Broadcast area Lansing, Michigan Facility ID 17382 City of license Lansing Area Lansing Slogan Lansing's Big Talker | Class C Frequency 1240 kHz Owner Townsquare Media Branding 1240 WJIM | |
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First air date August 22, 1934 (at 1210) Power 890 watts (Daytime)
890 watts (Nighttime) Callsign meaning JIM Gross, son of original owner Harold Gross Format Talk radio, All-news radio | ||
WJIM (1240 AM) is a radio station licensed to Lansing, Michigan broadcasting a news-talk format. WJIM began broadcasting in 1934 on 1210 kHz with 250 watts daytime and 100 watts at night, under the ownership of Harold Gross and his company, Gross Telecasting. According to local legend, Gross won the license--the oldest continually operated commercial license in Lansing--in a card game. He named the station after his son Jim, who would become the station's general manager from the 1960s through the sale of the station in 1985 to Liggett Communications. Lansing's first radio station, WREO, folded in 1927. In 1941 WJIM moved to 1240 kHz with 250 watts as a part of the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement. WJIM is currently under ownership of Townsquare Media. It is also the flagship station of the Michigan Talk Network.
From the early 90s to the fall of 2005, WJIM branded itself as News/Talk 1240 WJIM. It now brands itself as Lansing's BIG Talker.
"The Steve Gruber Show" has been WJIM's flagship program since March 2012. The program which is right of center and Michigan centric airs 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. Monday through Friday. The Steve Gruber Show airs statewide on 17 affiliate radio stations via the Michigan Talk Network.
The station broadcasts mainly conservative talk shows throughout the day. Featured programs include Rush Limbaugh, Dave Ramsey, Mark Levin, John Batchelor, and Red Eye Radio. It is an affiliate of ABC News Radio. One of WJIM's hallmarks for most of it existence was extensive news coverage. When co-owned with WJIM-TV, now WLNS, the radio station was able to cover Lansing area news like no other could. In recent years following the sale to Cumulus and then Townsquare, the station's news department was completely eliminated. The station now only airs syndicated state and national newscasts, leaving competitor WILS the only remaining radio station in the market covering local news.
WJIM is the Lansing outlet for Michigan State University's Spartan Sports Network, airing all MSU football and basketball games. It is not, however, the flagship station; that role belongs to Detroit's WJR.
On August 30, 2013, a deal was announced in which Townsquare Media would acquire 53 Cumulus Media stations, including WJIM, for $238 million. The deal is part of Cumulus' acquisition of Dial Global; Townsquare and Dial Global are both controlled by Oaktree Capital Management. The sale to Townsquare was completed on November 14, 2013.