WNFZ
| Broadcast area | Knoxville metropolitan area |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 94.3MHz |
| Branding | 94.3 Jack FM |
| Programming | |
| Format | Adult hits |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| WDKW,WIMZ-FM,WJXB-FM | |
| History | |
First air date | February1967(as WATO-FM) |
Former call signs | WATO-FM (1967-?) WUUU (197?-1982) WETQ (1982–1985) WKNF-FM (1985–1994) |
Call signmeaning | "Ninety Four Z" (The Z=3) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 31837 |
| Class | A |
| ERP | 2,950watts |
| HAAT | 144 meters (472 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 35°57′58.0″N84°04′6.0″W/ 35.966111°N 84.068333°W |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live Listen on iHeartRadio |
| Website | jackfmknoxville |
WNFZ(94.3MHz) is acommercialFMradio stationlicensedtoPowell, Tennessee,and serving theKnoxville metropolitan area.WNFZ is owned byMidwest Communications.[2]It airs anadult hitsradio format,subscribing to the nationallysyndicatedJACK-FMservice. It uses the slogan "Playing What We Want!" The General Manager is Randy Ross.
Thestudiosand offices are on Sharps Ridge Memorial Park Drive in Knoxville.[3]Thetransmitteris on the west side of Knoxville, off Sands Road.[4]
History
[edit]Rock WATO-FM
[edit]In February 1967, the stationsigned onasWATO-FM.[5]The station'scity of licensewas originallyOak Ridge, Tennessee.At first, itsimulcastco-ownedAM 1290WATO (now off the air). By the late 1960s, WATO-FM began carrying aprogressive rockformat.
Easy Listening, Oldies, Country and Alternative
[edit]94.3 later changed to aneasy listeningformat asWUUU.The slogan was "The Station For You". It wasoff the airfor a short time until January 18, 1982 when it switched itscall signtoWETQ.It carried acountry musicformat known as "Q-94FM".
On March 25, 1985, the station changed toWKNF-FMand became "Magic 94," flipping to anoldiessound. In April 1993, it became aclassic countrystation as "K-94". In September 1993, the station shifted toCHR/Top 40and changed the on-air position to "94Z".
On July 1, 1994, WKNF-FM switched toWNFZto reflect on-air branding of 94Z and became analternative rockstation. Then in2008,WNFZ refocused, becoming anactive rockoutlet. Between 1994 and 2013 the station was branded variously "94Z", "The Planet", "94.3 Extreme Radio" and "94-3 The X."
Switch to Talk, Then Jack-FM
[edit]WNFZ simulcast former sister station 95.7WVRXuntil October 31, 2013. At that point, The X alternative rock format moved to 95.7.[6]At Midnight on November 1, WNFZ flipped to aTalkformat, formerly broadcast on WNOX-FM. The ownership switched to Oak Ridge FM, Inc. under the branding, "KnoxTalkRadio 94.3 WNFZ".[7]
At noon on October 21, 2015, WNFZ returned toalternative rockas "94Z".
On March 21, 2019, WNFZ was sold toMidwest Communicationsand changed its format from alternative rock toadult hits,branded as "94.3 Jack FM".[8]It began carrying theJACK-FMformat, similar to co-ownedWCJKNashville,one of that market's highest rated stations. The sale closed on June 4, 2019, at a price of $2 million.
References
[edit]- ^"Facility Technical Data for WNFZ".Licensing and Management System.Federal Communications Commission.
- ^"WNFZ Facility Record".Federal Communications Commission,audio division.
- ^JackFMKnoxville /contact-us
- ^Radio-Locator /WNFZ
- ^Informationfrom theBroadcasting Yearbook1969 page B-161
- ^Venta, Lance (September 30, 2013)."Knoxville's X Makes Its Move to 95.7".RadioBB Networks.RetrievedOctober 14,2013.
- ^Venta, Lance (November 3, 2013)."WNFZ Flips To News/Talk".Radio Insight.RadioBB Networks.RetrievedNovember 3,2013.
- ^WNFZ Sold to Midwest; Flips to Jack FMRadio Insight - March 21, 2019
External links
[edit]- Facility details for Facility ID 31837 (WNFZ)in theFCCLicensing and Management System
- WNFZinNielsen Audio's FM station database