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Stereo 1680 JAMZ, Grand Rapids

C

Cordelia Chase

Does anybody know what happened to this station? I DXed it in Williamsburg, VA a few times about 22 or 23 years ago. The Internet was still kind of new to

me in 1999, but I looked up the station and found out that the program director's name was Geronimo. I sent him an email to let him know that I caught his

station hundreds of miles away, and he sent me a response! Next thing I know, there's a traveler's information station from Florida on the same frequency

and I could no longer pick up the Michigan station. This was an Urban Contemporary station and I guess it broadcast in stereo although I certainly didn't

have an AM stereo receiver.
 
Cordelia Chase said:
Does anybody know what happened to this station? I DXed it in Williamsburg, VA a few times about 22 or 23 years ago. The Internet was still kind of new to

me in 1999, but I looked up the station and found out that the program director's name was Geronimo. I sent him an email to let him know that I caught his

station hundreds of miles away, and he sent me a response! Next thing I know, there's a traveler's information station from Florida on the same frequency

and I could no longer pick up the Michigan station. This was an Urban Contemporary station and I guess it broadcast in stereo although I certainly didn't

have an AM stereo receiver.
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They are still around, and are still urban! Now, though, they have a translator on 102.5, and they call themselves 102.5 The Ride.
 
ZantennaG1 said:
They are still around, and are still urban! Now, though, they have a translator on 102.5, and they call themselves 102.5 The Ride.
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Why, thank you so much for your swift reply! I was beginning to wonder if I dreamed up that station. I have long since aged out of the Urban Contemporary and CHR demographic, but I'll definitely see if they stream, and I'll give them a listen. Thanks again!!

Edit: I just checked them out and it seems like they are now Urban Adult and feature The Steve Harvey Morning Show, so I guess they aged with their audience.
 
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ZantennaG1 said:
They are still around, and are still urban! Now, though, they have a translator on 102.5, and they call themselves 102.5 The Ride.
Click to expand...
Just one more thing about the station: I did a Wikipedia search and learned that 1680's calls used to be WJNZ and that the station lasted in that incarnation from 1999 until 2003. The article also explained the many twists, turns and frequency changes that led the station to where it is now. So, while it was the WJNZ days I was initially concerned with, I'm glad urban music is back in Grand Rapids! I wonder what happened to Geronimo, the old PD?

The article also mentioned that gospel artist Marvin Sapp attempted to get involved with the station at one point. I remember reading about Rev. Sapp and a radio station, but I had no idea this was the station!
 
1680 Jamz was a great station for a couple years. I think it lost money, though.

After a brief foray into Urban AC, the station flipped to Radio Disney for a number of years.

In the late 00's or thereabouts, owner Bob Goodrich then flipped the station to non-commercial liberal talk as "Public Reality Radio" WPRR. Most programming came from Pacifica. A translator at 95.3 FM was soon added. Years later, the translator at 102.5 FM was added.

Goodrich sold 95.3 FM to Grand Valley State University a couple years ago. 1680 and 102.5 were other sold or LMA'd to Robert S. Womack and Tyrone Bynum, who then flipped formats to Urban AC.

Magic 104.9, owned by Townsquare, signed on back in 2014 or 2015, I want to say. After programming Urban AC with Harvey in mornings, Baisden in afternoons and Keith Sweat at night, the station flipped to hardcore hip-hop a couple years ago. Good signal for a translator (rebroadcasts 1410 WNWZ). Covers GR, Wyoming and Kentwood well. Much stronger signal than, say, WSNX in the heart of the city.

LPFM 97.3 The Beat also offers Urban programming.
 
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MarkW said:
1680 Jamz was a great station for a couple years. I think it lost money, though.

After a brief foray into Urban AC, the station flipped to Radio Disney for a number of years.

In the late 00's or thereabouts, owner Bob Goodrich then flipped the station to non-commercial liberal talk as "Public Reality Radio" WPRR. Most programming came from Pacifica. A translator at 95.3 FM was soon added. Years later, the translator at 102.5 FM was added.

Goodrich sold 95.3 FM to Grand Valley State University a couple years ago. 1680 and 102.5 were other sold or LMA'd to Robert S. Womack and Tyrone Bynum, who then flipped formats to Urban AC.

Magic 104.9, owned by Townsquare, signed on back in 2014 or 2015, I want to say. After programming Urban AC with Harvey in mornings, Baisden in afternoons and Keith Sweat at night, the station flipped to hardcore hip-hop a couple years ago. Good signal for a translator (rebroadcasts 1410 WNWZ). Covers GR, Wyoming and Kentwood well. Much stronger signal than, say, WSNX in the heart of the city.

LPFM 97.3 The Beat also offers Urban programming.
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I didn't even know this 97.3 even existed. I guess they changed the name, because according to the website, they are called 97.3 The Heat. 97.3 FM The Heat
 
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