WTCK (90.9 FM) is a

radio station Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radi ...

broadcasting a

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

religious Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatur ...

format. Licensed to

Charlevoix, Michigan Charlevoix ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Charlevoix County. The population was 2,348 at the 2020 census. Charlevoix is mostly surrounded by Charlevoix Township, but the two are administered autonomously ...

, United States, the station is currently owned by

Relevant Radio Relevant Radio (corporate name Relevant Radio, Inc.) is a radio network in the United States, mainly broadcasting talk radio and religious programming involving the Catholic Church. It is the largest Catholic radio network by owned station base. R ...

and currently airs programming from the network. The station's former owner, Baraga Broadcasting, was named for the Catholic missionary to Native American tribes and later Venerable Bishop Frederik Baraga. It served as the first originating station of Baraga's six station network airing local

programming in addition to network programming from

EWTN The Eternal Word Television Network, more commonly known by its initials EWTN, is an American basic cable television network which presents around-the-clock Catholic-themed programming. It is not only the largest Catholic television network in ...

Global Catholic Radio and from Ave Maria Radio based at WDEO in

Ypsilanti, Michigan Ypsilanti (), commonly shortened to Ypsi, is a city in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 20,648. The city is bounded to the north by Superior Township and on the west, south, an ...

. Its main office and studio was located at Indian River near The Cross in the Woods Catholic Shrine and has since moved in the spring of 2015 to

Traverse City Traverse City ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Grand Traverse County, although a small portion extends into Leelanau County. It is the largest city in the 21-county Northern Michigan region. The population was ...

History

WTCK began as a construction permit issued by the FCC to Broadcasting For The Challenged Inc. in April 2003. On May 15 of that year the call letters WWCZ were granted. In May 2006, the new FM, after having its construction permit modified, began broadcasting Catholic programming. Later, in September Baraga Broadcasting purchased WWCZ from the original licensee, which was approved by the FCC in November of that same year. On December 11, 2019, WTCK and its sister stations were acquired by Immaculate Heart Media, bringing Relevant Radio programming to Northern Michigan.

Baraga Broadcasting

WTCK programming is also heard in

St. Ignace St. Ignace is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Mackinac County. The city had a population of 2,452 at the 2010 census. St. Ignace Township is located just to the north of the city, but the two are administered auto ...

on simulcast station

WIDG WIDG (940 AM) is a radio station licensed to St. Ignace, Michigan, broadcasting a Catholic religious format. Until October 2008, the station was owned and operated by Northern Star Broadcasting and had aired ESPN Radio under the brand name ''AM ...

940 AM (formerly a commercial station that had a variety of formats through the years). On October 22, 2011, another station was added to the Baraga Broadcasting family when WRQC at 91.3 FM in East Tawas returned to the air after a lengthy period of silence, prior to which the station had programmed a contemporary Christian music format under the ownership of

Northern Christian Radio Northern Christian Radio, Inc is a not-for-profit organization that operates non-commercial FM radio stations in Northern Michigan. Northern Christian Radio is based in Gaylord, Michigan. Northern Christian Radio's studios are located on highw ...

. WRQC has since changed its call letters to WGJU. In July 2012, Baraga also began broadcasting on WGZR 89.1 FM in Alpena, at first licensed to All Saints School, then sold to Baraga in October 2011 which was given FCC approval the following month of that year

A new logo and branding "Baraga Radio" was introduced in the fall of 2014 in addition to announcing that its offices and studios will be moving to the

area .

References

Michiguide.com - WTCK History

Sister stations (on FM)

WTCY WTCY (88.3 FM) is a Catholic radio station licensed to Greilickville, Michigan serving the Traverse City area of the northwestern region of Michigan's lower peninsula. It began as an FM repeater of WTCK 90.9 FM in Charlevoix with main studios ...

88.3 mHz licensed to Greilickville serving the

area. *

WGZR WGZR (88.9 FM) is a non-commercial religious radio station in Alpena, Michigan, airing Catholic talk programming from Relevant Radio. WGZR can also be heard on FM translator W221CA at 92.1 MHz in Gaylord. The station was formerly owned by ...

88.9 mHz in Alpena *

WGJU WGJU (91.3 FM) is a radio station broadcasting a Catholic Christian radio station in East Tawas, Michigan serving the East Tawas and Iosco County area of Michigan's Tawas Bay region. It is a repeater of originating station of WTCY 88.3 FM lice ...

91.3 mHz in East Tawas

AM sister station

940 kHz in

also serving

Mackinaw City Mackinaw City ( ) is a village in Emmet and Cheboygan counties in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 846 at the 2010 census, the population increases during summertime, including an influx of tourists and seasonal workers who serve ...

, Sault Sainte Marie and the eastern

Upper Peninsula The Upper Peninsula of Michigan – also known as Upper Michigan or colloquially the U.P. – is the northern and more elevated of the two major landmasses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan; it is separated from the Lower Peninsula by ...

Affiliate

WMQU WMQU (1230 AM) is a radio station which previously broadcast a sports format until March 2016 when it became an affiliate of Baraga Radio, a regional Catholic radio network based in Traverse City, Michigan. As of now it is currently affiliated wi ...

1230 kHz in Grayling

External links

Relevant Radio
* {{coord, 45.5014, N, 85.0302, W, type:landmark_region:US_source:FCC, display=title Catholic radio stations Radio stations established in 2003 TCK Relevant Radio stations