96.7 W244EN Flint/Lapeer. Junkalator

[MrJeffrey2020]

Why did they put this station on the air? It literally does nothing but play instrumental versions of classic hits songs. Does anybody know if there are future plans to actually use this frequency for anything worthwhile? Right now it's just a waste of a frequency. I don't know about you but I have no interest in instrumental versions of songs we all know. Makes no sense.

[Graham Wellington]

I have an immense interest in instrumental versions of classic hits songs. Thank you for letting me know about this incredible station.

[ChrisWL1980]

They've been doing this for almost a year now. It's not "beautiful music" (though I hear an occasional original smooth-jazz track), it's more like "karaoke versions" - the original hit recordings with the vocals removed. I believe it's translating 1530 WLCO. I have zero idea what this is supposed to be for, or what the Smile FM folk are eventually going to do with this.

[48125er]

I was doing a band scan of frankenmuth couple weeks ago during a tropo, CHYR walked all over this signal. I imagine that happens semi often as they have a null towards the West to protect CHYM in Kitchener.

[Ben Zonia]

Obviously most of you have not noticed previously how powerful 250 watts ERP can be from 900+ feet HAAT. Many of the Detroit area translators are just 99 watts or less because of IF Beat Frequency and Canadian Border restrictions. The Canadian stations also interfere with them. Up near Traverse City and the Straits, there are a some translators close to the equivalent of a old 3 kW Class A station.

[Deleted User 16144]

Is this 101 Strings or Bert Kaempfert music? If so, that’s cool. I would guess this music that is being played is royalty free music. Just a guess.

[BayCityJohn2337]

Maybe ED is using it as a tax deduction? I'm not sure how those non profit companies work but just a guess. Look at positive county 103.7 WCZE in the thumb. Owned by the smile network folks and the format makes no sense.

Smiling ED has saturated Michigan with his translators and transmitters. He's the Dollar General of radio.

[BayCityJohn2337]

P.S obviously non profits don't pay taxes.. I kinda said that wrong. Maybe you can only sit on so much of that donation money and it has to be spent.

[MWmetalhead]

Christian country gospel music is a legitimate music genre.

Smile FM is not the only broadcaster programming this format in Michigan, either.

For example, it can be found on 104.7 MHz in the Grand Blanc & Swartz Creek area and on 96.5 MHz in the Gladwin & Clare area.

This is something that I could see appealing to listeners in rural areas, so the programming on 103.7 Harbor Beach and on 96.5 in Gladwin makes sense. I'd be surprised if the LPFM at 104.7 in Mundy Twp has many listeners, though.

[Deleted User 16144]

Maybe ED is using it as a tax deduction? I'm not sure how those non profit companies work but just a guess. Look at positive county 103.7 WCZE in the thumb. Owned by the smile network folks and the format makes no sense.

Smiling ED has saturated Michigan with his translators and transmitters. He's the Dollar General of radio.

It is certainly better than the same 100 song playlist on all commercial radio stations. Christian Radio is sounding better these days.

[ChrisWL1980]

Is this 101 Strings or Bert Kaempfert music? If so, that’s cool. I would guess this music that is being played is royalty free music. Just a guess.

It would be neat if it were, but it's not traditional "beautiful music." Remember on CD singles in the '90s where they'd have a "karaoke" mix of the song, one that was just the instrumental track for you to sing along to? That's what this is. Take a song like Fleetwood Mac's "Hold Me," remove the vocals, and you have what 96.7/1530 plays. It's not a cover, it's the original recording with no vocals. Bizarre. A traditional B/EZ format a la Sirius/XM Escape would be more entertaining.

Christian country gospel music is a legitimate music genre.

Smile FM is not the only broadcaster programming this format in Michigan, either.

For example, it can be found on 104.7 MHz in the Grand Blanc & Swartz Creek area and on 96.5 MHz in the Gladwin & Clare area.

This is something that I could see appealing to listeners in rural areas, so the programming on 103.7 Harbor Beach and on 96.5 in Gladwin makes sense. I'd be surprised if the LPFM at 104.7 in Mundy Twp has many listeners, though.

There's also "God & Country" 88.5 in Michiana, run by the WFRN folks.
WGNC and WCZE aren't actually straight Christian country gospel; they play some of it, but it's more a G-rated mainstream country format, minus the "beer and/or sex" songs. WFRN does the straight country/Southern gospel format on 1270 WCMR and its translators.
104.7 in Swartz Creek does seem to be more straight country gospel.

Smile FM would be more enjoyable if they'd freshen the music up a bit (very tight playlist, so slow on new music to the point where I'd call them almost a Christian Adult Hits format) and the personalities were a bit livelier. K-Love and Family Life Radio aren't Michigan-based but I find them a better listen than Smile FM. Their hosts sound like they're having fun on the radio; Smile's sound like they're reading from scripts.

[BayCityJohn2337]

WCZE positive County sucks in my opinion. What is country music without the cheating, dog dying and loosing your unskilled labor job down at the factory? While Eds skills are superb in building transmitters and handmade antenna's he's not hitting a home run with this format. On a different note it would be interesting to know how much revenue Smile FM brings in. No salespeople to pay. No studios in all these towns and somehow the listeners are compelled to send money from all over the state of Michigan.

[TC Talks]

Maybe he's building to sell it to K-Love. They seem to be buying these days. Even if half the stations were sold it would be very profitable.

[Deleted User 16144]

EMF the IHeart of Christian Radio. Does EMF own more radio properties than iHeart? Chances are EMF will continue to buy as much radio they can to eventually start putting Air 1 on full power FM’s to complement the K-Love brand. Now there’s K-Love 70’s, 80’s 90’s and 2000’s stations in some markets as well as streaming.

[radioandtventhusiast]

I listened a little bit to God and Country when I visited Shipshewana in September. It was an interesting format, and I liked it a little better than the regular CCM stations.

Contemporary Christian music is a bit repetitive for me, but the KLOVE jocks all have very fun and pleasant demeanors on the air.