WNIL bringing back ‘The Voice’

Published 9:09 am Monday, January 12, 2015

General Manager Marci Taylor said she is excited to bring back “The Voice” to WNIL 1290 AM in Niles. (Leader photo/CRAIG HAUPERT)

General Manager Marci Taylor said she is excited to bring back “The Voice” to WNIL 1290 AM in Niles. (Leader photo/CRAIG HAUPERT)

Big changes are coming to WNIL 1290 AM.

General Manager Marci Taylor said the Niles-based radio station was recently purchased from Federated Media by sole proprietor Marion Williams, who also owns WSMK 99.1 FM.

In addition to playing adult contemporary music, WNIL “The Voice” also plans to roll out local programming in the coming weeks.

“We want it to be more local and more community focused like it used to be,” Taylor said. “We want to be the voice in the community.”

Plans for the future include local news, sports and “Swap Shop.”

Taylor said Swap Shop will give people the opportunity to call in and try to sell their items to others in WNIL’s listening area, which includes Niles, Buchanan and Berrien Springs.

“Swap Shop originated at WNIL before Federated bought them and it was a popular show,” Taylor said. “When people heard WNIL was coming back on that is one thing they asked us to bring back.”

Taylor said they plan to begin Swap Shop around the end of January.

WNIL will also broadcast a game of the week featuring either Niles, Brandywine or Buchanan high school teams.

The first game will be a girls basketball contest between Brandywine and Edwardsburg Jan. 13. Jan. 23’s game is a boys basketball contest between Lakeshore and Niles, and Jan. 27’s game is Kalamazoo Central and Niles girls basketball.

Taylor said WSMK would be relocated to the WNIL building in the spring. WNIL is located at 210 S. Phillip Rd., Niles.