WNRW

Last updated
WNRW
98.9 KISS FM Louisville logo (2020).png
Broadcast area Louisville metropolitan area
Frequency 98.9 MHz (HD Radio)
Branding98.9 Kiss FM
Programming
Format Top 40 (CHR)
Affiliations Premiere Networks
Ownership
Owner
WAMZ, WHAS, WKJK, WKRD, WQMF, WSDF, WTFX-FM
History
First air date
1967 (as WSLM-FM)
Former call signs
  • WSLM-FM (1967–1993)
  • WKJK (1993-1996)
  • WHKW (1996-1999)
  • WQSH (1999-2000)
  • WZTR (2000-2000)
  • WZKF (2000–2010)
Call sign meaning
"Radio Now"; letters are transposed (former branding)
Technical information
Facility ID 60706
Class C2
ERP 43,000 watts
HAAT 157 meters (515 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
38°11′31″N85°31′11″W / 38.19194°N 85.51972°W / 38.19194; -85.51972
Links
Webcast Listen Live
Website kisslouisville.iheart.com

WNRW (98.9 FM) - branded as 98.9 Kiss FM - is a Top 40 (CHR) radio station licensed to Prospect, Kentucky, and serving the Louisville metropolitan area. It is owned by iHeartMedia, with studios on South 4th Street in the Louisville neighborhood of Watterson Park. On weekdays, WNRW carries two nationally syndicated programs: The Jubal Show from co-owned KBKS-FM Seattle in morning drive time and On Air with Ryan Seacrest in middays.

Contents

WNRW is a Class C2 station. It has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 43,000 watts. The transmitter tower is in east Louisville, off Tucker Station Road near Interstate 265. [1]

History

WSLM-FM

The station was originally based in Salem, Indiana, about 35 miles (56 km) northwest of Louisville. It signed on the air in 1962;62 years ago. [2] The original call sign was WSLM-FM, the sister station to WSLM 1220 AM.

At first the two stations simulcast, with WSLM-FM developing some of its own programming by the late 1970s. WSLM-FM was powered at only 3,000 watts. It aimed its programming at listeners in the Salem area and could not easily be heard in Louisville.

98.9 Kiss FM

By the 1990s, the station sought and got permission from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to increase its antenna height and power. That allowed it to target the lucrative Louisville radio market. It tried several formats, including Classic Country, Modern AC, and Hot AC.

Around 2000, the station changed to playing Top 40 hits, calling itself "KISS-FM." It switched its call letters to WZKF. The station became a major competitor to Louisville's longtime Top 40 leader 99.7 WDJX. WZKF aired a rhythmic-leaning playlist while WDJX was more Mainstream Top 40.

98.9 Radio Now

Logo as Radio Now, 2010-2020. 98.9 Radio Now logo.svg
Logo as Radio Now, 2010–2020.

WZKF moved its city of license from Salem, Indiana, to the Louisville suburb of Prospect, Kentucky, on April 26, 2010. A few months later, on July 12, 2010, WZKF rebranded from "98.9 Kiss FM" to "98.9 Radio Now".

According to PD Mike Klein, "The name change and new look comes along with a signal upgrade and updated Top 40/Mainstream music mix with a rhythmic lean." He added that "the station is being re-branded with the 'NOW' moniker to give a fresh new approach delivering hit music to the people who need it 'NOW'.". [3] July 19, 2010 WZKF changed its call sign to WNRW, to represent the "Radio Now" image.

Return to KISS-FM

On January 14, 2020, WNRW reverted to "KISS-FM" branding, with no other major format changes. [4] This brings WNRW in line with many of iHeart's Top 40 stations around the U.S., including KIIS-FM Los Angeles, WKSC-FM Chicago and WXKS-FM Boston, which also call themselves "KISS-FM."

WNRW-HD2

In 2008, WNRW began airing an HD Radio digital subchannel. The HD2 service began by carrying the Dance Top 40 Club Phusion format. [5] It was replaced with iHeart's Evolution channel in late 2012.

In 2023, the HD2 subchannel was turned off.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WYLD-FM</span> Urban adult contemporary radio station in New Orleans

WYLD-FM is a commercial radio station in New Orleans, Louisiana, and one of the highest-rated radio stations in the market. It airs an urban adult contemporary radio format and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. The studios and offices are located in Downtown New Orleans. It carries the syndicated Steve Harvey Morning Show weekdays from co-owned Premiere Networks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WKST-FM</span> Radio station in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

WKST-FM, which is branded as 96.1 KISS, is a top 40 (CHR) outlet based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Owned by iHeartMedia, the station broadcasts with an ERP of 44 kW.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WQMP</span> Radio station in Daytona Beach, Florida

WQMP is a radio station licensed to Daytona Beach serving the Orlando and Space Coast areas of Central Florida. Owned by Audacy, Inc., it broadcasts an alternative rock format branded as "FM 101.9". Its studios are located in Maitland and the transmitter is in Orange City. To the north, the station can be heard as far as St. Augustine, to the south, the station can be heard as far as Palm Bay and is one of the few Orlando stations that covers Ocala.

WMZQ-FM is a commercial radio station in Washington, D.C. owned by iHeartMedia, it has had a country music radio format since 1977. The station's studios and offices are on Rockville Pike in Rockville, Maryland, and its transmitter is on Tower Street in Falls Church, Virginia. WMZQ-FM has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 50,000 watts, the maximum power for radio stations in the Washington area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WXSS</span> Radio station in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin

WXSS is a commercial radio station licensed to Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, and serving Greater Milwaukee and Southeast Wisconsin. It broadcasts a Top 40 (CHR) radio format and is owned by Audacy, Inc. Its studios are on 11800 West Grange Avenue in Hales Corners.

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

WNRQ is a commercial FM radio station in Nashville, heard in northern middle Tennessee and southern central Kentucky. It airs a classic rock format. It is owned by iHeartMedia, with studios in Nashville's Music Row district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KZCH</span> Radio station in Derby, Kansas

KZCH, also known as "Channel 963," is a Mainstream Top 40 radio station serving the Wichita area. The iHeartMedia, Inc. outlet broadcasts with an ERP of 50 kW and is licensed to Derby, Kansas. Its studios are located on East Douglas Avenue in Downtown Wichita, and the transmitter is just north of downtown.

WAMZ is a commercial radio station in Louisville, Kentucky. It airs a country music format and is owned by iHeartMedia The studios are in the central part of Watterson Park. WAMZ carries two nationally syndicated radio programs: The Bobby Bones Show in morning drive time and After Midnite with Granger Smith overnights.

WHBQ-FM is a commercial radio station broadcasting a Top 40 (CHR) format. It is licensed to Germantown, Tennessee, and serves Greater Memphis. It is owned by Flinn Broadcasting with studios on Mount Moriah Road in Southeast Memphis. Despite sharing call letters, WHBQ-FM is not co-owned with WHBQ-TV.

WOLT is a commercial radio station in Indianapolis, Indiana. It broadcasts a classic alternative radio format and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. WOLT carries the nationally syndicated "Woody Show" in morning drive time from co-owned KYSR Los Angeles. The studios are at 6161 Fall Creek Road on the northeast side of Indianapolis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KDXX</span> Radio station in Lewisville, Texas

KDXX is a Uforia Audio Network Spanish-language contemporary hit radio formatted commercial radio station serving the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Texas. The station is licensed to Lewisville, Texas, and is simulcast with 107.1 KESS-FM Benbrook. The studios are located in the Univision 23 Studios in the Arts District in Downtown Dallas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WMTX</span> Radio station in Tampa, Florida

WMTX is a commercial radio station in Tampa, Florida, known as "Mix 100.7". It has an adult contemporary radio format, switching to Christmas music for much of November and December. It is owned by iHeartMedia, with its studios and offices on Gandy Boulevard in Tampa. WMTX serves as the primary Emergency Alert System station for the Tampa Bay area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KHYL</span> Radio station in Auburn, California

KHYL is a commercial radio station, licensed to Auburn, California, and serving the Sacramento metropolitan area. It broadcasts a classic hip hop radio format and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. The studios and offices are on River Park Drive, off the Capital City Freeway in North Sacramento near the Arden Fair Mall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WLKT</span> Radio station in Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky

WLKT is a commercial radio station licensed to Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky. The station is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. who determines its programming in New York using automation, non-local talent, and airs a Top 40 (CHR) radio format. The station's studios are located on Nicholasville Road in south Lexington, and its transmitter is located in rural far east Fayette County, Kentucky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KZTM</span> Radio station in Centralia, Washington

KZTM is a Regional Mexican radio station serving the Tacoma and Olympia, Washington area. Owned and operated by Bustos Media, through licensee Bustos Media Holdings, LLC, the station is licensed to McKenna, Washington. The transmitter site is in Capitol State Forest near Olympia, while its studios are located in Kent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WHOP-FM</span> Radio station in Hopkinsville, Kentucky

WHOP-FM is a radio station broadcasting an adult contemporary format. Licensed to and serving Hopkinsville, Kentucky, United States, the station serves the Clarksville, Tennessee-Hopkinsville, Kentucky area. The station is owned by Forcht Broadcasting, and is a sister station to WHOP. The two stations share studios located at 220 Buttermilk Road on the west side of Hopkinsville.

WKJK is a commercial radio station broadcasting a talk radio format in Louisville, Kentucky. It is owned by iHeartMedia and serves North-Central Kentucky and South-Central Indiana. It features programming from iHeart subsidiary Premiere Networks as well as Compass Media Networks. The studios are in the Louisville neighborhood of Watterson Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">K265CA</span> Radio station in Albuquerque, New Mexico

K265CA is a commercial FM translator radio station located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, broadcasting to the Albuquerque metropolitan area, owned by iHeartMedia, Inc.. Its studios are located in Northeast Albuquerque and the transmitter tower is located atop Sandia Crest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KSSX</span> Urban contemporary radio station in San Diego

KSSX is a commercial radio station located in San Diego, California, although the station is legally licensed to serve Carlsbad, in nearby North County. The station airs a rhythmic contemporary format, and is one of seven stations in the market owned and operated by iHeartMedia. The station's studios are located in San Diego's Kearny Mesa neighborhood on the northeast side, and the transmitter is atop Mt. Soledad, located in La Jolla.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WKSL</span> Radio station in Neptune Beach, Florida

WKSL is a commercial radio station licensed to Neptune Beach, Florida, broadcasting to the Jacksonville metropolitan area. The station is owned and operated by iHeartMedia, Inc. WKSL airs a Top 40/CHR radio format. WKSL carries two weekday syndicated programs, with Elvis Duran and the Morning Show from WHTZ New York City, and in middays, WKSL carries On Air with Ryan Seacrest based at KIIS-FM Los Angeles.

References

  1. Radio-Locator.com/WNRW
  2. Broadcasting Yearbook 1977 page C-73. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
  3. "WZKF Kisses Off For 'Now'" from All Access (July 12, 2010)
  4. Radio Now 98.9 Louisville Reverts To Former Kiss-FM Identity
  5. "HD Radio station guide for Louisville, KY". Archived from the original on 2016-10-29. Retrieved 2017-04-02. HD Radio Guide for Louisville, Kentucky