| WATT | |
| Country: | US |
| City: | Cadillac, Michigan |
| Branding: | News Talk 1240 |
| Frequency: | 1240 kHz |
| Translator: | W291DE (106.1 MHz, Cadillac) |
| Format: | News-Talk-Sports |
| Power: | 1,000 watts |
| Class: | C |
| Facility Id: | 65928 |
| Affiliations: | Michigan Radio Network |
| Owner: | MacDonald Garber Broadcasting |
| Sister Stations: | WKAD, WKHQ-FM, WLXT, WLXV, WMKT, WMBN |
| Licensing Authority: | FCC |
WATT (1240 AM, "News Talk 1240") is a radio station broadcasting a news-talk-sports format. Licensed to Cadillac, Michigan, it began broadcasting in 1946.
WATT officially began broadcasting on September 30, 1945, as Cadillac's first radio station[1] on the frequency of 1240 kHz.[2] The station was founded by Les Biederman, a broadcast pioneer who had previously launched WTCM in Traverse City. WATT was a key member of Biederman’s Paul Bunyan Network, a group of small-market stations designed to provide localized news and entertainment to Northern Michigan communities.[3] During its early years, WATT operated with a power of 250 watts and served as an NBC Radio Network affiliate, bringing national programming and block-style variety shows to Wexford County residents.[4]
In the 1970s, Les Biederman sold WATT to Kenneth MacDonald Sr., the founder of MacDonald Broadcasting. MacDonald, a former hall-of-fame broadcaster from Saginaw, purchased the station alongside its FM sister (WLXV) and properties in Petoskey.[5]
In 1998, as part of a corporate reorganization of the family business, the Northern Michigan stations—including WATT—were spun off into a separate entity called MacDonald-Garber Broadcasting, headed by Patricia MacDonald-Garber.[6]
