WGRY-FM is a radio station broadcasting a sports format. Licensed to Roscommon, Michigan, it first began broadcasting in 1990. WGRY-FM is owned by Sheryl and Gerald Coyne, through licensee Blarney Stone Broadcasting, Inc., and is co-owned with WMQU and WQON, at its facilities in Grayling.
History: beginnings as WGRY-FM
WGRY-FM's roots can be traced back to as early as 1978, when a radio station in Grayling debuted at 100.1 FM with the call letters WQON, competing against separately-owned MOR/country music-formatted WGRY-AM 1590. Both stations would compete against one another for ten years, until William S. Gannon purchased WGRY in 1988. In 1990, Gannon Broadcasting was granted Federal Communications Commission approval to construct a new station licensed to Roscommon broadcasting at 101.1 on the FM dial. The Construction Permit originally bore the WLAI calls but never was on the air with that call sign. WGRY-FM made its debut on March 12 of that year at 6000 watts, broadcasting out of the same studio, located in Grayling, as its sister station WGRY-AM. Gannon Broadcasting, in the growth mode, continued to look for other properties to add to its Broadcast enterprise. The opportunity to buy WQON-FM 100.1 presented itself in 1994. The station had been granted a construction permit to substantially increase its power, but its ownership at that time chose to sell the station and concentrate their interests on their AM station in the Lansing area. Taking advantage of a peculiar situation, Gannon Broadcasting acquired WQON-FM and moved its studios to the WGRY-AM/FM location. In a move to take advantage of a strong country format, Gannon Broadcasting Systems requested approval from the FCC to allow WQON-FM and WGRY-FM to switch frequencies and to move the former WQON from 100.1 to 100.3. This would permit Gannon Broadcasting Systems to increase from 3,000 to 26,500 watts. Then Gannon Broadcasting Systems made improvements to equipment and built a new 1,350 sq. ft. addition to the original WGRY-AM studio to accommodate the three stations. Hiring a high powered engineering firm, Gannon gained approval from the FCC and the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission in 1995 to increase its power to 60,000 watts with an option to move to a full 100,000 watts, making Y-100.3 WGRY a regional powerhouse. With the moves completed for the new WGRY-FM 100.3, Gannon Broadcasting made the "new" WQON a strong local "listen-at-work" radio station, using Jones Radio Network's "Soft Hits" adult contemporary format, and branding the station as "Decades 101". The station continued with the AC format through Jones Radio Networks' sale to Triton Media Group which owns the Dial Global stable of formats.
Decades 101
WGRY-AM simulcast WQON full-time from 1995 until the turn of the 21st century, when it was given its own identity once again. WGRY was re-branded in January 2001 with the "Music of Your Life" format from "Jones Radio Network", which provided satellite-delivered music programming for WQON and WGRY-FM, outside of morning drive. Decades 101 became a standalone station. WGRY-AM remains a standards format today but has since switched from Music of Your Life to Dial Global's America's Best Music. Dave Sherbert, operations manager for the three stations, first joined WGRY-AM/FM in 1992. He eventually became the morning personality on Decades 101.1 FM WQON. The remainder of the station remained satellite-fed from Dial Global.
Sale and change to Y101.1
In July 2012, it was announced that WQON and sister stations WGRY and WGRY-FM were being sold by William Gannon to Sheryl and Jerry Coyne. Gannon expressed a desire to get out of the broadcasting business after suffering a stroke in the summer of 2011. No change to the station's adult contemporary format was planned although the Coynes expressed a desire to add more local programming. The sale was consummated on October 2, 2012 for consideration of $425,000. On January 14, 2013 WQON swapped call letters with 100.3 WGRY-FM and rebranded as "Y 101.1". On February 18, 2013 WGRY-FM changed their format to sports, still branded as "Y 101.1", with programming from CBS Sports Radio. On October 1, 2018 WGRY-FM rebranded as "Up North Sports Radio".
