Soros-Owned Media Company Turns 3 Conservative Talk Stations To Sports Talk

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 12/02/2025) Three Michigan news talk stations this week were turned into affiliates of Detroit’s largest sports talk radio station, 97.1 FM this week, a move that takes, at least temporarily, conservative talk host Steve Gruber off the air in Battle Creek and Kalamazoo and alters his range in Lansing.

In all, the new 97.1 Detroit Sports Radio Network announced five new affiliates as parent company Audacy seeks to “deliver best-in-class sports coverage to the entire state, solidifying our position as the essential source for Michigan sports audio content now and for years to come.”

Audacy emerged from bankruptcy in September 2024 with George SOROS’ Soros Fund Management holding a controlling interest. Soros is known in political circles for being a generous contributor to Democratic causes.

In the 2024 campaign cycle, he gave at least $60 million toward political causes via the SuperPAC called, Democracy PAC, according to Bloomberg.

WXYT 97.1-FM has been a sports talk radio station since 2007 and was purchased by what is today known as Audacy in 2017 through a merger with CBS Radio. At the time, Audacy was known as Entercom.

In November, the station announced the new Detroit Sports Radio Network with an expansion that includes affiliates in Townsquare Media's WFGR in Grand Rapids (98.7 FM), WJIM in Lansing (1240 AM), WBCK in Battle Creek (95.3 FM) and WKMI in Kalamazoo (1360 AM) and Blarney Stone Broadcasting’s WGRY in Roscommon (101.1 FM).

Additional affiliates will be announced in the upcoming months, according to the Audacy.

WFGR played ‘70s and ‘80s hits and WGRY focused on local sports.

However, WJIM, WBCK and WKMI were all conservative radio stations that aired Gruber’s shows in the morning, Sean Hannity in the afternoon and other conservative talk throughout the day.

Gruber found a landing spot in the Capitol City with Lansing-based Townsquare moving Gruber to WVFN-730 from 6 to 9 a.m. WJIM-1240 will carry all pro sports – Detroit Tigers, Lions, Pistons and Red Wings – while WVFN will carry Michigan State University football and men's basketball with Lansing classic rock station WMMQ 94.9 AM.

On paper, WVFN’s reach (500 Watts) is nearly half that of WJIM-AM (890 Watts) and doesn’t have the following of WJIM, Lansing’s oldest radio station at 91 years. However, Liz Walterhouse said AM signals carry differently, so while WJIM can be heard in Jackson, for example, WVFN can be heard near Flint's Bishop Airport.

Gruber will be completely off the air in Kalamazoo and Battle Creek although conversations are apparently taking place about getting him back on with some other local station.

The move also means Michigan’s Big Show Starring Michael Patrick Shiels is getting bumped from 9 a.m. to noon on WJIM to 3 to 6 p.m. on WVFN. Shiels is on WKZO 590 AM and 106.9 FM in Kalamazoo, but not in Battle Creek.

Gruber said he’s looking for continued support from his listeners during this transition. He added that Michigan is going to be a pivotal state in the 2026 election.