WJIM (AM)

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WJIM
Broadcast areaLansing–East Lansing metropolitan area
Frequency1240 kHz
Branding1240 & 106.9 The Ticket
Programming
FormatSports
NetworkABC News Radio
AffiliationsESPN Radio
Michigan State Spartans Sports Network
Detroit Sports Network
Ownership
Owner
WFMK, WITL-FM, WJIM-FM, WMMQ, WVFN
History
First air date
August 22, 1934; 91 years ago (1934-08-22) (at 1210)
Former frequencies
1210 kHz (1934–1941)
Call sign meaning
JIM Gross, son of original owner Harold Gross
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID17382
ClassC
Power890 watts
Transmitter coordinates
42°43′12″N 84°31′11″W / 42.72000°N 84.51972°W / 42.72000; -84.51972
Translator106.9 W295BP (Haslett)
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen Live
Websitewjimam.com

WJIM (1240 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Lansing, Michigan. The station broadcasts a sports talk radio format and is owned by Townsquare Media. Studios and offices are on Pinetree Road in Lansing.

Programming includes syndicated sports talk programs originating from WXYT in Detroit branded as The Ticket as well as ESPN Radio programming nights and weekends.[2]

WJIM is a Class C station, powered at 890 watts non-directional. Programming is simulcast on FM translator W295BP at 106.9 MHz.

Programming

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WJIM began airing a sports-talk format December 1st, 2025 as an inaugural affiliate of the Detroit Sports Network. The network is a partnership between Audacy's 97.1 WXYT-FM in Detroit and several Townsquare Media stations in Michigan including WJIM, WFGR in Grand Rapids, WKMI in Kalamazoo, and WBCK in Battle Creek.[3]

Some of the programming that used to be heard on WJIM prior to The Ticket format has since been moved to sister station WVFN including the conservative talk program "The Steve Gruber Show," and "Michigan's Big Show starring Michael Patrick Shiels".[4]

WJIM is the Lansing outlet for Michigan State University's Spartan Sports Network, airing all MSU football and basketball games, as well as volleyball and hockey. It is not, however, the flagship station. That role belongs to WJR in Detroit.[5]

History

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Early years

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WJIM signed on the air on August 22, 1934; 91 years ago (1934-08-22). It broadcast on 1210 kHz with 250 watts daytime and 100 watts at night. WJIM was owned by Harold Gross and his company, Capital Broadcasting.[6] It is the oldest commercial station in Lansing. The capital's first radio station, WHW,[7] folded in 1923.[8]

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 1941, as part of the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement (NARBA), WJIM moved to 1240 kHz with 250 watts. That year, many AM station were required to change their frequencies.

FM station

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In July 1941, WJIM was issued an FCC construction permit for a new commercial FM station with the call sign W77XL.[9] However, the station was never completed and the FCC deleted it a little over a year later in September 1942.[10]

In 1960, WJIM again got FCC permission to build an FM station. That became 97.5 WJIM-FM. After initially simulcasting programming from AM 1240, WJIM-FM switched to beautiful music and is today a Top 40 station.

Full service radio

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From the 1950s through the 80s, WJIM had a full service middle of the road format and was an NBC Radio News network affiliate. But as music listening shifted to FM radio in the 1980s, WJIM added more talk shows, including NBC Talknet. In the 1990s, it made the transition to all talk programming.[11]

One of WJIM's hallmarks for most of its existence was extensive news coverage. It spawned Lansing's first television station, WJIM-TV (channel 6, now WLNS-TV) in 1950. The two stations combined forces to cover Central Michigan news. In recent years, following the sale to Cumulus and then Townsquare, the station's news department was eliminated. The station now only airs syndicated state and national newscasts, leaving competitor 1320 WILS as the only remaining radio station in the market covering local news.

Logo before translator sign on

Changes in ownership

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WJIM was sold in March 1993 to Liggett Broadcasting.[12] Liggett's stations were sold to Citadel Broadcasting in 2000, with Liggett becoming a member of Citadel's board of directors.[13]

Citadel was acquired by Cumulus Media Cumulus Media in 2011.[14]

On August 30, 2013, a deal was announced in which Townsquare would acquire 53 stations, including WJIM, for $238 million. The deal was part of Cumulus' acquisition of Dial Global; Townsquare and Dial Global were both controlled by Oaktree Capital Management.[15][16] The sale to Townsquare was completed on November 14, 2013.[17]

The Big Talker

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Starting under Liggett's ownership, WJIM transitioned from full-service radio to talk radio, a format that would continue through the next three owners. The station was branded as "Lansing's Big Talker" and included nationally syndicated such as Paul Harvey, Rush Limbaugh, and Sean Hannity.[18]

Under Cumulus ownership, WJIM dropped Hannity's show in 2013, in favor of Michael Savage, part of a nationwide shakeup of talk stations owned by Cumulus.[19] Hannity was since picked up by competitor WILS in Lansing.

Following Rush Limbaugh's death in 2021, the station added the relatively new Markley, Van Camp & Robbins show from Compass Media Networks to the 12-3pm time slot.[20]

Under the former news-talk format, WJIM also aired The Ramsey Show with Dave Ramsey, The Mark Levin Show, The Joe Pags Show, Our American Stories with Lee Habeeb and Red Eye Radio. Weekends featured shows on money, health, religion, cars, travel and the outdoors. WJIM was a network affiliate of ABC News Radio.

References

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  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WJIM". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ "1240 The Ticket". 1240 The Ticket. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
  3. ^ "More On Townsquare's Michigan Changes - RadioInsight". radioinsight.com. November 9, 2025. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
  4. ^ "What 1240 The Ticket Means for The Game 730". Lansing 730. November 8, 2025. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
  5. ^ "Spartan Sports Network". Michigan State University. Retrieved August 13, 2012.
  6. ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1935 page 38
  7. ^ "New Stations ", Radio Service Bulletin, March 1, 1922, page 2.
  8. ^ "Strike out all particulars", Radio Service Bulletin, February 1, 1923, page 8.
  9. ^ W77XL's Construction Permit was for operation on 47.7 MHz. Based on the call letter policy in force at this time, the "77" came from the last two digits of the station's frequency, and "XL" was a geographical identifier used for Lansing-area stations.
  10. ^ FCC History Cards for W77XL, Federal Communications Commission.
  11. ^ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1993 page B-181
  12. ^ Hughes, Mike (March 9, 1993). "Radio shuffle: WFMK to buy WJIM stations". Lansing State Journal. Lansing, Michigan. p. 1D. Retrieved August 14, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Stocks". Bloomberg News. June 25, 2023.
  14. ^ "Cumulus Media makes $2.4 billion acquisition of larger rival Citadel Broadcasting to become 2nd largest U.S. radio company | Experience". www.jonesday.com. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
  15. ^ "Official: Cumulus Buys Dial Global, Spins Some Stations To Townsquare; Peak Stations Sold To Townsquare, Fresno Spun To Cumulus". All Access. August 30, 2013. Retrieved August 30, 2013.
  16. ^ "Cumulus Makes Dial Global And Townsquare Deals Official". RadioInsight. August 30, 2013. Retrieved August 30, 2013.
  17. ^ "Cumulus-Townsquare-Peak Deal Closes". All Access. November 15, 2013. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
  18. ^ "1240 WJIM Lansing's BIG Talker". www.wjimam.com. Archived from the original on May 9, 2008. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
  19. ^ "Rush Limbaugh rushing out of Cumulus Media to WOR, with Sean Hannity in tow". New York Daily News. July 28, 2013. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
  20. ^ "Number Of Rush Limbaugh Affiliates Decide On Replacement Shows - RadioInsight". radioinsight.com. June 20, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
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