WATT
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| [[Frequency|FrequencTemplate:Pluralize from text]] | 1240 kHz |
|---|---|
| Branding | News Talk 1240 |
| Programming | |
| Format | News-Talk-Sports |
| Affiliations | Michigan Radio Network |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | MacDonald Garber Broadcasting |
| WKAD, WKHQ-FM, WLXT, WLXV, WMKT, WMBN | |
| History | |
First air date | Script error: No such module "Date time". |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| 65928 | |
| Class | C |
| Power | 1,000 watts |
| [[Broadcast relay station|TranslatorTemplate:Pluralize from text]] | W291DE (106.1 MHz, Cadillac) |
| Links | |
Public license information | Template:FCC Licensing and Management System facility |
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WATT (1240 AM, "News Talk 1240") is a radio station broadcasting a news-talk-sports format. Licensed to Cadillac, Michigan, it began broadcasting in 1946.
WATT officially began broadcasting on September 30, 1945, as Cadillac's first radio station[2] on the frequency of 1240 kHz.[3] The station was founded by Les Biederman, a broadcast pioneer who had previously launched WTCM in Traverse City. WATT was a key member of Biederman’s Paul Bunyan Network, a group of small-market stations designed to provide localized news and entertainment to Northern Michigan communities.[4] During its early years, WATT operated with a power of 250 watts and served as an NBC Radio Network affiliate, bringing national programming and block-style variety shows to Wexford County residents.[5]
In the 1970s, Les Biederman sold WATT to Kenneth MacDonald Sr., the founder of MacDonald Broadcasting. MacDonald, a former hall-of-fame broadcaster from Saginaw, purchased the station alongside its FM sister (WLXV) and properties in Petoskey.[6]
In 1998, as part of a corporate reorganization of the family business, the Northern Michigan stations—including WATT—were spun off into a separate entity called MacDonald-Garber Broadcasting, headed by Patricia MacDonald-Garber.[7]
References
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- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Facility Technical Data for WATT". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Cadillac Gets Station". The Bay City Times. United Press. September 30, 1945. p. 10. Retrieved January 6, 2026.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."1240 AM WATT Media Kit" (PDF). MacDonald-Garber Broadcasting. Retrieved January 3, 2026.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."WTCM (AM) History" (PDF). Broadcasting Publications Inc. p. C-104. Retrieved January 3, 2026.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Michigan Radio History Records" (PDF). World Radio History. Retrieved January 3, 2026.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."MacDonald Broadcasting Hall of Fame". Michigan Association of Broadcasters. Retrieved January 3, 2026.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Cadillac Chamber of Commerce Member Directory". Cadillac Area Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved January 3, 2026.
External links
- FCC History Cards for WATT
- Michiguide.com - WATT History
- Template:FCC Licensing and Management System facility
- WATT in Nielsen Audio's AM station database
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