station's call letters to WIFN, and began a gradual phase-out of the country music format in favor of personality talk. Under the new format, the station bore such talents such as G. Gordon Liddy, Gary Burbank, and Sports Byline USA. Ken Hawk and Dave Haze handled news duties, with Marty Simmonds serving as sports director.

Barr and Schremp dissolved their partnership two years after taking control of WIFN, with Schremp pursuing other interests. In 1997 Barr accepted a buyout offer from Hanson Communications, then-licensee of WPHM-AM and WBTI-FM in Port Huron, one of WIFN's longtime competitors. Given multiple job offers after the sale, (including an offer from Hanson to stay) Barr then moved north to Traverse City, where he assumed a promotions and marketing role with country music powerhouse WTCM.

A Change for the Better

Following completion of the sale in late 1997, country music returned with "Real Country" via satellite from the ABC/SMN radio network, after a brief period of simulcasting with CHR/Hot AC sister station WBTI 96.9 FM. WIFN became WHYT (picking up the calls dumped by Detroit's 96.3 FM, now WDVD) under the "Real Country" format. Hanson Communications also moved the station's on-air operations from its longtime location at 5300 Marine City Highway to its main base of operations at 2379 Military Street in Port Huron.

For the first time in almost a decade, Real Country 1590 began to see a true reversal of its fortunes. Most administrative functions were handled by the existing staff of Hanson Communications, and Hanson's sales force dedicated their same aggression to selling WHYT as they did their two other properties. The credibility of WHYT being affiliated with a well-respected and established radio operation was what it needed to regain its respect in St. Clair County.

By 2000 Hanson Communications sold 1590 WHYT to Liggett Communications (now Radio First). Liggett, who was also in the process of acquiring Hanson's competitor, WHLS-AM and WSAQ-FM, decided to co-locate all five stations at 808 Huron Street, which was the main base of operations for WHLS and WSAQ, and had enough space for expansion, unlike the Military Street facility.

WHLX Today

Recognizing the opportunity to extend WHLS' signal to the southern Thumb area of Michigan, Liggett Communications abandoned the "Real Country" format and moniker, and simulcast WHLS' programming over WHYT, changing its call letters to WHLX, to more closely match that of its sister station. The move allowed WHLS to be heard as far south as Mount Clemens, Macomb County's seat.

WHLS' format was then changed from satellite Oldies (from Jones Radio Networks) to satellite Adult Standards from Westwood One shortly afterward, and WHLX continued to simulcast.

Sources

* [http://www.michiguide.com/dials/rad-g/whlx.html Michiguide.com - WHLX History]

External links

*AM station data|WHLX