# WTKA

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Radio station in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States

WTKA Ann Arbor, Michigan United States Broadcast area Southeast Michigan Frequency 1050 kHz Branding The Big 1050 WTKA Programming Format Sports Network Infinity Sports Network Affiliations Detroit Red Wings Detroit Tigers Michigan Wolverines Westwood One Sports Ownership Owner Cumulus Media (Cumulus Licensing LLC) Sister stations WLBY, WQKL, WWWW-FM History First air date April 26, 1945 (1945-04-26) Former call signs WPAG (1945–1987) WPZA (1987–1993) Call sign meaning "TalK" (previous format) or "Ticket" (previous branding), Ann Arbor Technical information[1] Licensing authority FCC Facility ID 47116 Class B Power 10,000 watts day 500 watts night Transmitter coordinates 42°8′46″N 83°39′36″W / 42.14611°N 83.66000°W / 42.14611; -83.66000 Repeater 102.9 WWWW-HD2 (Ann Arbor) Links Public license information Public file LMS Webcast Listen live Website thebig1050.com

**WTKA** (1050 [AM](/source/AM_broadcasting)) is a [commercial](/source/Commercial_radio) [radio station](/source/Radio_station) in [Ann Arbor, Michigan](/source/Ann_Arbor%2C_Michigan), known as "The Big 1050 WTKA." It broadcasts a [sports radio](/source/Sports_radio) [format](/source/Radio_format) and is owned by [Cumulus Media](/source/Cumulus_Media). The [studios](/source/Radio_studio) and offices are on Victors Way in Ann Arbor.

By day, WTKA is powered at 10,000 [watts](/source/Watt), covering most of southeast Michigan. Because [1050 AM](/source/1050_AM) is a Mexican [clear channel frequency](/source/Clear_channel_station) reserved for [XEG](/source/XEG-AM) in [Monterrey](/source/Monterrey), WTKA reduces power to 500 watts at night to avoid interference. It uses a [directional antenna](/source/Directional_antenna) with a four-[tower array](/source/Tower_array). The [transmitter](/source/Transmitter) is on Stony Creek Road in [York Charter Township, Michigan](/source/York_Charter_Township%2C_Michigan).[2]

## Programming

TheMichiganInsider.com's Sam Webb and WTKA Program Director Ira Weintraub host "The Michigan Insider" weekday mornings. The show features prominent sports guests, including sports writer John Bacon, Yahoo Sports contributor Eric Adelson, and frequent interviews with University of Michigan coaches John Beilein, Carol Hutchins, Erik Bakich and more. One of the most popular features on "The Michigan Insider" is "Recruiting Roundup" at 7:45am with the latest information on Michigan football and basketball recruiting. The segment is recorded and is available on the station's website.

In afternoon [drive time](/source/Drive_time), WTKA features 'The M-Zone' with Jamie Morris. The rest of the schedule mostly comes from [CBS Sports Radio](/source/CBS_Sports_Radio). WTKA also carries [Detroit Red Wings](/source/Detroit_Red_Wings) [hockey](/source/NHL), [Detroit Tigers](/source/Detroit_Tigers_Radio_Network) [baseball](/source/MLB) and [Michigan Wolverines](/source/Michigan_IMG_Sports_Network) [college football](/source/College_football), [hockey](/source/Ice_hockey) and [basketball](/source/Basketball).

## History

### WPAG

In the 1920s, there were three short-lived radio stations licensed to Ann Arbor: WMAX (1922), WQAJ (1923; owned by the *[Ann Arbor News](/source/Ann_Arbor_News)*) and WCBC (1924–25; owned by the [University of Michigan](/source/University_of_Michigan)). In addition, WJBK (now [WLQV](/source/WLQV)), licensed to nearby [Ypsilanti](/source/Ypsilanti), signed on in 1925. In 1940, WJBK was moved to Detroit, leaving [Washtenaw County](/source/Washtenaw_County%2C_Michigan) without a radio station until **WPAG** first took to the air. It signed on the air on April 26, 1945.[3]

WPAG's studios were located on the third floor of the Hutzel Building, at the corner of Main at Liberty Streets in Ann Arbor. (Currently, a digital service called [A3 Radio](http://www.annarboralive.com/A3Radio/Radio.php) netcasts from the old WPAG studios.) Owned by brothers Paul and Art Greene, the call letters WPAG were selected to reflect their names. (For many years there was a ladies lingerie and apparel store down on the Hutzel Building's first floor, which caused long-time [University of Michigan](/source/University_of_Michigan) [football](/source/American_football) broadcaster [Bob Ufer](/source/Bob_Ufer) to joke that WPAG really stood for "Women's Panties And Girdles".) WPAG also briefly operated a television outlet, [WPAG-TV](/source/WPAG-TV) on channel 20 in the 1950s.

### Top 40 Hits

In the 1960s, WPAG was one of several stations in the Ann Arbor market featuring [Top 40](/source/Top_40) musical fare. One of its most popular personalities was Dave Pringle, who later became a fixture on Detroit radio as "Dave Prince." (He adopted that name after [Billboard Magazine](/source/Billboard_Magazine) mistakenly referred to him as such in one issue, and Pringle decided he liked "Prince" better.) The station is also notable for being possibly the first to play [Bob Seger](/source/Bob_Seger), who grew up in Michigan. In 1961, Seger convinced the station to play a demo of "The Lonely One," a song he had recorded with his group at the time, the Decibels.

By 1970, WPAG had transitioned to a [full service format](/source/Full_service_radio) featuring [MOR](/source/Middle_of_the_road_(music))/[adult contemporary](/source/Adult_contemporary) music. It was an [affiliate](/source/Network_affiliate) of the [ABC Information Network](/source/ABC_News_Radio). The station remained successful until the late 1970s, when a recession led to declining business and forced the laying off of several employees. An early 1980s change to an [adult standards](/source/Adult_standards) format garnered the station increased audience, but from advertiser-unfriendly older demographics. After a return to the station's longtime AC format proved unsuccessful, WPAG made a switch to [country music](/source/Country_music) after Christmas of 1985. The new "1050 Country", consulted by Ed Buchanan of [Grand Rapids](/source/Grand_Rapids%2C_Michigan)' successful [WCUZ](/source/WBFX), was intended as a cosmopolitan variant of the country format for Ann Arbor and mixed in compatible soft rock titles by artists such as Bob Seger and [Crosby, Stills and Nash](/source/Crosby%2C_Stills_and_Nash), alongside current and classic country hits.

WTKA remote van

### WPZA and WTKA

In December 1987, the station was purchased by [Tom Monaghan](/source/Tom_Monaghan) and had its [call sign](/source/Call_sign) changed to **WPZA**, a nod to Monaghan's thriving [Domino's Pizza](/source/Domino's_Pizza) business. Under Monaghan, the unsuccessful cosmopolitan country format was dumped for another stab at full-service adult contemporary. In late 1992, Monaghan (who later owned [Ave Maria Radio](/source/Ave_Maria_Radio), including [Ypsilanti](/source/Ypsilanti)'s [WDEO](/source/WDEO_(AM))), sold WPZA to the MW Blue Partnership. Eventually, it went to [Cumulus Broadcasting](/source/Cumulus_Broadcasting) and then to [Clear Channel Communications](/source/Clear_Channel_Communications).

Clear Channel flipped the station to **WTKA**. In 1997, WTKA's daytime schedule featuring a variety of programming, ranging from local sports and financial talk shows, a farm report, the [nationally syndicated](/source/Radio_syndication) [Joy Browne](/source/Joy_Browne) advice show, the [Alan Colmes](/source/Alan_Colmes) talk show, and the [One-on-One Sports Network](/source/SportsMap).[4]

### Sports Radio

Former logo

In 1999, WTKA began using the brand name "The Ticket" and revamped its program lineup to be primarily sports programming, with [ESPN Radio](/source/ESPN_Radio) outside of local shows and the farm report.[5][6] WTKA is once again owned by Cumulus Broadcasting due in part to a multi-station swap between Cumulus and Clear Channel that involved stations in Michigan And Ohio.

Today, WTKA bills itself as "Sports Talk 1050 AM", the official voice of the [University of Michigan](/source/University_of_Michigan) sports in Ann Arbor. It is not, however, the [flagship station](/source/Flagship_(broadcasting)). That status belongs to [WCSX](/source/WCSX) 94.7 in Detroit. Sports Talk 1050 AM carries U-M [college football](/source/College_football), [basketball](/source/Basketball), and [hockey](/source/Ice_hockey) as well as [Detroit Red Wings](/source/Detroit_Red_Wings) hockey and [Detroit Tigers](/source/Detroit_Tigers) baseball. The Tigers are a holdover from the WPZA era, as Monaghan also owned the Tigers at that time.

On April 23, 2007, WTKA fired former [University of Michigan](/source/University_of_Michigan) hockey player [Dave Shand](/source/Dave_Shand) from the station. Shand served as the co-host for the morning show titled "In the Locker Room with Dave Shand." The station gave no reason for the firing. Shand claims University of Michigan athletic director [Bill Martin](/source/William_C._Martin) pressured the station to fire him, but a lawsuit against Martin on this claim was dismissed for lack of evidence.[7]

On August 26, 2024, WTKA rebranded as "The Big 1050 WTKA".

## See also

- [Media in Detroit](/source/Media_in_Detroit)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FCC-LMS-47116_1-0)** ["Facility Technical Data for WTKA"](https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/public/tv/publicFacilityTechDetails.html?facilityId=47116). *Licensing and Management System*. [Federal Communications Commission](/source/Federal_Communications_Commission).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [Radio-Locator.com/WTKA](https://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/finder?sr=Y&s=C&call=wtka&nav=home)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Radio Station Opens Tomorrow: WPAG Broadcasts Will Start At 7 A.M."](https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ann-arbor-news-radio-station-opens-t/187991612/) *The Ann Arbor News*. Ann Arbor, Michigan. April 25, 1945. p. 9. Retrieved January 2, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Line Up"](https://web.archive.org/web/19970713200009/http://wtka.com/lineup.html). WTKA. Archived from [the original](http://wtka.com/lineup.html) on July 13, 1997. Retrieved January 2, 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Ann Arbor's WTKA AM 1050"](https://web.archive.org/web/19990125092805/http://wtka.com/). *wtka.com*. Archived from [the original](http://wtka.com/) on January 25, 1999. Retrieved January 12, 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Wtka 1050 Am"](https://web.archive.org/web/19991001154147/http://wtka.com/sportsbeat.html). *wtka.com*. Archived from [the original](http://wtka.com/sportsbeat.html) on October 1, 1999. Retrieved January 12, 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Shand v. Martin Case Tossed Out"](http://mvictors.com/?p=5498). November 9, 2009.

- [Former Michigan QB Leach Rips Carr](https://www.annarbor.com/sports/former-michigan-qb-rick-leach-rips-lloyd-carr-other-naysayers/)

- [Audio of Rick Leach's criticism of Lloyd Carr from WTKA](https://wtka.com/index.php?fuseaction=home.podcasts_sel&id=2336)

## External links

- [Facility details for Facility ID 47116 (WTKA)](https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/public/tv/publicFacilityDetails.html?facilityId=47116) in the [FCC](/source/Federal_Communications_Commission) Licensing and Management System

- [WTKA](https://www1.arbitron.com/sip/displaySip.do?surveyID=SP26&band=am&callLetter=WTKA) in [Nielsen Audio](/source/Nielsen_Audio)'s AM station database

v t e Radio stations in Ann Arbor, Michigan (Washtenaw County) By AM frequency 990 1050 1290 1480 1600 By FM frequency 88.3 89.1 91.7 102.9 107.1 Translators 98.3 102.3 107.9 Defunct WYNZ 1520 By call sign W252BA W272DG W300CO WAAM WCBN-FM WDEO WEMU WLBY WQKL WSDS WTKA WUOM WWWW-FM Nearby regions Detroit Flint Grand Rapids Lansing-East Lansing South Central Michigan Thumb of Michigan Toledo See also List of radio stations in Michigan

v t e Commercial sports radio stations in the state of Michigan Full-time Alma WFYC Ann Arbor WTKA Battle Creek WBCK Cadillac WKAD Detroit WCAR WXYT WXYT-FM Grand Rapids WJRW WFGR Holland/Grand Rapids WMAX-FM Jackson WKHM-HD2 Kalamazoo WKMI Lansing WJIM Lapeer WQUS Marquette WFXD-HD2 Petoskey/Traverse City WMBN Pinconning/Midland WLUN Roscommon WGRY-FM St. Joseph WQYQ Sturgis WBET Traverse City WCCW Part-time Farmington Hills/Detroit WFDF Grand Rapids WTKG Lansing WVFN Benton Harbor/St. Joseph WSJM Sault Ste. Marie WKNW Defunct Flint WTRX See also adult contemporary classic hits college country news/talk NPR oldies religious rock sports top 40 urban other radio stations in Michigan See also ESPN Radio Fox Sports Radio CBS Sports Radio NBC Sports Radio Sports Byline USA SportsMap Radio

v t e Cumulus Media AM radio stations KAAY KABC KAOK KARN KBOI KCMO KCSF KCUB KESP KFAY KFOG KFRU KKAT KKOB KKOH KLIF KLIK KMAJ KMJ KNBR KNML KPUR KSFO KTBL KTCK KTCT KTIK KTOP KTUC KUGN KVOR KWPN KZAC KYNG WAAV WAPI WARM WAYS WBAP WBBF WBBW WCOA WDUZ WEEX WFAS WFNC WFTW WGOC WGOK WGOW WGPC WHGB WHLD WJBC WJCW WJOX WJR WJRW WKY WLBY WLS WMAC WMSP WNAM WNML WOSH WPIC WPRO WPRV WRQX WRIE WSBA WSBN WSKO WTKA WTMA WUMP WVEL WVLK WVNN WWCK WXLM WXNT WXOK WXQW WXSM WYNN FM radio stations K279BI KAMO-FM KARN-FM KARX KATC-FM KATM KATT-FM KAYD-FM KBBM KBBQ-FM KBBY-FM KBCY KBEE KBER KBIU KBOI-FM KBUL-FM KBXR KCDD KCFX KCHZ KCJK KCMO-FM KDJK KDRF KDVV KEHK KENZ KGGO KHAY KHKI KHKK KHOP KHTB KHXS KHYT KIIM-FM KIPR KIZN KJJY KJMO KJOY KKEG KKFM KKGB KKGL KKMG KKND KKOB-FM KKPK KKWD KLAL KLUR KMAJ-FM KMCK-FM KMEZ KMGA KMGV KMJ-FM KMJJ-FM KMJK KNBR-FM KNEK-FM KNEV KNRQ KNSH KOBQ KOLI KOMS KOQL KPLA KPLX KPUR-FM KQFC KQHN KQIZ-FM KQLK KQRS-FM KQSM-FM KQXC-FM KQXL-FM KQXY-FM KRBE KRMD-FM KRMW KRRQ KRST KRUZ KSAN KSCS KSKS KSMB KSZR KTCK-FM KTCX KTLT KTOP-FM KUBL-FM KUJZ KURB KVMA-FM KVYB KWIC KWIN KWNN KWQW KWYE KWYL KXKC KXXR KYIS KYKZ KYYI KZEL-FM KZJF KZRK-FM WABD WAOA-FM WAQX-FM WARM-FM WBAP-FM WBHD WBHT WBLX-FM WBNQ WBSX WBWN WBZE WBZF WCMG WCTO WDAI WDEN-FM WDLT-FM WDUZ-FM WDVD WDZZ-FM WEAN-FM WEAS-FM WEDG WEMX WFBE WFMS WFTK WFYR WGFX WGKX WGLF WGLO WGNI WGOW-FM WGRF WGRR WGVX WHBX WHHY-FM WHKR WHNN WHOT-FM WHRP WHTS WHTT-FM WILZ WIOG WIOV-FM WIVK-FM WIWF WIXO WIXV WJCL-FM WJEZ WJJK WJOX-FM WJQX WJTQ WKDF WKHX-FM WKIM WKKO WKLQ WKOR-FM WKOS WKQX WKQZ WKRU WKSM WKXS-FM WLAV-FM WLCS WLEV WLFF WLLF WLS-FM WLTO WLUP WLWI-FM WLXC WLXX WLZN WMAL-FM WMDH-FM WMEZ WMGB WMGL WMGS WMGU WMIM WMNX WMOS¹ WMXS WMXT WMXU WNCV WNDX WNKT WNML-FM WNMQ WNNF WNNK-FM WNNX WNTQ WNTR WODE-FM WOFX-FM WOGB WOGT WOKI WOMG WORC-FM WPEZ WPKR WPRO-FM WQGN-FM WQHZ WQKL WQLH WQPD WQQK WQQO WQSM WQUT WQXA-FM WQXK WRBO WRCQ WRKN WROK-FM WRQN WRQQ WRRM WRRX WSEA WSJR WSKZ WSM-FM WSMS WSOX WSSX-FM WSYN WTCB WTNR WTPA-FM WTYB WUHT WVBO WVIB WVLK-FM WVNN-FM WWCK-FM WWFF-FM WWFN-FM WWFX WWIZ WWKI WWKL WWKX WWLD WWLI WWLS-FM WWWM-FM WWQQ-FM WWSN WWTN WWWQ WWWW-FM WWWX WWWZ WWYY WXBM-FM WXFX WXKC WXKR WXKR-HD2/W264AK WXLO WXMX WXTA WXZZ WYFM WYNN-FM WYZB WZNS WZPL WZPW WZRH WZRR WZYP Radio networks Arkansas Radio Network Titans Radio Network v t e Westwood One Programming News and talk America in The Morning America's Most Wanted The Ben Shapiro Show The Chris Plante Show The Clark Howard Show First Light The Jonathon Brandmeier Show The Larry Kudlow Show The Mark Levin Show Real Estate Today Red Eye Radio The Todd and Tyler Radio Empire Music and entertainment American Country Countdown Backtrax USA The Bob & Tom Show Country Gold Elwood Blues's BluesMobile Cafe Mocha1 Flashback/Flashback Pop Quiz The John Tesh Radio Show The Kidd Kraddick Morning Show Loveline The Countdown/The Urban AC Countdown/Gospel Traxx Zach Sang Show Radio networks Adult Contemporary Adult Standards Classic Country Classic hip-hop Classic Hits - Rock Classic Rock CNBC Business Radio1 CNN News Wire1 Hot AC Hot Country Jack FM Lite AC Nash Icon Real Country The Touch Westwood One Sports1 Defunct Good Time Oldies Mainstream Country NBC Sports Radio1 Westwood One News See also Cumulus Media Networks Satellite Music Network Westwood One (1976–2011) 1 = Distribution only; produced by another company. Last Bastion Station Trust** KOKY KPZK-FM Online assets Country Weekly Forerunner companies Citadel Broadcasting Cumulus Media Networks Susquehanna Radio Corporation ** Last Bastion is a divestiture trust, with stations de facto managed by Cumulus.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [WTKA](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WTKA) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WTKA?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.