Smile FM

Smile FM
Slogan "Michigan's Positive Hits"
Format Religious; Contemporary Christian
Owner Superior Communications
Webcast http://www.smile.fm/streaming/
Website http://www.smile.fm

Smile FM is a network of non-commercial, contemporary Christian radio stations. Most programming originates from studios in Williamston, Michigan (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 on December 2, 1996 when WLGH Lansing, Michigan began broadcasting. 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. 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 network's stations, although having the same ownership, are officially owned by one of four non-profit entities: Superior Communications, Michigan Community Radio, Northland Community Broadcasters and Smile FM. All four were founded by Jennifer and Edward Czelada.

WCZE 103.7 Harbor Beach, owned by Jennifer and Edward Czelada, aired Smile FM programming until December 12, 2012, when WSMB Harbor Beach began broadcasting.

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 WFCX) 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.

On-air staff

Smile FM Network Stations

Stations owned and operated by Smile FM include:

Call sign Frequency
(MHz) 		City of license ERP
W 		Height
m (ft) 		Class FCC info
WLGH 88.1 Leroy Township, Ingham County, Michigan 6,700 174 m (571 ft) B1 WLGH FCC
WSMF 88.1 Monroe, Michigan 1,200 41 m (135 ft) A WSMF FCC
WHYT 88.1 Goodland Township, Michigan 400 177 m (581 ft) A WHYT FCC
WSFP 88.1 Harrisville, Michigan 18,000 143 m (469 ft) C2 WSFP FCC
WEJC 88.3 White Star, Michigan 55,000 114 m (374 ft) C1 WEJC FCC
WKPK 88.3 Michigamme, Michigan 15,000 252 m (827 ft) C2 WKPK FCC
WSMZ 88.3 Crystal Valley, Michigan 1,500 200 m (660 ft) A WSMZ FCC
WDTE 88.3 Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan 5,500 50 m (160 ft) A WDTE FCC
WJOM 88.5 Eagle, Michigan 4,300 40 m (130 ft) A WJOM FCC
WYOR 88.5 Republic, Ohio 100 32 m (105 ft) A FCC
KOYR 88.5 Yorktown, Arkansas 4,500 190 m (620 ft) C3 FCC
WSIS 88.7 Riverside, Michigan 6,000 117 m (384 ft) B1 WSIS FCC
WDTR 88.9 Imlay City, Michigan 3,200 61 m (200 ft) A WDTR FCC
WTLI 89.3 Bear Creek Township, Michigan 50,000 312 m (1,024 ft) C1 WTLI FCC
WSMB 89.3 Harbor Beach, Michigan 12,000 145 m (476 ft) C3 FCC
WDTP 89.5 Huron Charter Township, Michigan 700 95 m (312 ft) A WDTP FCC
WJOJ 89.7 Rust Township, Michigan 31,000 143 m (469 ft) C2 WJOJ FCC
WTAC 89.7 Burton, Michigan 15,000 110 m (360 ft) B1 WTAC FCC
WKKM 89.7 Speaker Township, Michigan 100 32 m (105 ft) A FCC
WSLI 90.9 Belding, Michigan 11,500 73 m (240 ft) B1 WSLI FCC
WJOG 91.3 Good Hart, Michigan 6,000 190 m (620 ft) C3 WJOG FCC
WJOH 91.5 Raco, Michigan 5,500 100 m (330 ft) A WJOH FCC
WVMV 91.5 China Township, Michigan 1,050 75 m (246 ft) A WVMV FCC
WSMO 91.9 Mount Forest, Michigan 6,000 100 m (330 ft) A FCC
W246CW 97.1 Long Lake Township, Michigan 10 261 m (856 ft) D W246CW FCC
W247CG 97.3 Russellville, Michigan 80 12 m (39 ft) D W247CG FCC
W260CQ 99.9 Plainfield Township, Kent County, Michigan 10 126 m (413 ft) D W260CQ FCC
W285ET 102.5 East Bay Township, Michigan 10 265 m (869 ft) D W285ET FCC
W280EL 103.9 Yates, Michigan 10 119 m (390 ft) D W280EL FCC
WAIR 104.9 Lake City, Michigan 1,600 195 m (640 ft) A WAIR FCC

Future Stations/Upgrades Approved by the FCC

References

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