When WGRY-AM went on the air in August of 1970, the staff included Co-owners, James Sylvester as Station Manager and Jim Marr as Engineer. The first employee hired was Wayne Andrew Hindmarsh, better known as "Wayne Andrews" on the air, fresh from Wayne State University. The station was licensed to operate from Sunrise to Sunset and operated at a whopping 1000 watts. Later they received pre-sun-rise authorization for 500 watts. Even so, the hours of operation depended on the hours of sunlight. All three men had air shifts as well as their other duties. Within 30 days Wayne Hindmarsh was on the street selling air time. The station was "MOR" better known then as "Middle of the Road". Other programs stressed local News and Sports. From the beginning WGRY was committed to being involved in community events.
One of the most popular programs was an On-Air Swap Shop where people called in with items to sell or were looking to buy. Representatives from area clubs and organizations were interviewed concerning fund raising activities and other events. Grayling Mercy Hospital held a radio auction that successfully raised thousands of dollars over the air. Little League Baseball games were broadcast tape-delayed as were the Grayling Viking Football and Basketball games. On Saturday there was a live broadcast from the Wag-On-Inn with local celebrity Ed Harris singing and playing country music. Beginning with their first year on the air WGRY covered the Canoe Marathon. Later on there was another very popular local radio personality added to the staff, Viv Nichols. Viv's interview and discussion shows became a "Don't Miss" daily event. Viv proved to be a consummate interviewer with one of her highlights an interview with Gov. William Grawn Milliken. Viv traveled to Detroit and interviewed celebrities from time to time. In July 1976 , Dave Sherbert began his career in Northern Michigan radio at WGRY-AM, coming north from WKPR in Kalamazoo. Within a few years, Wayne Hindmarsh was so well known he was elected Grayling's youngest Chamber President and later was elected "Citizen of the Year". In October 1977 the station was sold to John DeGroot, who also owned WWRM-FM in Gaylord. Shortly thereafter, Wayne Hindmarsh left WGRY to put his own station WQON on the air. The station management was turned over to William F. Jones. Jones left after a year to teach broadcasting at Specks Howard School of Broadcasting in Detroit. Peter Allen was hired as station and sales manager. Rob Weaver replaced Pete two years later and at that time the format for WGRY-AM changed to all country. DJ Brown started in June of 1984. By January 1985 she was station manager and vice-president of sales. She was the final manager under John DeGroot and Alpine Broadcasting's ownership.
After months of waiting and many delays, WQON-FM went on the air at 12:06 p.m., November 6, 1978. Local owners were Ernie Dawson, William Scheer, Wayne Hindmarsh, and Chris Vansteenhouse. Located on Norway street, a sign went up in the window stating "We're on the Air" 100.1 FM. WQON was on the air from 6 a.m. to Midnight, operating at 3000 watts of power. Wayne Hindmarsh was at the helm as Station/Sales Manager. Bob Greenwood, who began his career at WGRY-AM years earlier was program director. WQON's very first on-air personality was Carol Trudeau. Everyone had an air shift and wrote commercials, as well as numerous other duties around the fledgling station. Betty Bennett was Office Manager.
It soon became apparent to the owners that WQON couldn't be the community station it wanted to be without more employees. Some of the first local personalities were Cheryl Alef, Chris Wright and Dave Gauthier. All were trained by Bob Greenwood and several have continued with successful careers in radio in Traverse City, Bakersfield, California, Houghton Lake and Petoskey. Christ Wright later changed his name to Chris Knight and owns an advertising agency. Community News and Sports were primary with WQON. Live broadcasts of away Football and Basketball games were featured throughout the season. WQON attended the opening of new businesses in the community. The Canoe Marathon, the Winter Sports Carnival and other local events were also broadcast. WQON-FM programming was Contemporary Music and News, plus Sports and Weather. The station sponsored special weekends, give-a-ways and dances.
In December of 1982, Wayne Hindmarsh left the station to further his education by completing his MBA. In May of 1985 the station was purchased by Robert Ditmer and his son Bob of St. Johns, Michigan. Ditmer began a daily hour long Talk Show/Swap Shop which was taken over by Dave Sherbert in 1989. Sherbert had joined the station in 1985. Robert Ditmer left the station in 1989 to manage his other station in St. Johns and Bob Ditmer became manager and program director.
On September 26, 1988, WGRY-AM was purchased by Gannon Broadcasting Systems, Inc., owned and operated by William S. Gannon. In 1990, Gannon Broadcasting was granted FCC approval to construct a new station licensed to Roscommon broadcasting at 101.1 on the FM dial. WGRY-FM made it's debut on March 12th of that year at 6000 watts, broadcasting out of the same studio, located in Grayling, as it's sister station WGRY-AM 1230.
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. Taking advantage of a peculiar situation Gannon Broadcasting acquired WQON-FM and moved it's studios to the WGRY-AM/FM location. Now the package was complete. Gannon Broadcasting was ready to do business. 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 change 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 3 stations. In 1995 Gannon Broadcasting made it's final move heralded by some as pure genius (Bill Gannon considered it pure luck). Hiring a high powered engineering firm, Gannon gained approval from the FCC and Canadian Government to increase it's power to 60,000 watts with an option to move to a full 100,000 watts making Y-100.3 WGRY a real power house.
In November 1992, Dave Sherbert joined WGRY-FM as the morning drive personality until he moved to mornings on WQON-FM in 1995. In 1993, Dave began what has become a fixture now in the area: "The Coffee Club", a weekly hour long talk show which airs on Saturday morning on all three stations. Dave has talked to everyone from Miss America to Chet Atkins and from the local 4-H leaders to the Governor. The show is dedicated to informing the community on a variety of topics. Dave continues as the morning personality on the Adult Contemporary format of Decades 101.1 FM WQON.
In June of 1993, Northern Michigan got it's first chance to hear Larry Roberts who would become a Sports Broadcasting legend in the area. Roberts known as the voice of the Canoe Marathon, began his career working nights at WGRY-FM. That fall he began doing play by play of Grayling Viking Football games on WGRY-AM. By the next fall, Larry had moved sports to WQON-FM and was joined by Cory Derenzy as they began what would be a 5 year journey into sports coverage unlike any other in Northern Michigan. In 1998, Larry and his broadcast partners, John Sullivan and J.P. Simon covered over 80 games featuring Boys Football, Girls Basketball and Boys Basketball for not only the Grayling Vikings but also the Roscommon Bucks, Houghton Lake Bobcats, Kalkaska Blue Blazers and the Mio Thunderbolts. He was fortunate enough to be able to broadcast State Finals games in Boys Football from the Silver Dome with the Mio Thunderbolts, Boys Basketball from the Breslin Center with the Mio Thunderbolts and the Kellogg Center in Battle Creek with the Roscommon Lady Bucks. Larry Roberts continues as the voice of the Canoe Marathon providing flag to flag coverage of the AuSable River Marathon.
Another well known personality joined the staff in December of 1994, Pete Michaels, who has worked in radio since age 17 starting at WCMU in Mt. Pleasant. He worked at stations in Louisville, Kentucky during the summers until his graduation from CMU. His first full-time radio job was at WHNN in Saginaw, then WJGS in Houghton Lake before coming to Gannon Broadcasting. Pete is the morning personality on the Modern Country format of Y-100.3 FM WGRY.
In January 2001 a new format for AM 1230 WGRY was launched. AM 1230 Music of Your Life is gaining popularity with each new listener.