WGHN

What WGHN does

WGHN is a privately held commercial radio station serving the Tri-Cities area of Michigan (Grand Haven, Spring Lake, Ferrysburg) and Northwest Ottawa County. Founded on July 16, 1956 by Robert Runyon and Robert Kirby — former employees of WOOD radio and television in Grand Rapids — WGHN has broadcast continuously for 70 years from its current South Harbor Drive studios in downtown Grand Haven (since 1985). The station operates on 92.1 FM with an adult hits format ('The 80's Until Now,' branded 'Grand Haven's Favorite Music') and a co-owned AM signal on 1370 kHz (WGHA), plus FM translator W235CM at 94.9 MHz. It is recognized as an award-winning member station of the Michigan Association of Broadcasters.

WGHN's product surface combines traditional broadcast with a digital extension layer. Core offerings include live radio on FM/AM, online 'Listen Live' streaming via wghn.com, and the Grand Haven Radio mobile app on iOS and Android, all built on the SoCast content management and audio platform. Supplemental programming includes local and West Michigan news, weather, the Tri-Cities Credit Union Community Calendar, Good Morning Grand Haven morning show, Boating & Fishing Reports, Beach Cam, Channel Cam, Market Center, and original podcasts such as Pour Decisions. The station is the only Lakeshore broadcaster of Detroit Tigers games and also carries Detroit Lions games on 92.1 FM. Social channels on Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube provide additional distribution.

WGHN generates revenue through local advertising sales to Tri-Cities-area businesses, operated as a sales-led GTM with negotiated airtime packages and special sports-broadcast sponsorships (e.g., Tigers game advertising). Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is set bilaterally with advertisers via General Manager Mike Toth. The company is a Michigan corporation (WGHN, Inc.) with 1-10 employees, no disclosed institutional investors, no parent company, and no funding rounds. In March 2025, WGHN, Inc. filed an FCC application for assignment of its station licenses, signaling a potential corporate transition.

Name

WGHN

Legal name

WGHN, Inc.

Website

https://wghn.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1956

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

WGHN is a privately held community radio station broadcasting on 92.1 FM and AM 1370 in Grand Haven, Michigan, delivering local news, sports, weather, and music to the Tri-Cities area since 1956 and monetizing through local advertising sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Network-Affiliated Local Radio Stations (News/Talk/Sports Syndication Affiliates) (MPABACAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Internet Radio & Streaming Broadcast Stations (Simulcast/Online-only) (MPAIAEAE)

Keywords

• Local radio broadcasting
• FM radio station
• Radio advertising sales
• Community news broadcasting
• Sports radio broadcasts

Headquarters

HQ city

Grand Haven

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Advertising and Sponsorships: WGHN generates revenue primarily through local advertising sales. Local businesses purchase airtime to reach the station's audience in the Tri-Cities area. Special sponsorship packages are offered for specific programming like Detroit Tigers broadcasts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

WGHN operates a local FM/AM radio station on 92.1 MHz and 1370 kHz serving the Grand Haven and Tri-Cities area of Michigan with a music format ('The 80's Until Now'), local news, weather, sports broadcasts (Detroit Tigers and Lions), and community programming. The station monetizes primarily through local advertising sales and sponsorships sold to area businesses, supplemented by digital extensions including a mobile app, website streaming, podcasts, and live camera feeds.

Product overview

WGHN is a traditional radio broadcasting company offering AM/FM radio broadcasts on 92.1 FM along with digital services including a mobile app, online streaming, podcasts, and community-focused programming. The core product is radio broadcasting ('The 80's Until Now' format), supplemented by digital offerings including the Grand Haven Radio App, Listen Live streaming, news content, and podcasts. The company also operates specialized programming including sports broadcasts (Detroit Tigers and Lions), local community features (Main Street Spotlight, Good Morning Grand Haven), weather services, and niche content like Boating & Fishing Reports, Beach Cam, and Channel Cam. The product portfolio represents a unified platform combining traditional radio with digital extensions rather than a modular software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pour Decisions: A weekly wine and food pairing show hosted by Jesse Bruce and Chris Weavers of JW's and J.Dub's Market & Wine Shop.

Products and services

• 92.1 FM Radio Broadcasting Core FM radio broadcast on 92.1 MHz serving Grand Haven and the Tri-Cities area with a music format ('The 80's Until Now'), local news, weather, sports, and community programming for Tri-Cities residents.
• Grand Haven Radio Mobile App

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Grand Haven Lighthouse Rehabilitation FundminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 July 2026For WGHN's 70th Anniversary Lighthouse Broadcast on July 16th, listeners can make $25 donations to the Grand Haven Lighthouse Rehabilitation Fund to have their requested song played during the special broadcast from 2-6pm.
• Detroit TigerscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWGHN is the only Lakeshore station where listeners can hear Detroit Tigers games. The station carries all games during the 2023-24 Season on 92.1 FM with no streaming option. Mike Toth, General Manager, manages local advertising partnerships with businesses wanting to reach Tigers listeners.
• Tri-Cities Credit UnioncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTri-Cities Credit Union sponsors the WGHN Community Calendar, promoting local community events and activities through the station's programming and digital platforms.
• Michigan Association of BroadcasterscoreOthersWGHN is an award-winning member station of the Michigan Association of Broadcasters, the regional broadcasting industry association representing radio and television stations in Michigan.
• Grand Haven Main Street Downtown Development AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWGHN partners with Grand Haven Main Street for the 'Main Street Spotlight' program, featuring weekly interviews with local businesses. The program supports local business promotion and community engagement, aligned with the DDA's mission to enhance the vibrant historic business district.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Beasley Media Group: Multi-market U.S. radio operator with local sales, digital, and sports content. Same broadcast-plus-digital product mix as WGHN applied across multiple U.S. markets rather than one Tri-Cities footprint.
• Townsquare Media: Operator of ~700 local radio stations concentrated in mid-sized and small U.S. markets. Directly comparable business model — local ad sales, syndicated sports content (e.g., regional sports play-by-play), and digital extension of broadcast content — applied at portfolio scale versus WGHN's single market.
• Alpha Media: U.S. radio operator focused on mid-sized and small markets with local news, sports, and music programming. Closely analogous to WGHN in market size, format mix, and ad-sales-led GTM, only at portfolio scale.
• Audacy: Multi-station U.S. radio group with a strong digital streaming, podcasting, and sports broadcasting footprint. Comparable in broadcast-plus-digital platform model and in monetizing premium sports rights across local markets.
• iHeartMedia: Largest U.S. radio broadcaster with thousands of stations plus streaming (iHeartRadio), podcasts, and live events. Comparable in offering (FM/AM broadcast plus mobile app, podcasts, sports broadcasts) but at national scale — the natural acquirer or strategic counterparty for a small-market station like WGHN.
• Cumulus Media / Westwood One: Major U.S. radio operator and syndicator (Westwood One) carrying MLB, NFL, and other sports broadcasts. Mirrors WGHN's model of sports-anchored local ad sales, but at multi-market scale and with national ad-tech and digital audio offerings.

Direct peers

• WOOD Radio (iHeartMedia — Grand Rapids): Locally programmed Grand Rapids-market FM/AM radio stations under iHeartMedia. WGHN's founders were former WOOD employees, and WOOD operates the same West Michigan music-and-news format aimed at overlapping Tri-Cities / Grand Rapids advertisers and listeners.
• MacDonald Garber Broadcasting: Family-owned operator of multiple local FM/AM stations across northern and western Michigan. Closest structural comparable: similarly small, community-rooted, ad-supported Michigan radio groups running local news, sports, and music programming for adjacent regional markets.

Regional players

• WJR (760 AM, Detroit): Heritage AM news/talk station serving metro Detroit and Southeast Michigan. Same AM-band news/talk heritage and Michigan-based local ad model as WGHN's WGHA 1370 kHz, though serving a different and larger primary geography.
• Cumulus / WLAV-FM (Grand Rapids): Active rock FM station serving the Grand Rapids market and overlapping Tri-Cities listener base. Same Michigan local radio format and competing for the same regional advertising pool that WGHN targets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wghnfm
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@WGHNRadio
• Facebookfacebook.com/921WGHN
• Instagraminstagram.com/wghnradio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about WGHN