View source for WMIC

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{{Infobox radio station
| name               = WMIC
| logo               =
| city               = [[Sandusky, Michigan]]
| area               = [http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WMIC&service=AM&status=L&hours=D] (Daytime)
| branding           = ''WMIC 660 AM''
| airdate            = June 27, 1968
| frequency          = 660 [[kHz]]
| translator         = {{Radio Relay|95.3|W237EQ|Sandusky}}
| format             = [[Full Service (radio format)|Full service]] radio atation - [[news talk]] and [[country music]]
| power              = 1,000 [[watt]]s day
| erp                =
| class              = D
| coordinates      = {{coord|43|23|34|N|82|50|06|W|type:landmark}}
| facility_id        = 59026
| callsign_meaning   = '''W'''ireless '''MIC'''rophone
| former_callsigns   =
| former_frequencies = 1560 [[kHz]]
| owner              = Sanilac/GB Broadcasting
| sister_stations    = [[WBGV]], [[WTGV]]
| webcast            = [https://radio.securenetsystems.net/cwa/index.cfm?stationCallSign=WMIC Listen Live]
| website            = [http://www.sanilacbroadcasting.com/ sanilacbroadcasting.com]
| affiliations       = [[ABC News Radio]]<br>[[Genesis Communications Network]]<br>[[USA Radio Network]]<br>[[Westwood One]]<br>Michigan Farm Radio Network
| licensing_authority= [[Federal Communications Commission|FCC]]
}}
'''WMIC''' (660 [[AM broadcasting|AM]]) is a [[full Service (radio format)|full service]] [[radio station]] licensed to [[Sandusky, Michigan]] with a power output of 1,000 [[watt]]s. WMIC covers [[Sanilac County, Michigan]] and [[The Thumb]] area of Michigan. The station is owned by Sanilac/GB Broadcasting and broadcasts from studios on Elk Street in Downtown Sandusky, along with sister stations [[WTGV]] and [[WBGV]]. Its programming is also simulcasted on [[Broadcast relay station#United States|FM Translator]] '''W237EQ''', also licensed to [[Sandusky, Michigan|Sandusky]] at 95.3&nbsp;MHz, with an [[effective radiated power]] of 250 watts.
WMIC's transmitter is located south of Sandusky off Cooper Road Road in [[Sanilac County, Michigan|Sanilac County]]. WMIC provides a strong signal to both eastern Michigan and western [[Ontario]] due to its low dial position and corresponding long wavelength. On clear weather days, the station can be heard as far away as [[Roscommon, Michigan|Roscommon]], [[Ann Arbor, Michigan|Ann Arbor]], and [[Lansing, Michigan|Lansing]].<ref>[http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WMIC&service=AM&status=L&hours=D WMIC Coverage]</ref> The station, however, must sign off at sunset to protect [[WFAN (AM)|WFAN]] [[New York City]], a 50,000 watt [[clear-channel station|clear channel]] radio station.
==History==
WMIC was first granted a construction permit to operate at 1560&nbsp;kHz on May 10, 1965, and at a thousand watts maximum power.  The station was authorized to operate only from sunrise to sunset, protecting [[WFME (AM)|WQXR]].  Transmitter facilities were constructed along Cooper Road near M-19, about a mile and a half south of Sandusky.  Shortly before sign-on, the station set up studios at 19 South Elk Street in downtown Sandusky.<ref>[http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getimportletter_exh.cgi?import_letter_id=65038 Broadcasting station license record]</ref>
The call letters were assigned that October.  Unforeseen delays resulted in extensions being granted, pushing its actual sign-on date to 1968.  Prior to sign-on, the station was granted pre-sunrise authority of 500 watts, which allowed it to sign on two hours before local sunrise, keeping its sign-on time consistent to 6:00{{nbsp}}am daily. The call letters were previously used by a now defunct radio station in [[St. Helen, Michigan]].
In 1969, George Benko, a Croswell resident, bought into Sanilac Broadcasting Company.  He and his family still control the station today.
In 1971, WMIC-FM signed on the air, giving Sandusky radio listeners local service after sunset, but this would change six years later, when both entities would separate programming and WMIC-FM would become [[WTGV]].
[[File:WMIC 660 am logo.png|thumb|Former logo]]
In 1987, WMIC moved to the stronger dial position of 660&nbsp;kHz, but retained its same power values and daytime-only status.
In 2021, Sanilac Broadcasting added [[FM Translator]] W237EQ 95.3 [[FM broadcasting|FM]]. The addition of this translator allows WMIC to have 24-hour programming for the first time. 95.3 [[FM broadcasting|FM]] is not affected by [[WFAN (AM)|WFAN]] [[New York City|New York]], and [[Federal Communications Commission]] rules allow [[FM Translator]]s to continue to broadcast, even if their parent station is of daytime only status.
==Programming==
WMIC features a  [[full Service (radio format)|full service]] radio station that consists of both local news and programming, as well as syndicated [[news talk]] programs weekday afternoons. The station also airs a [[classic country]] program weekday mornings from 9:00 a.m. to noon, as well as a popular long-running [[polka]] program on weekend afternoons.program on weekend afternoons.
*Eddie Fury, who spent much of his career at Thumb area competitor [[WLEW-FM]], hosts "The Morning Fury" weekdays 6:00 to 9:00{{nbsp}}a.m.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.sanilacbroadcasting.com/show/the-morning-fury/ | title=The Morning Fury }}</ref>
*A country classics show airs weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to noon.
*Local news and information blocks air weekdays at noon and 5:00 p.m.
*"[[Tradio|Swap Shop]]" a popular buy, sell, and trading show airs from 1:00 to 2:00{{nbsp}}p.m. weekdays, and at 8:30{{nbsp}}a.m. on Saturdays.
*[[Dan Bongino]] is heard weekday afternoons on tape-delay from 2 to 5{{nbsp}}pm, his show airs live nationwide from noon to 3{{nbsp}}pm. <ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.sanilacbroadcasting.com/show/the-dan-bongino-show/ | title=The Dan Bongino Show }}</ref> Bongino's show takes the place of [[Rush Limbaugh]], who was heard in the same time slot on the station for over three decades.<ref>{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511221359/http://www.sanilacbroadcasting.com/history.shtml |date=May 11, 2008 }} - About Us</ref>
*Additional talk shows including [[The Jesse Kelly Show]] and ''Caravan to Midnight'' hosted by [[John B. Wells]] are heard evenings. ''America Tonight'' with Kate Delaney and ''Captain's America'' with Matt Bruce is heard overnights.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.sanilacbroadcasting.com/wmic-programming/ | title=WMIC Programming Schedule }}</ref>
* On the weekends, the station carries Today's Homeowner with [[Danny Lipford]], Outdoor Magazine with Mike Avery, a [[traditional country]] music show, and a [[Polka]] music show, hosted by Paul Osentoski, a member of the Michigan Polka Hall of Fame.
* Staff list includes reporter and General Manager Bob Armstrong, Assistant Manager Nick Lien, Program Director and Morning Show Host Eddie Fury, News Director Arica Frisbey and Paul Osentoski.
Being a full service radio station, WMIC finds itself in competition with many area radio stations for listeners, including co-owned [[WBGV]] which has a 24 hour country format. Port Huron radio stations [[WSAQ]] (country) and [[WPHM]] (news-talk) compete with WMIC from the south. Other Thumb area stations with similar formats include [[WLEW (AM)|WLEW]] in Bad Axe and [[WKYO]] in Caro.
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.michiguide.com/dials/rad-m/wmic.html Michiguide.com - WMIC History]
{{AM station data|59026|WMIC}}
{{Thumb Radio}}
{{News/Talk Radio Stations in Michigan}}
{{Daytime-only radio stations in Michigan}}
{{coord|43|23|34|N|82|49|57|W|type:landmark_region:US_source:FCC|display=title}}
[[Category:Radio stations in Michigan|MIC]]
[[Category:Country radio stations in the United States]]
[[Category:Sanilac County, Michigan]]
[[Category:Radio stations established in 1968]]
[[Category:1968 establishments in Michigan]]
[[Category:Daytime-only radio stations in Michigan|MIC]]