WGRD-FM
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| WGRD-FM | |
 |
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| City of license | Grand Rapids, Michigan |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | [1] |
| Branding | 97-9 GRD |
| Slogan | Grand Rapids' Rock Alternative |
| Frequency | 97.9 MHz |
| Format | Modern Rock |
| Power | 13,000 watts |
| Class | B |
| Callsign meaning | W Grand Rapids |
| Former callsigns | WXTO |
| Owner | Regent Communications |
| Website | http://www.wgrd.com/ |
97.9 WGRD is an modern rock radio station in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The station is also the home station of the syndicated Free Beer & Hot Wings Morning Show. The station is owned by Regent Communications.
What is today WGRD-FM began life as WXTO. The station was co-owned by Aquinas College, but the owners of Top 40 music stations WGRD-AM 1410 in Grand Rapids and WTRU-AM 1600 Muskegon took full control of WXTO in 1971 and changed its call letters to WGRD-FM. (The station's transmitter would remain on the Aquinas College campus until about 1974.)
WGRD-AM 1410 (which had had a Top 40 hit music format in place since 1959) was struggling in the ratings at the time against pop-rock competitors WLAV-AM 1340 and WZZM-FM 95.7 (now WLHT). WGRD thus moved its struggling Top 40 format onto its new FM station, making the stereo FM station the primary frequency while having the AM continue to simulcast. The revamped WGRD quickly became the dominant Top 40 station in the market and continued to be until the mid-1980s debut of Muskegon-based 104.5 WSNX. Before long, WGRD was losing in its own market to the new "Sunny FM" 104.5.
In 1994, WGRD switched from CHR to the then-emerging and rapidly growing modern rock format, which it has had ever since. Ironically, the station that took down WGRD in the CHR field, WSNX, simulcast for a time on Muskegon's AM 1600 - the former WTRU, and WGRD's former sister station - and one of WGRD's former Top 40 competitors, WZZM-FM, is now sister station WLHT.
The original WGRD, AM 1410, is now WNWZ with a Regional Mexican format. As an interesting aside, the call letters "GRD" stood for "Grand Rapids Daytime," since WGRD-AM was licensed to air only during daytime hours.
WGRD is geared towards young males with a target demo of Men 18-34 and secondary Men 25-54 (Arbitron demographics). The station's biggest competitor in the Grand Rapids market is Citadel Communications' active rocker WKLQ, which it regularly defeats in the ratings.
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By frequency: (FM) | 88.1 | 88.5 | 88.9 | 89.3 | 89.9 | 89.9 | 91.3 | 92.7 | 93.7 | 94.5 | 95.7 | 96.1 | 96.9 | 97.9 | 98.7 | 99.3 | 100.5 | 101.3 | 102.9 | 104.1 | 104.5 | 105.3 | 105.7 | 106.9 | 107.3 || (AM) | 640 | 810 | 1140 | 1230 | 1260 | 1300 | 1340 | 1370 | 1380 | 1410 | 1450 | 1480 | 1530 | 1570 | 1680
By callsign: | WAYG | WBBL | WBCT | WBFX | WBLU | WCSG | WDSS | WFGR | WFUR | WFUR | WGHN | WGNB | WGRD | WGVU | WGVU | WHTC | WHTS | WJNZ | WJQK | WKLQ | WLAV | WLHT | WMAX | WMFN | WMJH | WMUS | WNWZ | WOOD | WOOD | WPNW | WSCG | WSNX | WTHS | WTRV | WTKG | WTNR | WVGR | WYCE | WYGR | WYVN
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