The success lasted for a while, but in the mid 1980s, WLAV began to fall apart. Preferred radio stations and music genres, user's Favorites, stations reviews and many other services need your personal data processing. The station experienced difficulties in the 1980s. The station was sued for the death of two people and the injury of two other at its popular annual raft race event. If you love Jim Shorts, he's never sounded better, Matthews said about his sports reporter alter ego. We find them interesting and hope you will, too. He's known for doing voices, including that of his irascible sidekick, sportscaster Jim Shorts. To see the full size images, you need to enable javascript in your browser. by yankeesprings Mon May 02, 2022 4:03 pm, Post (Photo/John Sinkevics) The website cannot function properly without these files, they can only be disabled by changing your browser settings or by using our website in "Incognito" mode. Time for a change. He loved finding new talent and helping them get noticed. We know the killer chemistry he's enjoyed best with Michelle McKormick, and paired with the comedic timing of Travis Gibbs, Mornings on WLAV will be transcendent and almost criminally funny. "I had a job for a while as an announcer at WWV but I finally quit, because I couldn't stand the hours.". YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Hailing from Troy, MI, Henson started his career at Classic Rock WCSX-FM in Detroit, and six years later, he headed to crosstown Sports/Talk WDFN-AM as Director of Programming and morning host. Stream The Tony Gates Morning Show with Michelle McKormick free online. It is the dominant classic rock-formatted radio station in the market and is generally a top ten performer in the Grand Rapids ratings. She began her radio career at WGRD in 1984 and held a variety of positions there, including music director. "Ed Buchanan was the . The 49-year-old grew up in Troy and is an avid Detroit sports fan. By the early 1990s, WLAV-FM was doing poorly in the ratings, facing increased competition from nascent album rocker WKLQ and classic rocker WJFM. It is the dominant classic rock-formatted radio station in the market and is generally a top ten performer in the Grand Rapids ratings. Just two weeks after he was sacked, Matthews joined his former colleague Steve Dahl on The Steve DahlCast. 7:30 pm WEDNESDAY MAY 3 Local Spins Wednesdays at SpeakEZ Lounge: 11am FRIDAY MAY 5 Local Spins on WYCE 88.1 FM: 11am FRIDAY MAY 12 Local Spins on WYCE 88.1 FM: 7:30 pm WEDNESDAY MAY 17 Local Spins Wednesdays at SpeakEZ Lounge: 3 pm SATURDAY MAY 20 Local Spins Fest at Studio Park (Downtown Grand Rapids): Speakpipe: Leave a voice message for Local Spins, 2023 Summer Concert Series @ Michigan Venues, Meijer Gardens 2023 Tuesday Evening Music Club Lineup: 20-plus Michigan gems, Live Music Romps: Alice Cooper, Bootstrap Boys, Keller Williams, Sponge & more, Revealing the Local Spins Fest Mystery Guest: Earth Radio & our seven-question countdown, All-around game-changer: The Bootstrap Boys saddle up with diverse, heartfelt new album, Singer Kari Lynch: Defying comparison, writing beyond music, eager to light up Local Spins Fest, Trumpet player James Sawyer: West Michigan Jazz Societys 2023 Musician of the Year. Along with his many mornings on the radio waves of WLAV, he was also well known for "The Ed Buchanan Comedy Hour" and more recently "Breakfast in the Basement" where he spent Sunday mornings highlighting Michigan artists and sharing his music knowledge with listeners. Add your comment below. in February 2016, I started to notice a very subtle change to the bottom end of my voice and decided, when I went to get my ears flushed, to have an ear, nose and throat physician take a quick look at it. Tony Gates also left, in 1984, after he ran into some trouble. There are a handful of people that must be thanked. He has previously been heard in Grand Rapids on a dual market afternoon show he hosted for 1130 WDFN Detroit and 96.1 WMAX Grand Rapids. Tony Gates left in 1984, and in 1986 popular morning personality Kevin Matthews left to work in St . sometimes jockeys just go on their own and try out satellite, perhaps he moved there! What an insult to the listeners. He was a true giant of radio and will be profoundly missed. What do you think? He did a scope of my throat and found nothing. Hopefully, you will understand. His upcoming plans include hosting a jazz festival for St. Mary's Health Care, and he's working on a wine auction for Helen DeVos Children's Hospital. I was too ill to talk to her before she passed. Please accept my apologies for that. Nancy Yerkes, a brilliant artist and a longtime friend who designed the logo for my Disc Shop, lost her battle much too quickly a few months back. [citation needed]. He was replaced shortly thereafter by the aforementioned Jim Corcoran. Your email address will not be published. UP NEXT: 6am Michelle McKormick 10am Lori Bennett 3pm Travis Gibbs TOMORROW: See More Shows Afternoons with Rob Brandt Afternoons with Rob Brandt Flashback The Richmond native began her career in her hometown, and for over a decade has been More HIS Radio Network Welcomes New Additions to Lineup WLAV-FM (96.9 FM) is a radio station broadcasting a classic rock music format in Grand Rapids, Michigan. At the same time, they switched the FM signal back to a more classic rock-driven format. Henson returns to Michigan from Richmond, VA after a successful run at heritage News/Talk WRVA. Grand Vally and historic now gone Dome where a lot of legenary concerts were performed. 595 Followers. bust at that residence on the Grand River out in Standale/Allandale back then. Description: Western Michigan's Home for Classic Rock Language: English Contact: 60 Monroe Center NW Grand Rapids, MI 49503 US Website: http://www.wlav.com Stations 97 LAVFM Overnights with LAV! On Memorial Day 1992, the station changed to a modern rock-based format, since it felt that modern rock was the direction that progressive rock and album-oriented rock radio was heading towards. This article about a radio station in Michigan is a stub. Don't miss a beat. Henson returns to Michigan from Richmond, VA, after a successful run at heritage News/Talk station, WRVA. I found the Tony and Michelle show unlistenable. Henson joins renowned West Michigan personality Michelle McKormick and audience favorite, Travis Gibbs, on WLAV weekdays from 5:30am-10:00am . This week's " Woman To Watch . This is no disrespect to Mr.Gates as he is a West Michigan radio legend, but his show had grown unbearably stale. I left LAV in the fall of 1979 to go to work for WGRD. Questions for MW / Board Announcements, New Age Radio (Streaming / Podcasting / Satellite / HD), Getting Connected (or Cutting the Cord! Spending the rest of my life thinking regrets will change nothing, so I refuse to even acknowledge them. I worked middays at LAV-AM late 70s early 80s. We know the killer chemistry he's enjoyed best with Michelle McKormick, and paired with the comedic timing of Travis Gibbs, Mornings on WLAV will be transcendent and almost criminally funny. We look forward to Gregg's contributions to the next incredible chapter in the history of one of the country's greatest Classic Rock stations. We look forward to Greggs contributions to the next incredible chapter in the history of one of the countrys greatest Classic Rock stations., Henson remarked: Returning home to Michigan to work with Michelle McKormick and Cumulus is very exciting for me and my family. by MrsWarmth Sun May 01, 2022 11:02 pm, Post In 1986 popular morning personality Kevin Matthews left to work in St. Louis. He joins Michelle McKormick and Travis Gibbs weekdays from 5:30 -10 a.m. on the newly-named "Michelle and Gregg With Travis Show.". New weekday line-up on the Legendary LAV! Holding Court: Aris Hampers and some of his historical artifacts. Along with the Step Dad of one of my High Shool Classmates. He joins Michelle McKormick and Travis Gibbs weekdays from 5:30 -10 a.m. on the newly-named "Michelle and Gregg With Travis Show." I apologize if I mis-spelled any names. Welcome to AllAccess.com, the web's largest radio and music industry community. After prerecorded shows have been running for weeks, Tony Gates has been pulled off the website. His radio career then took him to stations in Austin, Philadelphia, Dallas and Pittsburgh. It was the only way I could get the rest to recover. radio stations have been draconian for a long, long while. She was 58. As a true Grand Rapids radio pioneer who changed the West Michigan on-air landscape at WLAV and WCUZ more than four decades ago, Buchanan was regarded as a giant in the industry who helped steer the vibrant and progressive scene in its heyday. He joins West Michigan personality Michelle McKormick and audience favorite Travis Gibbs on WLAV, weekdays from 5:30-10am on the newly-named "Michelle and Gregg With Travis Show.". Hailing from Troy, MI, Henson started his career at Classic Rock WCSX-FM in Detroit, and six years later, he headed to Detroits Sports Talk WDFN-AM as Director of Programming and Morning Show Host. by MWmetalhead Thu Sep 19, 2019 6:19 pm, Post . If so, just STOP! We're beyond happy with our next adventure. In 1974, it became western Michigans first full-time AOR station and was an instant success. It was a 14-day stay in the hospital requiring two surgeries equal to the cost of a mid-sized home on the West Side. in November 1979 to promote the station and its personalities. Questions for MW / Board Announcements, New Age Radio (Streaming / Podcasting / Satellite / HD), Getting Connected (or Cutting the Cord! I love it here, he said. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. I felt the need to come clean now since word was spreading that I only had a short time to live. Henson Comes Home to Michigan in Time for the Holidays, Joining Co-Host Michelle McKormick and Travis Gibbs on WLAV's "Michelle and Gregg With Travis" GRAND RAPIDS, MI - DECEMBER 7, 2022 - CUMULUS MEDIA announces that it has appointed well-known former Detroit radio personality Gregg Henson as On-Air Co-Host, Mornings, on heritage Classic Rock station [] It is the dominant classic rock-formatted radio station in the market and is generally a top ten performer in the Grand Rapids ratings. WLAV will air a special audio tribute to ED BUCHANAN this weekend. WLAV posted Thursday that Ed Buchanan, "Uncle Buck", has died. That means 88 percent are not doing something stupid that you ARE doing. ", Vice President/Market Manager Derek J. He (the doctor) found a mass beneath my voicebox but was still initially stumped, since he said he hadnt seen that before and it wasnt common. Media. This is justifying her salary on Hot FM not because she's "just that good." But by Day Two, as word spread and doctors/nurses helped me in and out of bed or to walk the halls for blood circulation, etc., there were more and more I grew up listening to you comments which made it much more difficult even though it felt pretty good to know that, if I dont get through this, its apparent I had made a positive difference in at least some peoples lives. We dont have the time to write long articles about all these stories, but hope that you enjoy the tidbits as much as we do. He was one of the first radio personalities to play rock and roll in west Michigan. WLAV-AM went on the air in 1940. by Honeyman Mon May 02, 2022 12:32 am, Post Kevin Matthews, Grand Rapids radio icon, is broadcasting once again, thanks to the world wide web. On the down side, the tumor had already severely damaged my voicebox/larynx to the point that it could not be saved. Steve Aldrich joins the show to talk about this long-time friend and the legacy he left behind. I too had the pleasure? This week, Hampers finally revealed via Facebook why this iconic voice has, sadly and ironically, disappeared. Been listing to wlav since I was 16 years old and still jamin out today. Here she is seen interviewing General Omar N. Bradley on the first anniversary of D-Day. Replies. Stand with Ukraine. Jackie is why WLAV's numbers have tanked. Marketing cookies help us and our partners to fit the adverts and content you see during and after visiting our site to your interests. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 4/4/2023), Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/26/2023). Matthews said the first two months has been fun as well as liberating. The entertainment/music business is filled with bad health choices and I dabbled in all of them over those 40 years before retiring. I'm going to be 65 years old next month.Uncle fred of wyoming michigan.could you please play when i'm 64 by the beatles for me. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=WLAV-FM&oldid=1151769244, Classic rock radio stations in the United States, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2011, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 26 April 2023, at 03:27. He and I would smoke together often, but nothing outside of a few joints. It also took my sweet Asia a year ago (I still miss that pup every single hour) and even though it tried to take me, it failed. Today, Local Spins shares his story. His air work kind of rough at that time, but obviously he became a major talent. In 1949, WLAV-TV 7 signed on, later becoming WOOD-TV 8. It is the dominant classic rock-formatted radio station in the market and is generally a top ten performer in the Grand Rapids ratings. Required fields are marked *. How do we use Cookies. ", Henson remarked, "Returning home to Michigan to work with Michelle McKormick and Cumulus is very exciting for me and my family. John Sinkevics, Support our coverage ofWest Michigan's music scene. WLAV radio legend Aris Hampers passed away over the weekend. Not surprising: Were both from the same school and we both made some bad choices (he was a heavy smoker as well) and Im sure we both knew the risks. In the early 2000s, Henson moved to Detroits Talk WKRK-FM and created a ground-breaking hybrid FM Hot Talk show, Motor City Middays, with Michelle McKormick. Following backlash from listeners, by the fall of 1993, WLAV put the alternative format on 1340 WLAV-AM (then calling it "1340 Underground", where it ran for approximately 2 more years until a sports format replaced it). Are you still smoking? To make matters worse, many of WLAVs top D.J.s began to leave. The station was a simulcast of WLAV 1340 in its early days, but began to break the simulcast in the early 1970s to play AOR music at night. 467 Following. In 1949, WLAV-TV 7 signed on, later becoming WOOD-TV 8. Starting in 1979, Ed teamed up with former WZZM TV-13 "Eyewitness at Noon" host Dick Richards to do middays (10 am to 2 pm) on WCUZ. Henson joins renowned West Michigan personality Michelle McKormick and audience favorite, Travis Gibbs, on WLAV weekdays from 5:30am-10:00am on the newly-named Michelle and Gregg With Travis show. by Michael Mackie. ", Phone:517.484.7444Toll-Free:800.968.7622 (1-800-YOUR-MAB)Fax:517.484.5810, General E-Mail: mab @ michmab.comStaff E-Mail: last name @ michmab.com, WLAV-FM Taps Gregg Henson as Morning Co-Host, 2023 Michigan Association of Broadcasters, Poynter Institute: Journalist and Producer Essentials, Great Lakes Broadcast and Sports Media Academy, Robert Race Memorial Broadcasting Scholarship, Cher Allen Memorial Broadcasting Scholarship, Friends of Bill Burton MAB Foundation Board Scholarship, Midwest Communications Southern Michigan Broadcasting Scholarship, Scripps Howard Fund WXYZ-TV 7 Detroit Scholarship, The Charles D. Mefford Broadcasting Scholarship. If I recall one/some individual(s) went into the Federal Witness program. Lance Venta is Owner and Publisher of RadioInsight.com. Cookie files from analytics systems, social networks and other services help us to customise our website to better match your interests. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside Battle Creek -licensed ABC affiliate WOTV (channel 41) and Class A MyNetworkTV affiliate WXSP-CD (channel 15). Maria Ciuffo is a well-known radio host who works for Barstool Sports and is the co-host of the popular pop culture show Chicks in the . Dahl, of Chicago, inaugurated the Steve DahlCast in September 2009 after 30 years in traditional radio in the Windy City, where listeners grew up listening to his parodies and his characters, including Ben Gay, the sports reporter, and Tyrone, the traffic reporter. by Jeff Cunningham Sun May 01, 2022 10:46 pm, Post