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NEWS / SPORTS / MARKETING

Big Country Gold keeps you informed with world and national news from CBS News each hour, state and regional news during the mornings and mid-days from the Michigan News Network and local news and information with Mike Grisdale.

A longtime radio veteran in Northern Michigan, Mike is also very active in his community. His busy schedule includes officiating basketball, serving several roles in his church (Cheboygan Catholic Community) and volunteering.

Besides handling news and sports duties on most Black Diamond Broadcasting stations, he also is an integrated marketing consultant for the company and has been the Voice of Cheboygan Chiefs football for over 35 years! Mike also serves as the Director of Marketing and the Foundation Director for Mackinac Straits Health System.

He is the proud father of three boys, Bryan, Matt and Adam. When he and his wife Sandy have free time, they enjoy spending it with their dog (Drake), traveling, concerts and sampling local restaurants.

"I have seen plenty of changes in radio over the years," said Grisdale. "But like most businesses, one thing doesn't change.... the importance of strong relationships. I have been fortunate to develop many wonderful relationships with staff, clients and most importantly, the audience."

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PROGRAMMING / WEATHER
Tim started at WWQM in Madison, Wisconsin in the late 1970s, working at stations in Minnesota and northern Michigan. Tim is WCBY Program Director and one of the many voices heard on Big Country Gold. Tim’s roots in country music radio go back to the 70’s and 80s creating a perfect match for WCBY.

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THE FAST LANE

NASCAR reports Monday 10:01 am and Friday 5:35 pm

This year we celebrate 23 years of NASCAR Steve's FAST LANE report. Since August 18th 2001, NASCAR Steve has served as the self-proclaimed Ambassador to NASCAR for Northern Michigan, taking a fan's perspective as he brings the world of NASCAR to the people of Northern Michigan and beyond.

It started simply enough with a twice weekly feature keeping fans up to date on the latest news of the sport and tons of information about the weekends events. NASCAR Steve's passion struck a cord with Northern Michigan race fans giving them a local source for the information they craved with a local host they could get to know!

Over the years NASCAR Steve has taken the role of ambassador seriously, traveling far and wide to bring fans a better perspective of the sport. Steve has reported live from 39 races at MIS, Bristol's August weekend, Champions weekend @ Homestead-Miami Speedway, Martinsville in October, the Milwaukee Mile, and the Cup Series Points Banquet in New York. Media credentials in hand Steve has also tracked down some of the biggest stars of the sport including Cup Series Champs Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, and Rusty Wallace just to name a few! In 2003 he got behind the wheel attending Richard Petty Driving Experience and Track Time Driving School at MIS and in 2005, made the second cut for Reality Racing: the Rookie Experience reality TV show on Spike TV.

Steve's NASCAR notoriety hasn't changed the fact that he is a LOCAL personality; he has hosted over 400 live events, attended numerous nights at local tracks including Cherry, Merritt, Kalamazoo and Northern Michigan Speedway, and helped promote the 2008 Chick-Fil-A Kyle Petty Charity Ride kickoff in Traverse City.

NASCAR Steve continues to be a Northern Michigan favorite as wheelman for the FAST LANE on eight Black Diamond Broadcasting stations!

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Jim Pratt fell in love with radio at an early age, listening late at night to radio theater and AM Top Pop in the 1960’s. He studied communications and worked at his college radio station at Oakland University in the 1970’s, followed by four years as a military broadcaster in Germany at the Armed Forces Network, where he did news and community radio at AFN-Wuerzburg. Winning awards for production of local community radio and television news, Jim also produced travel radio programs around Germany and Central Europe, exploring the sounds of Church bells, tourist markets, and wine making in the mid-1980’s. His work frequently appeared on the Armed Forces Network across Europe.

Returning to the USA in 1988, Jim left radio and worked for the Federal Aviation Administration as an Aviation Safety Inspector. There he traveled to aircraft factories and checked designs and production processes for 30 years.

After retiring from the Federal work force in 2020, Jim returns to radio to host the morning TRADIO show on WCBY, where callers dial in and sell or find items to buy. He says connecting with local callers, and helping connect buyers and sellers is a great way to return to radio.

Jim lives near Duncan Bay Marina in Cheboygan, with his wife, Stephanie; their son Nicholas, and their 13-year old Plot Hound Dixie.

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Veteran broadcaster Mike Avery is host and producer of Outdoor Magazine, Michigan's number one outdoor radio show.

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Big Country Gold is the home for the Detroit Tigers (over the air only), The Detroit Red Wings and Cheboygan Chiefs sports.