WFGR
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| Page Template:Plainlist/styles.css has no content. | |
| [[Frequency|FrequencTemplate:Pluralize from text]] | 98.7 MHz |
|---|---|
| Branding | Sports Radio 98.7 |
| Programming | |
| Format | Sports Radio |
| Affiliations | Page Template:Plainlist/styles.css has no content. |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Page Template:Plainlist/styles.css has no content.
|
| WGRD-FM, WLHT-FM, WNWZ, WTRV | |
| History | |
First air date | August 9, 1992 |
Former call signs | WXJI (7/12/1990–7/8/1992, CP) |
Call sign meaning | "For Grand Rapids" |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| 25837 | |
| Class | A |
| ERP | 2,750 watts |
| HAAT | 150 metres (490 ft) |
| Links | |
Public license information | Template:FCC Licensing and Management System facility |
| Webcast | Listen live |
| Website | sportsradio987 |
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WFGR (98.7 FM) is a commercial radio station in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It is owned by Townsquare Media and it airs a sports radio format. Programming is supplied by the 97.1 Detroit Sports Radio Network and ESPN Radio. WFGR carries play-by-play from the University of Michigan Wolverines and the Michigan State Spartans.
WFGR has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 2,750 watts. The transmitter is on Brambleberry Drive in Comstock Park.[2] The studios are on Ottawa Avenue NW at Fulton Avenue in downtown Grand Rapids.[3]
History
Classical and Oldies
WFGR signed on the air on August 9, 1992.[4] It was a classical music station throughout the 1990s, broadcasting the "World Classical Network" from WFCC-FM in Chatham, Massachusetts. It changed its format to oldies music as "Oldies 98.7" on October 11, 2004. At that time, Grand Rapids' previous oldies station, WODJ, switched to album rock as 107.3 WKLQ (now WTNR).
When WFGR debuted its oldies format, it was satellite-delivered using ABC Radio's "Oldies Radio" feed. Shortly thereafter, the station debuted a mostly-local lineup of DJs, playing music from the 1960s and early 1970s.
Classic hits
On June 29, 2009, the station changed its name to "98.7 WFGR" and began playing classic hits, focusing more on the 1970s and 1980s. The change left the Grand Rapids market without a local outlet for 1960s oldies. But a few months later, Grand Valley State University stepped in to fill the void by flipping its WGVU from NPR news and talk to the "Real Oldies" network.
On October 5, 2009, The Bob & Tom Show, syndicated from Indianapolis, premiered on the morning lineup, Mondays through Saturdays. The show was added when WBFX (then-operated by Clear Channel Communications) did not renew the contract for the show. On October 5, 2012, three years to the day after their premiere, Bob and Tom were replaced with local talent Andy O' Riley and Dave Kaechele. In late 2013, local midday DJ Matt Hendricks was cut from the staff and replaced with a company voice-tracked personality “Big Joe Henry” based in New Jersey. Andy and Dave were also cut from the staff in January 2014, due to low ratings. In early 2014, part-time DJ Lauren was promoted to middays, and Jo Jo Girard, formerly of WWMX in Baltimore and WSNX-FM in Muskegon was introduced as the new WFGR morning show host.
WFGR's wide-ranging classic hits playlist ran for a number of years, becoming increasingly centered on the 1980s as time went by.
On July 3, 2024, the station changed its name once again, calling itself “98.7 the Grand” and pivoting to a rock-leaning presentation.[5][6]
With the changes in July 2024, there were no remaining local morning show hosts. The station used local staff for announcements in the midday and afternoon time slots. Until the station's flip to sports in December 2025, WFGR carried additional programming from both Compass Media Networks and Premiere Networks, including Casey Kasem's classic episodes of American Top 40.
Sports radio
In November 2025, Audacy, Inc. announced that it would form a statewide sports radio network featuring the local programming of Detroit's WXYT-FM, with four Townsquare Media stations—including WFGR—forming its initial affiliation base. On December 1, 2025, WFGR flipped to sports radio as Sports Radio 98.7, as an affiliate of the 97.1 Detroit Sports Radio Network and ESPN Radio. Unlike the other Townsquare stations that joined the network, WFGR did not adopt the Ticket branding, as that brand is already used by Cumulus Media-owned competitor WJRW.[7][8][9]
References
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- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Facility Technical Data for WFGR". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ FCCdata.org/WFGR
- ^ SportsRadio987.com/help
- ^ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2000 page D-223. Retrieved Dec. 30, 2025.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Get Nostalgic with 98.7 the Grand: Your Ultimate Timeless Hits Destination". July 3, 2024.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."A Grand Revamp For WFGR". RadioInsight. July 3, 2024. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Audacy Forms 97.1 Detroit Sports Network To Serve Affiliates Statewide". Barrett Media. November 6, 2025. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."More On Townsquare’s Michigan Changes". RadioInsight. November 9, 2025. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Townsquare Media's WFGR Flips to Sports Talk". TALKERS magazine. December 2, 2025. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
External links
- Template:FCC Licensing and Management System facility
- WFGR in Nielsen Audio's FM station database
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