WDXI

Last updated

WDXI
WDXI KOOL103FM logo.png
Frequency 1310 kHz
BrandingWDXI 1310 & Kool 103.5 FM
Programming
Format Oldies
Ownership
OwnerGerald W. Hunt
WMXX-FM
History
First air date
October 31, 1948 (1948-10-31)
Call sign meaning
"Dixie"
Technical information
Licensing authority
 FCC
Facility ID 37244
Class D
Power
  • 5,000 watts day
  • 50 watts night
Transmitter coordinates
 35°39′50.00″N88°49′20.00″W / 35.6638889°N 88.8222222°W / 35.6638889; -88.8222222
Translator(s) 103.5 W278CL (Jackson)
Links
Public license information
Website www.kool103.com

WDXI (1310 AM, "WDXI 1310 (Kool 103.5)" is a radio station in Jackson, Tennessee, United States. It broadcasts a Oldies format, sharing a name with co-owned WMXX-FM. The station is currently owned by Gerald Wayne Hunt, Sr.

Contents

Established in 1948, WDXI was the key station in the regional Dixie Network station group, owned by Aaron Robinson. Robinson also established the city's first television station, WDXI-TV (now WBBJ-TV), in 1955. After Robinson's death, his estate ran WDXI for a decade before it was sold. Long a country music station, it switched in the early 1990s to a news/talk format.

WDXI fell silent in February 2022, owing to damage to its transmission line and antenna tuning system. It has since been fixed and returned to air. [1]

History

On June 3, 1947, Aaron B. Robinson, trading as the Dixie Broadcasting Company, filed with the Federal Communications Commission to build a new daytime-only radio station in Jackson. Robinson had previously worked from 1943 to 1946 at WTJS, the station of The Jackson Sun , [2] and already had built WCMA in Corinth, Mississippi, and WENK in Union City. [3] Originally specifying 930 kHz, the application was amended to 1310 kHz before being approved on April 29, 1948. [4] From interim studios on North Market Street and a transmitter north of town, [4] WDXI debuted on October 31. [5] The station planned to affiliate with the Dixie Network, an operation owned by Robinson, and Mutual Broadcasting System, but it did not do so at launch because it wanted to wait until the FCC granted its application to begin nighttime broadcasts, which also included a daytime increase to 5,000 watts. [6] These changes took effect in July 1949, [7] by which time WDXI had moved into permanent studio quarters in the newly completed Williams Building at Lafayette and Highland streets the preceding March. [8] The studios featured an auditorium with seating for 200. [9] After buying out and shutting down Jackson station WPLI in 1953, [10] Robinson would bring television to Jackson in 1955 with the establishment of WDXI-TV, a CBS/ABC affiliate on channel 7. [11]

Robinson died of a heart attack in 1961 at the age of 55. [12] His estate sold WDXI-TV to Bahakel Broadcasting in 1966, at which time it was renamed WBBJ-TV. [13] [14]

The Williams Building was heavily damaged by fire on the morning of January 21, 1972, beginning in the WDXI suite on the third floor, which completely collapsed. [15] The last person in the building before the blaze broke out was a WDXI announcer who had stayed late; [15] the studios were completely destroyed, and within a week the wrecking ball had come to demolish the structure. [16] WDXI had already been contemplating new offices at its transmitter site at the time of the fire, [15] and it engaged architects for a possible office site on Airways Boulevard in the wake of the blaze, [17] but it first set up shop in the New Southern Building. [18] WTJS donated records, while WJAK loaned the use of its facilities to allow the station to produce commercials. [18] That same year, an anniversary edition of the Sun noted that a reference to "Dixie" in Jackson had a "50–50 chance" of being about WDXI, not the South. [3]

In 1973, WDXI was sold to Community Service Broadcasting of Mount Vernon, Illinois. [19] Instead of facilities on Airways, the firm commissioned a studio and office building at the transmitter site, [20] which was completed in February 1975. By that time, it was broadcasting a country format. [21] Community Service expanded in Jackson by purchasing WJHR (103.1 FM) at the end of 1982; [22] Community Service had applied for the frequency but lost out to another group. [23] It then sold its broadcast properties to CR Broadcasting in 1987 for $4 million; [24] [25] CR set up corporate headquarters in Jackson and relaunched the FM station, then hits-formatted WRJX, as adult contemporary WMXX-FM. [26] It also experimented with converting the station to an all-Elvis Presley format during the day from November 1988 to May 1989. [27] [28]

The Glassman brothers, owners of Community Service Broadcasting, opted to buy back CR Broadcasting's stations in 1992; by that time, WDXI had converted from country music to a news/talk format. [29] However, the Jackson stations were sold later that year to Gerald Wayne Hunt, Sr., of Pickwick Dam for $350,000. [30] For Wayne, WDXI was new but the FM was not; he had been part of the consortium that put WMXX on the air as WJHR in 1979. [23] WDXI aired programming from the Business Radio Network, based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, [31] and NBC Talknet. [32] The business and sports format for WDXI continued untouched for nearly 25 years, as did WMXX, which Hunt flipped to oldies. WDXI had one local show by 2013, a Saturday morning sports talk show. [33]

In 2017, WDXI launched an FM translator, W279AZ (103.7 FM) (now W278CL at 103.5), and revamped its programming to feature conservative talk including The Rush Limbaugh Show and The Sean Hannity Show and a local morning show, as well as existing coverage of St. Louis Cardinals baseball. [34] By 2022, when the station was taken silent, Hunt Sr. had suffered several strokes and other medical complications and was reported to be in a long-term care facility. [1]

Related Research Articles

The Dixie Network was a commercial radio broadcasting network operating in Tennessee and Mississippi beginning in 1946 and ending in December 1973. Three of the six AM stations had the letters "DX" within their call signs, such as WDXI in Jackson, Tennessee, WDXE-AM-FM, Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, and WDXN, Clarksville, Tennessee. These letters gave rise to usage of the term "Dixie Stations".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WBBJ-TV</span> ABC/CBS affiliate in Jackson, Tennessee

WBBJ-TV is a television station in Jackson, Tennessee, United States, affiliated with ABC and CBS. Owned by Bahakel Communications, the station maintains studios on Muse Street in Jackson, and its transmitter is located on Potts Chapel Road in unincorporated eastern Madison County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WUBT</span> Radio station in Russellville, Kentucky

WUBT is an American mainstream urban radio station broadcasting in the Nashville, Tennessee market, under ownership of iHeartMedia. Though the station is licensed to Russellville, Kentucky, its studios are located in Nashville's Music Row district and the transmitter site is in White House, Tennessee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WJKT</span> Fox affiliate in Jackson, Tennessee

WJKT is a television station in Jackson, Tennessee, United States, affiliated with the Fox network and owned by Nexstar Media Group. Its advertising sales office is located on Oil Well Road in Jackson, and its transmitter is located in Alamo, Tennessee.

KTAR is a commercial radio station licensed to Phoenix, Arizona, United States. Owned and operated by Bonneville International, it currently features a sports format airing programming from ESPN Radio. The studios are located in north Phoenix near Piestewa Peak, and the station broadcasts with 5,000 watts from a transmitter site near the corner of 36th Street and Thomas Road.

WLTB is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Johnson City, New York, and serving the Greater Binghamton radio market. Owned locally by GM Broadcasting, the station broadcasts a classic hits radio format, playing hits of the 1970s, 80s and 90s. It leans toward classic rock and omits pop and dance artists such as Michael Jackson, Madonna and Whitney Houston who are heard on most classic hits stations. The studios are on East Main Street in Endicott.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WBBD</span> Radio station in West Virginia, United States

WBBD is a commercial radio station licensed to Wheeling, West Virginia, United States, carrying an all-sports format. Owned by iHeartMedia, WBBD serves both the Wheeling metropolitan area and nearby St. Clairsville, Ohio, as the market's Fox Sports Radio affiliate. WBBD's studios are currently located at the Capitol Theatre in downtown Wheeling, while its transmitter resides in the city's northern end. In addition to a standard analog transmission, WBBD is relayed over low-power FM translator W280EW and is available online via iHeartRadio.

KNAU is a radio station broadcasting a classical music and news/talk and information format. Licensed to Flagstaff, Arizona, United States, KNAU and its sister stations serve Northern Arizona. The station is currently owned by Northern Arizona University (NAU) and features programming from National Public Radio, Public Radio International, and American Public Media, among other content providers. NAU also owns KPUB, a station devoted to talk programming, and student-run low-power station KLJX-LP. KNAU's programming is heard on KNAA in Show Low and on five translators in northern Arizona, as well as online.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WKFN</span> Radio station in Clarksville, Tennessee

WKFN is a radio station broadcasting a sports format. It is an affiliate of ESPN Radio. The station is licensed to Clarksville, Tennessee. The station is owned by Saga Communications, and operates as part of its Five Star Media Group. Saga also operates WVVR 100.3 Country, WRND 94.3 Classic Hits, WCVQ 107.9 Adult Contemporary, and WZZP 97.5 FM Active Rock from its main offices in Clarksville.

KXRR is a mainstream rock-formatted radio station in Monroe, Louisiana, United States. It is owned by Stephens Media Group through licensee SMG-Monroe, LLC. Studios are located in Monroe, and its transmitter is located near Sterlington, Louisiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WJBE (AM)</span> Radio station in Tennessee, United States

WJBE is an American commercial radio station licensed to Powell, Tennessee, an unincorporated community just northeast of Knoxville; the station serves the Knoxville metropolitan area with an urban contemporary format. WJBE is owned by Joe E. Armstrong through broadcast licensee Arm & Rage, LLC. This station is unrelated to the former locally based WJBE owned by entertainer James Brown from 1968 through 1979, for which it is named.

WBBP is a commercial radio station licensed to Memphis, Tennessee, featuring a gospel format. Owned by Bountiful Blessings, an extension of the Temple of Deliverance Church of God in Christ, the station serves the Memphis metropolitan area. WBBP's studios are located at the Temple of Deliverance's headquarters in Memphis, while the transmitter is located in the city's southeastern side. In addition to a standard analog transmission, WBBP is available online.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WJAK</span> Radio station in Jackson, Tennessee

WJAK is a radio station broadcasting an Urban contemporary format. It is licensed to Jackson, Tennessee, United States. The station is currently owned by Thomas Media.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WMXX-FM</span> Radio station in Tennessee, United States

WMXX-FM is a commercial radio station licensed to Jackson, Tennessee, broadcasting a classic hits music format known as "Kool Mixx 103.1 FM". The station is currently owned by Gerald W. Hunt.

KUTU is a radio station broadcasting a College, Variety. Licensed to Santa Clara, Utah, United States, the station is currently owned by Utah Tech University, formerly known as Dixie State University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WLOK</span> Radio station in Tennessee, United States

WLOK is a commercial radio station licensed to Memphis, Tennessee, carrying a gospel music format. Owned by the Gilliam family doing business as WLOK Radio, Inc., the station serves the Memphis metropolitan area. WLOK's studios are located in Downtown Memphis and the transmitter resides in Memphis's Glenview Historic District. In addition to a standard analog transmission, WLOK is relayed over low-power Memphis translator W285FI and is available online.

WJPJ is an American radio station licensed to serve Humboldt, Tennessee. The station's broadcast license is held by Palmer Johnson, Inc. Studios are located on Main Street in Humboldt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KWCL-FM</span> Radio station in Louisiana, United States

KWCL-FM is an American radio station licensed by the FCC to serve Oak Grove, Louisiana, in West Carroll Parish in the northeastern portion of the state.

WSWG was a radio station that broadcast on 1540 kHz in Greenwood, Mississippi, United States. It operated from 1963 to 1984, having been denied a renewal of its license by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over a 1971 format change that included the firing of three Black disc jockeys, accompanied by other deficiencies in representations made by owner Charles Saunders to the FCC.

KRDG was a radio station in Redding, California, United States. It was last owned by Prather-Breck Broadcasting of California and broadcast from 1958 to 1994. It broadcast primarily country music over the course of history, though its last format was contemporary Christian music.

References

  1. 1 2 Hunt, Jr., Gerald Wayne (February 4, 2022). "Letter". Federal Communications Commission. Archived from the original on June 19, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  2. ↑ Smithwick, Danica (May 25, 2016). "Posthumous honor for radio legend". The Jackson Sun. Jackson, Tennessee. p. Neighbors 3. Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  3. 1 2 "WDXI Is Key Station In Dixie Network". The Jackson Sun. Jackson, Tennessee. May 29, 1972. p. Sesquicentennial 10. Archived from the original on June 19, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  4. 1 2 FCC History Cards for WDXI
  5. ↑ "Radio Station WDXI – On The Air TODAY!". The Jackson Sun. Jackson, Tennessee. October 31, 1948. p. 10. Archived from the original on June 19, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "Radio Station WDXI On The Air Next Sunday October 31st". The Jackson Sun. Jackson, Tennessee. October 24, 1948. p. 7. Retrieved June 19, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "This Is Dixie: Now One of the South's Dominant Radio Station". The Jackson Sun. Jackson, Tennessee. July 31, 1949. p. 5. Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "Firms To Occupy New Williams Building Announced Today". The Jackson Sun. Jackson, Tennessee. December 9, 1948. p. 12. Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Radio Station WDXI Opening Of New Studios Set March 20". The Jackson Sun. Jackson, Tennessee. March 13, 1949. p. 1. Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "Aaron Robinson Purchases WPLI, It Goes Off Air". The Jackson Sun. Jackson, Tennessee. January 12, 1953. p. 1. Retrieved June 21, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "WDXI Television To Open This Afternoon At 2:30". The Jackson Sun. Jackson, Tennessee. March 6, 1955. p. 1, 9. Archived from the original on June 19, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ "A. B. Robinson Dies in Sleep At Home Here". The Jackson Sun. Jackson, Tennessee. December 5, 1961. p. 1, 3. Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ "WDXI-TV Sold, Waits Okay By FCC". The Jackson Sun. Jackson, Tennessee. April 19, 1966. p. 6. Archived from the original on June 19, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ "WDXI-TV Seeks Change To WBBJ". The Jackson Sun. Jackson, Tennessee. September 8, 1966. p. 6. Archived from the original on June 19, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  15. 1 2 3 Jackson, Jay (January 21, 1972). "Williams Building Badly Damaged By Raging Fire". The Jackson Sun. Jackson, Tennessee. p. 1, 3. Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ Jackson, Jay (January 27, 1972). "Funeral Rites For Burned-Out Williams Building Begin With A Dull Thud". The Jackson Sun. Jackson, Tennessee. p. 10. Retrieved June 19, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  17. ↑ "WDXI To Have New Home". The Jackson Sun. Jackson, Tennessee. January 27, 1972. p. 10. Archived from the original on June 19, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  18. 1 2 "Burned-Out Businesses Find New Quarters". The Jackson Sun. Jackson, Tennessee. January 24, 1972. p. 7. Archived from the original on June 19, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  19. ↑ "Winter Backs County Reform". The Commercial Appeal. Memphis, Tennessee. August 9, 1973. p. 3. Archived from the original on June 19, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  20. ↑ "Studio Construction To Start Soon". The Jackson Sun. Jackson, Tennessee. August 15, 1974. p. 1-A. Archived from the original on June 19, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  21. ↑ Ballard, Delores (February 7, 1975). "Country Goes Uptown At Radio Park". The Jackson Sun. Jackson, Tennessee. p. 5-A. Archived from the original on June 19, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  22. ↑ Frye, Lisa (December 29, 1982). "Competitors to buy No. 1 rock station". The Jackson Sun. Jackson, Tennessee. p. 1B. Archived from the original on June 19, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  23. 1 2 Ballard, Delores (February 8, 1979). "After 6-year delay, new FM station aims to start service by May 1". The Jackson Sun. Jackson, Tennessee. p. 1A. Archived from the original on June 19, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  24. ↑ "Jackson being confirmed for firm's headquarters". The Jackson Sun. Jackson, Tennessee. December 16, 1986. p. 8B. Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  25. ↑ "Transactions: CR Broadcasting Pays $4 Million For Three Combos" (PDF). Radio & Records. December 19, 1986. p. 14. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 5, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  26. ↑ Tanton, Tim (May 7, 1987). "Rock radio station changes to adult contemporary music". The Jackson Sun. Jackson, Tennessee. p. 7A. Retrieved June 19, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  27. ↑ Ballard, Delores (November 30, 1988). "Long live the King, station says: WDXI goes all-Elvis, offers half million for live Presley". The Jackson Sun. Jackson, Tennessee. p. 1A. Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  28. ↑ Harris, Mickey (May 25, 1989). "Elvis format no longer king; radio to crown country top dog again". The Jackson Sun. Jackson, Tennessee. p. 1A. Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  29. ↑ Diel, Stan (April 21, 1992). "Brothers buying back radio stations". The Jackson Sun. Jackson, Tennessee. p. 1B. Archived from the original on June 19, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  30. ↑ "Transactions" (PDF). Radio & Records. November 20, 1992. p. 12. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 5, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  31. ↑ Meyer, W. Matt (November 4, 1996). "Music to their ears". The Jackson Sun. Jackson, Tennessee. p. 6C. Archived from the original on June 19, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  32. ↑ Moore, Robert J. (August 19, 1993). "FM station to break new ground". The Jackson Sun. Jackson, Tennessee. p. 6C. Archived from the original on June 19, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  33. ↑ Thomas, David (April 21, 2013). "Business of broadcasting: Format remains the same at AM and FM stations". The Jackson Sun. Jackson, Tennessee. p. 6B, 5B. Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  34. ↑ Shields, Brandon (February 23, 2017). "'Time for a change': Longtime radio, television host Bowers launches show to 103.7". The Jackson Sun. Jackson, Tennessee. p. 1A, 6A. Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.