At least five northern Michigan radio stations and one TV station are still recovering from historic ice storms that caused destruction of towers, antennas and STL equipment.
The normal tranquility of northern lower Michigan, an area just below the state’s Upper Peninsula and connected by the Mackinac Bridge, was shattered with ice storms on March 28—April 1, which resulted in more than an inch of ice accretion.
In addition to broadcast towers, the weight of the ice toppled trees, power poles and lines in 12 counties, according to various news reports. There are still areas of northern Michigan without electrical service more than two weeks after the storm.
Collapsed tower in Gaylord
The 350-foot broadcast tower of 101.5 WMJZ(FM) in Gaylord, Mich., collapsed from the weight of the ice. Bryan Hollenbaugh, president and CEO of 45 North Media, told Radio World in an email that the station’s tower survived the first ice storm but succumbed to the weight after the second storm.
“Initially, we used an exciter to put signal back over the air and have since purchased and installed a 1 kW transmitter that will provide us county-wide coverage for the foreseeable future,” Hollenbaugh said. Power and internet were restored at the station around a week after the first ice storm.
WMJZ has been quoted prices to rebuild its tower. In some good fortune, the structure did not collapse on the station’s transmitter building, which ensured the equipment inside remained functional. “But we’re likely looking at somewhere in the ballpark of 12 weeks before the materials will arrive and the new tower to go up,” he said.
From fire to ice
The broadcast tower leased by Northern Christian Radio’s 90.5 WPHN(FM) and 92.5 WFDX(FM) in Gaylord, Mich., also suffered catastrophic failure, said Pat Scott, executive director of Northern Christian Radio. The two radio stations remain off air and WPHN cancelled both of its scheduled April donation drives, as many of its listeners remain without power.
“Our need for the drives is around $500,000. So needless to say we are hurting and in need of a lot of prayer,” Scott said.
To make matters worse for Northern Christian Radio, Scott said WPHN suffered fire damage at its transmitter site in February 2024. In an email to Radio World, he described around $300,000 worth of brand-new equipment in a “crumbled transmitter building,” which includes two transmitters worth approximately $100,000, with a combiner and other supporting parts.
100,000-watt signals toppled
The severe icing also caused the collapse of two 600-foot towers owned by MacDonald Garber Broadcasting. 105.9 WKHQ(FM), licensed to Charlevoix, Mich., and 96.3 WLXT(FM) in Petoskey, Mich., are each licensed as Class C1 100 kW signals. The stations are back on the air from auxiliary transmitter sites, according to the Michigan Association of Broadcasters.
The MAB in a report said Heritage Broadcasting’s WFUP(TV) in Vanderbilt, Mich., saw the top section of its 630-foot tower snap off following the ice storms, taking the TV station off the air, as well as co-tenants Black Diamond Broadcasting’s 105.1 WGFM(FM), licensed to Cheboygan, Mich., and Smile FM’s Christian Contemporary 89.3 WTLI(FM), licensed to Bear Creek Township, Mich.
Black Diamond Broadcasting’s 102.9 WMKC(FM) in Indian River, Mich., also suffered damage to its antenna. The MAB says all 10 bays of their FM broadcast antenna were bent, and all 10 radomes were damaged. The station’s STL dish was also damaged by the ice.
The MAB also reported that Educational Media Foundation’s 98.9 WAWM(FM) in Petoskey, Mich., lost its broadcast tower in the ice storm.
The Mackinac Bridge was closed for 30 hours as a result of the ice storm, the longest in its history.
The Mackinac Bridge was closed for 30 hours as a result of the ice storm, the longest in its history. pic.twitter.com/6lkAUru9Ni
— The Mackinac Bridge (@mackinacbridge) April 3, 2025
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