A new commercial FM station has signed on in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula carrying Christmas music.
WHBS/96.3 (Houghton) is identifying as “Lite 96-3, Houghton’s Breeze.” It’s owned by Morgan Murphy Media/Queen Bee’s Knees, which owns several other stations in Houghton.
The group’s previous owner won the frequency in a 2021 FCC auction with a $91,000 bid.
WHBS transmits with 36.5kW/226m (class C1), making it the most powerful station in the company’s Houghton cluster. It was originally permitted for 100kW but the station’s license to cover application, filed Nov. 1, indicates that the station was constructed at 36.5kW ERP, which is still enough to maintain the class C1 status due to the antenna height.
Like other western UP stations, WHBS can also be heard on Minnesota’s North Shore. This audio was recorded in Grand Marais, MN, which is why there is a bit of static:
The group’s other formats include Classic Hits outlet “The Wolf” (WOLV/97.7), “K-Bear 102.3” Country (WHKB), and Contemporary Hits “The Lift” on WCCY/1400 and W257CZ/99.3.
Disclosure: Jon Ellis is an employee of Gray Media Group. The statements and views expressed in this posting are his own and do not reflect those of Gray Media Group.