By By MICHAEL C. GUILMETTE / Cassopolis Vigilant
CASSOPOLIS – The Cassopolis radio station, WGTO, is expanding.
Larry Langford lives in Chicago, but his area radio station gives him a strong tie to southwestern Michigan.
Langford, a spokesperson for the Chicago Fire Department, is the owner of WGTO 910 AM. He is purchasing the WDOW 1440 AM studio in Dowagiac.
The Dowagiac station is currently owned by LeSEA Broadcasting, a South Bend, Ind., based broadcasting company that broadcasts Christian and Jewish programming.
LeSEA confirmed Tuesday it is selling the WDOW 1440 AM station, but will retain ownership of WHPD 92.1 FM (formerly WDOW FM),
"LeSEA has been a Godsend to me to make the way for us to make the purchase," Langford said. He added the acquisition will give him the opportunity to restore more local service to the region.
Langford described the deal as a "win-win" for both himself and LeSEA, saying the broadcasting company was looking to divest the Dowagiac property. He also said the sale is taking some time to complete since he is also purchasing the broadcasting license from LeSEA, and completing the steps required by the Federal Communications Commission to transfer the license take time.
Langford's plans for the WDOW building is to use it as WGTO's broadcast studio, since his current studio is located on his property in Cassopolis – property which he said is not the most ideal location for the station.
He also said he is considering simulcasting WGTO on both 910 AM and 1440 AM.
Langford would also like to include WNIL's now defunct morning show as part of WGTO's morning lineup, saying he would like to provide the outlet for the show. He also said he would also like to have Gloria Cooper, the former host of WNIL's "Gloria's Place," as part of the lineup.
"I would love to see Gloria behind a microphone again," Langford said. He said he worked with Cooper when he himself started working at WNIL in 1969. "I drove a motorcycle to work in those days," he added.
"Gloria has made a heck of a contribution to local radio," he said. "If she retired, I think it would be a loss."
Originally from Chicago, Langford said his family purchased vacation property in Cassopolis in 1966. In 1988, he started WLLJ AM in Cassopolis, the predecessor to WGTO. He said the station's original format was "Urban" or "Motown," and was popular as far away as South Bend.
However, when 99.1 FM in South Bend went on the air with a similar format, Langford said the competition did in his station, so he changed the call letters and switched to an Oldies format. In fact, he said WGTO stands for "Good Time Oldies."
Langford has worked for radio stations in Kalamazoo, Indianapolis and Chicago, and he has also worked for CBS. However, he said he would like to make a significant contribution to the region, and he added that that goal looks to be obtainable.
"Things are gelling to make WGTO the main radio station for Cass County as well as Berrien County," Langford said.