WHZZ
title: "WHZZ" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["adult-hits-radio-stations-in-the-united-states", "radio-stations-in-lansing,-michigan", "radio-stations-established-in-1967", "1967-establishments-in-michigan"] topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WHZZ" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox radio station"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | WHZZ |
| logo | WHZZ-FM.jpg |
| logo_size | 160px |
| city | Lansing, Michigan |
| area | Lansing-Jackson, Michigan |
| branding | 101.7 Mike FM |
| frequency | 101.7 MHz |
| airdate | January 1967 (as WILS-FM) |
| format | Variety hits |
| erp | 4,100 watts |
| haat | 121 meters |
| class | A |
| facility_id | 39538 |
| coordinates | |
| callsign_meaning | Hitz (a reference to its former Top 40 format) |
| former_callsigns | WILS-FM (3/24/92-5/15/95)WLYY (4/15/91-3/24/92)WKKP (5/5/89-4/15/91)WILS-FM (1967-5/5/89) |
| owner | MacDonald Broadcasting |
| sister_stations | WILS, WQHH, WXLA |
| webcast | Listen Live |
| website | 1017mikefm.com |
| licensing_authority | FCC |
| :: |
| name = WHZZ | logo = WHZZ-FM.jpg | logo_size = 160px | city = Lansing, Michigan | area = Lansing-Jackson, Michigan | branding = 101.7 Mike FM | frequency = 101.7 MHz | airdate = January 1967 (as WILS-FM) | format = Variety hits | erp = 4,100 watts | haat = 121 meters | class = A | facility_id = 39538 | coordinates = | callsign_meaning = Hitz (a reference to its former Top 40 format) | former_callsigns = WILS-FM (3/24/92-5/15/95)WLYY (4/15/91-3/24/92)WKKP (5/5/89-4/15/91)WILS-FM (1967-5/5/89) | affiliations = | owner = MacDonald Broadcasting | sister_stations = WILS, WQHH, WXLA | webcast = Listen Live | website = 1017mikefm.com | licensing_authority= FCC WHZZ (101.7 FM, "Mike FM") is a radio station licensed to Lansing, Michigan with a variety hits format.
History
The station has gone through many different formats over the years. After beginning as a simulcast of WILS 1320 AM as WILS-FM in 1967, the station separated programming in the late 1960s with an automated MOR format (with the exception of the Jerry Marshall morning show, which was simulcast with WILS-AM from 6 to 10 a.m.). In 1972, WILS-FM launched an automated Country format which was branded as "Hit Country", although the morning simulcast continued. In 1975, WILS-FM abandoned the Country format in favor of a 12-hour daily simulcast with WILS-AM, followed by split programming in the evening, which included an AOR format from 6 p.m. to midnight, and a Jazz format from midnight to 6 a.m.. In 1978, WILS-FM abandoned the overnight Jazz and ended the simulcast with WILS-AM, programming the AOR format full time. The AOR format proved to be quite successful for the station, resulting in respectable ratings despite WILS-FM's 3KW signal.
In August 1983 WILS-AM and WILS-FM's original owner Lansing Broadcasting, sold the station to Sentry Broadcasting (a division of Sentry Insurance) The new management made changes quickly, deciding to automate sister station WILS-AM with a Nostalgia format; in December 1983, most of the WILS-FM air staff, including the highly rated morning team of Douglas "Doug" Burton and Danny "Dan" Ballard, were let go, and were replaced by announcers from WILS-AM. On April 14, 1984, WILS-FM abruptly changed to an Adult Contemporary format using the brand name WILS FM 102 to compete with top-rated WFMK. The station's ratings plummeted and would not recover for over a decade as 101.7 FM went through unsuccessful tries at Hot AC as WKKP, and then later as WLYY, and Country formats (the latter with a return to the WILS-FM calls in the early 1990s). The station also went through a number of ownership changes during this period. Sentry Insurance dissolved their radio division and sold WILS to Northstar Broadcasting in 1986, and after going through an upper-management shakeup, Northstar sold the station to current owner MacDonald Broadcasting in 1989.
In the spring of 1995, WILS-FM became WHZZ under their new moniker Z101.7. WHZZ filled the void as the new Top 40/CHR station for Lansing after WVIC-FM dropped its longtime CHR format to compete with country market leader WITL. WHZZ was frequently criticized by CHR aficionados for featuring an overly conservative adult-oriented playlist heavy on Hot AC chart currents and 1980's and 1990's gold, but the station enjoyed good Arbitron ratings during their Top 40/CHR run, and even reached #1 overall (12+) at least once.
On September 13, 2005, WHZZ unexpectedly flipped to adult hits as "Mike FM". Two days after WHZZ's flip, the CHR format was picked up by WJIM-FM.
Sources
::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::