In June 1940, a license to cover was granted, moving WSAM up the dial to 1230 kHz which allowed for extended hours of nighttime operation, provided that co-channel WMPC in Lapeer signed off for the night.
WSAM's studio and transmitter were originally located at Bay Road and Weiss Street on Saginaw's West side.
In 1955, WSAM was bought by Michigan broadcasting mogul Fred Knorr, who was program director at WHLS in Port Huron before buying WKMH in Detroit.
Serendipitously, during WSAM's period as an oldies station, the long-held call letters lent themselves to the tagline "Play it Again, Sam".
The two stations are almost completely simulcasted and automated, except for some popular weekend polka shows on WSAM which are a holdover from the now-defunct adult standards format.