WSNX-FM
Broadcast areaMuskegon-Grand Rapids-Holland
Frequency104.5 MHz (HD Radio)
Branding104.5 SNX
Programming
FormatTop 40 (CHR)
AffiliationsPremiere Networks
Ownership
Owner
WBCT, WBFX, WMAX-FM, WOOD, WSRW-FM, WTKG
History
First air date
November 18, 1971 (1971-11-18)
Former call signs
WQWQ-FM (1971–1986)
WSNX (1986)
Call sign meaning
For the station's former "Sunny" branding
Technical information
Facility ID24644
ClassB
ERP32,000 watts
HAAT189 meters (620 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
43°12′14″N 86°01′44″W / 43.204°N 86.029°W / 43.204; -86.029
Links
WebcastListen Live
Website1045snx.iheart.com

WSNX-FM (104.5 MHz "104-5 SNX") is a top 40 (CHR) radio station located in iHeartMedia's Grand Rapids, Michigan headquarters. The station is licensed to Muskegon, in Western Michigan with the station serving the Grand Rapids area, and is one of two top 40/CHR stations in Grand Rapids along with WHTS.[1] The studios are located at 77 Monroe Center in Downtown Grand Rapids while its transmitter is located near Sherman Blvd and Ensley Rd outside of Muskegon.

History

What is now WSNX began life as Beautiful Music station WQWQ (the "Q" stood for "Quality") in 1971. Goodrich Radio Marketing purchased the frequency in 1984, and quickly changed the beautiful music format to Top 40 and used the moniker "Sunny-FM" on-air. (The WQWQ calls and easy-listening format moved to 101.7 FM and continued there until the station became WMRR.) Goodrich Radio located the studios at 875 East Summit in Norton Shores, just outside Muskegon. The antenna was upgraded to get a city-grade signal into Grand Rapids. Sunny FM on-air personalities in the 1980s included Jim Biggins, J.J. Duling, Diamond Dave, Jo Jo Girard, Mark Frost, Ranger Bob and T.R. McCoy.

WSNX moved to Grand Rapids (at 2610 28th Street) in 1996, where it was occupying the same offices of sister stations WODJ and WKWM. It would also drop the "Sunny FM" moniker and simply go by "104.5 WSNX". It was around this time that the CHR-formatted station added an apparent hip-hop or urban feel musically, as well as adding local music.

During the late 1980s, WSNX was one of several competing CHR stations in the area, with the dominant WGRD and WKLQ. By the mid-1990s, WGRD had switched to alternative rock and WKLQ had long since switched to album-oriented rock, and the CHR battle was between WSNX and Federated Media's adult-leaning "Mix 96" (WAKX). In early 1997, Clear Channel purchased WAKX from Federated Media and flipped it to "Continuous New Hit Music, I-96" as WVTI. Goodrich aimed WSNX directly at "I-96", competing with them on the air and through promotions. The station identified itself as "Grand Rapids' Hottest New Music, 104.5 WSNX" or just SNX in jingle form.

WSNX moved again to downtown Grand Rapids after it was purchased by Clear Channel Radio in September 1999, and took the "Continuous New Hit Music" moniker and a slightly more mainstream, though still rhythmic-leaning, CHR format, as WAKX was retooled as a Hot AC to compete with WLHT.[2] In 2006, the station dropped the "Continuous New Hit Music" slogan, and the point from "104.5", with the station simply branding itself as "104-5 WSNX", virtually the same time when rival WHTS was launched. In 2011, the station started using the "West Michigan's New Party Station" slogan, but this is not used on-air and only used on the station's website.

WSNX was the first radio station in both the Grand Rapids and Muskegon markets to broadcast in HD Radio, as it does today. Its HD2 subchannel originally carried the Dance Top 40 "Club Phusion" format, but switched, in late 2009, to a format known as "The Beat". By 2014, this changed to a 24/7 Black comedy format, and then, during September 2022, all HD2 services were discontinued.

Jingles and imaging

The late '90s saw WSNX use 3 jingle packages from Reelworld. KDWB 1996, KDWB 1997, and WZPL. In 2001, the station used N2 Kiss, Dallas. This started a long 10-year jingle deal that would see WSNX use every KDWB jingle package N2 Effect released. The deal ended in 2010, and WSNX has not used any jingles since.

The station's imaging voices were Brian James until 1999, then Saint John until 2007, and Doctor Dave from 2007–present.

References

  1. ↑ "Radio Industry News, Radio Show Prep, Radio Promotions, Radio Station Data, Podcast News".
  2. ↑ "Clear Channel Grabs Seventh In Grand Rapids" (PDF). p. 8. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
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