WMAX-FM (96.1 MHz) is the callsign of a radio station owned by iHeartMedia located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The studios and offices are located at 77 Monroe Center in Downtown Grand Rapids while its transmitter is located near Felch St and 32nd Ave south of the town of Hudsonville outside of Grand Rapids. The station is identified as "96.1 The Game" and carries both locally produced play by play sportscasts and sports talk programs, as well as programming from the ESPN Radio network. WMAX-FM is licensed for HD Radio operations and features a simulcast of talk sister station WTKG on its HD2 side channel. History The frequency originally belonged to WHTC-FM, which went on the air in 1961, with an antenna on the WHTC tower in downtown Holland, Michigan. During this time (from the station's inception until the early 1980s), the station was generally being used as a simulcast to WHTC. In 1981, Michael Walton, of Milwaukee Wisconsin, purchased WHTC and WHTC-FM. By 1983, 96.1 became known as WYXX, with a new tower. After Walton assumed full control of the station, it became a fully automated CHR station, with programming provided by syndicator Century 21. The all-hit format was softened to adult contemporary by 1985, to better compete with existing stations in the Grand Rapids market. When WOOD-FM dropped its easy listening format in 1992, WYXX adopted the format along with the call letters WKEZ. By 1994, the station was sold to Federated Media and once Federated had control of the station, a "Young Country" format was adopted. The call letters became WAKX. This format was also unsuccessful; it was not able to effectively compete with WCUZ-FM 101.3/WCUZ 1230, the incumbent country juggernaut at the time. The format changed in 1995 to Hot Adult Contemporary and became known as "Mix 96" and later "Variety 96.1." In 1997, the station was purchased by Clear Channel Communications and the station became known as "I-96" (taking its name from the highway Interstate 96 passing through Grand Rapids; the station's logo also resembled an interstate highway sign). The call letters were also changed to WVTI. The format shifted from Hot AC to CHR as Continuous Hit Music, I-96. Clear Channel took control of rival station WSNX in the late summer of 1999; much of the "I-96" air lineup moved over to WSNX 104.5, which shifted from CHR/Rhythmic to CHR/Pop as a result, and "I-96"