Traverse City MI based Northern Broadcasting has taken Sports “ESPN Northern Michigan” 105.5 WSRJ Honor/106.7 WSRT Gaylord MI off the air, while also preparing to sell another station to Central Michigan University.
In an STA filing the company noted that the stations have suspended operations due to ongoing financial issues which have made continued operation at this time unsustainable. WSRJ and WSRT flipped from Conservative Talk to Sports utilizing ESPN Radio programming in 2012.
Separately the Board of Trustees of Central Michigan University approved the acquisition of 94.3 WFCX Leland/Traverse City from Northern Broadcasting earlier this month. No deal has been filed with the FCC, but the move will see WFCX drop its half of the Variety Hits “Fox” simulcast with 92.5 WFDX Atlanta MI to join the “WCMU Public Radio” network based at 89.5 WCMU-FM Mount Pleasant.
Northern Broadcasting also owns Rock 97.5 WKLT Kalkaska/Traverse City and 98.9 WKLZ-FM Petoskey. A 2016 sale of the entire company to Blarney Stone Broadcasting was announced but never filed with the FCC.
WSRT/WSRJ’s talk format was not an explicitly conservative talk format. They had at least one left-leaning show (Stephanie Miller).