WHTC

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WHTC

File:WHTC-Logo.jpg
City of license	Holland, Michigan
Broadcast area	[1]
Branding	1450 WHTC
Slogan	Holland's News Leader
Frequency	1450 kHz
First air date	July 31, 1948
Format	News Talk
Power	1,000 watts
Class	C
Callsign meaning	Holland Tulip City
Owner	Duey E. Wright (Midwest Communications, Inc.)
Webcast	Listen Live
Website	1450 WHTC

WHTC is a news/talk AM radio station broadcasting at 1450 kHz in Holland, Michigan.

The station signed on July 31, 1948 at 6 pm and originally was owned by six Holland-area businessmen: I.H Marsilje, Nelson Bosman (who served as mayor of Holland from 1961 to 1971), W.A. Butler (former owner of the Holland Evening Sentinel), Millard Westrate, Willard Wichers and P.T. Chef. All are since deceased. Michael Walton of Milwaukee, WI purchased the station (along with the old WHTC-FM) from the original owners in 1981. On September 20, 2000 Walton sold his four-station operation (including WHBL, WWJR and WBFM Sheboygan, WI) to Midwest Communications, Inc.

WHTC-FM (96.1), which signed on in 1961 and later went by the call letters WYXX and WKEZ, was sold to Federated Communications in 1994. It was subsequently acquired by Clear Channel Communications and has undergone a number of call letter and format changes, currently operating as WMAX-FM, with an all-sports format (ESPN).

WHTC is an affiliate of CBS Radio and carries Detroit Tigers Baseball, area high school football and basketball, the Detroit Lions and Red Wings and the West Michigan Whitecaps.

In July 2014 the station slogan was changed to Holland's News Leader after using the moniker Holland's Hometown Station since the mid 1990s.

Personalities

Juke Van Oss has been at WHTC since August 8, 1951. Now in his 65th year at WHTC he currently hosts Talk of the Town, a two-hour daily call in program whose guests include Holland Mayor Bill VandeVusse, Congressmen Bill Huizenga and Fred Upton, former Congressman Pete Hoekstra, national and local celebrities and newsmakers. Talk of the Town began on WHTC in 1959 with Bill Gargano. Juke began sharing hosting duties with Gargano in 1961. Van Oss has been sole host of the program since 1981. On May 22, 2009 Juke received notice from the Michigan Association of Broadcasters of his induction into the Michigan Broadcasting Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony was held July 14, 2009 at the MAB Conference at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. Van Oss celebrated his 90th birthday in December 2013.

WHTC's Morning News debuted in July 2014 and features news, weather, sports, traffic reports and various segments including local sponsors, community events and history. Among the many guests featured on a weekly basis are the Mayor Of Holland, authors, political figures and many other local and national guests. Veteran area broadcaster Mary Ellen Murphy joined the show in 2015 as news anchor/co-host and delivers a mix of local, state and national news. Dan Spadafora, who left the station in December 2015, was the original host and also served as the brand manager of WHTC.

On September 2, 2008 WHTC began carrying The Huge Show, a local sports talk show syndicated to stations in Michigan and originating in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Bill Simonson is the host and the show airs from 3pm to 5pm Monday - Friday.

Lupita Reyes developed and hosted Alegria Latina, an all Spanish language music, news and information program on WHTC which aired from 1965 to 2009. On July 5, 2009 the program moved to 92.7 The Van WYVN airing from 7:00 pm to 12:00 midnight Sundays giving listeners in West Michigan their first Hispanic program on FM. Lu continues as host.

WHTC's talk line-up also includes Clark Howard, The WHTC Daily Recap with News Director Gary Stevens, The Joe Pags Show, Mark Levin, and Red Eye Radio.

In April 2011 WHTC began live streaming of its programming which can be accessed on desktop, tablets and smartphones.

Former Michigan Congressman Guy Vander Jagt and Detroit sportscaster Al Ackerman are among the notable figures who worked at WHTC in the 1950s.

References

• Michiguide.com - WHTC History

External links

• Query the FCC's AM station database for WHTC
• Radio-Locator Information on WHTC
• Query Nielsen Audio's AM station database for WHTC