GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — West Michigan radio is losing one of its true legends. Michelle McKormick, a staple of the airwaves since 1983, is departing Classic Rock 97 WLAV as part of a company-wide restructuring. Friday, August 28, marks her final day on the Michelle and Travis Show.
For more than four decades, McKormick has been more than a voice on the dial — she's been part of the fabric of Grand Rapids itself. She cut her teeth at some of the market's most iconic stations, including WGRD and WOOD, and carried her signature energy to major markets beyond, including WKRK in Detroit and New Jersey 101.5. For five years, she co-hosted a CBS talk radio show in Detroit alongside longtime partner Gregg, holding her own in a major market known for chewing up lesser talent.
Ask anyone in West Michigan radio and the same word comes up again and again: legend. McKormick built a multi-generational following few broadcasters ever achieve, the kind of listener loyalty that gets passed down from parent to kid. Her interviews were fearless, her banter effortless, her show prep meticulous. She didn't just host a show. She anchored a community.
That impact reached well beyond the microphone. McKormick has earned multiple broadcast awards for both her on-air work and her charitable efforts, using her platform time and again to rally listeners behind local nonprofits and causes across the region. She's also spent years mentoring the next wave of West Michigan talent, passing along the instincts that only four decades on the air can teach.
An avid Detroit Tigers fan and proud Grand Rapids native, McKormick has never been anything but authentically herself on the air — and that, colleagues say, is exactly why listeners never left.
Her chapter at WLAV is closing, but by all accounts, McKormick isn't done. She's already looking toward her next on-air opportunity, and in a market that knows exactly what she brings, don't expect the silence to last long.
She will continue her podcast with FOX 17's Michelle Dunaway, called The 2 Michelle's, 1 Question Podcast, you can find past episodes here.
