WOWW

Last updated

WOWW
Broadcast area Memphis metropolitan area
Frequency 1430 kHz
BrandingRadio Pig
Programming
Language English
Format Adult album alternative
Ownership
OwnerFlinn Broadcasting Corporation
History
First air date
October 29, 1955
(69 years ago) (1955-10-29) [1]
Former call signs
  • WHER (1955–1973)
  • WWEE (1973–1988)
  • WWBA (1988–1989)
  • WEZI (1989)
  • WNWZ (1989–1997)
Call sign meaning
derived from "wow"
Technical information [2]
Licensing authority
 FCC
Facility ID 21728
Class B
Power 2,500 watts
Transmitter coordinates
 35°12′50″N89°47′46″W / 35.21389°N 89.79611°W / 35.21389; -89.79611
Translator(s) 97.7 W249BN (Memphis)
Links
Public license information
Webcast Listen live
Website radiopig.com

WOWW (1430 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Germantown, Tennessee, and serving the Memphis metropolitan area. WOWW carries an adult album alternative format and calls itself "Radio Pig". It is owned and operated by Flinn Broadcasting Corporation. [3] The station's studios and offices are in Southaven, Mississippi.

Contents

WOWW is powered at 2,500 watts. At night, to protect other stations on 1430 AM, WOWW uses a directional antenna with a six-tower array. The transmitter is off Orgill Road in Bartlett, Tennessee. [4] Programming is also heard on an FM translator: 220 watt W249BN at 97.7 MHz in Memphis. [5]

History

WHER

RCA 77 microphone with WHER mic flag. WHER Mic.jpg
RCA 77 microphone with WHER mic flag.

On October 29, 1955, the station signed on as WHER, a pioneering station with an all-female air staff, including broadcaster Vida Jane Butler. [1] [6] The radio station was the brainchild of Sam Phillips, who used a portion of the $35,000 he made from the sale of Elvis Presley's recording contract to RCA Records to finance the station. [1] [7] A portion of the balance of the funding came from Holiday Inn founder Kemmons Wilson, who also provided the station's first home, in a part of the third Holiday Inn ever built. [1] [7] It aired light music and had the slogan "1,000 Beautiful Watts". [1] The licensee was Tri-State Broadcasting Service, initially owned by Phillips, Clarence A. Camp, and James E. Connolly. [8]

WWEE

In the early 1970s, WHER went to a mixed-gender air staff and became talk station WWEE. The station gave birth to the longest running sports talk show "SportsLine" (now called "SportsTime"). "SportsLine" went on the air in 1972.[ citation needed ] Notable former staff members include Marge Thrasher, Bill Thomas, George Lapides, Dick Palmer, Jim Fields, and Jeff Weinberger.[ citation needed ]

In 1981, the Phillips family bought out the other owners of Tri-State Broadcasting Service, becoming known as the Big River Broadcasting Corporation. Big River liquidated in 1986, selling WWEE to the Ardman Broadcasting Corporation of Tennessee. In 1989, after seven months spent simulcasting co-owned WEZI (now WMLE) with the same call sign, Ardman relaunched the station as WNWZ. Flinn bought the station in 1993, changing the call sign to WOWW in 1997.

Format flips

On February 15, 1997, WOWW flipped from adult standards to Radio AAHS, a children's radio format. Due to Radio AAHS ceasing operations on January 30, 1998, the station switched to a talk radio format. In September 1999, WOWW changed their format to urban gospel, becoming an affiliate of ABC Radio's Rejoice! Musical Soul Food. After later shifting to an oldies and classical music format, WOWW returned to a children's format with Radio Disney with a contemporary hit radio format on April 6, 2000.

On March 12, 2012, WOWW dropped Radio Disney after nearly 11 years in favor of a all-news radio format.

On April 10, 2013, WOWW changed their format to country, simulcasting WEBL 95.3 FM. [9]

On June 21, 2013, WUMY dropped its classic country format for variety hits as "97.7 Guess FM". [10]

On January 2, 2014, WOWW began stunting, directing listeners to WUMY 830 AM Memphis, Tennessee, which took over the "Guess FM" variety hits format. [11]

A few days later, WOWW changed their format to country, branded as "The Rebel", simulcasting WEBL 95.3 FM Coldwater, MS.

On August 6, 2018, WOWW changed their format to classic hits, branded as "97.7 Guess FM". [12]

On May 13, 2022, at noon, WOWW changed their format from classic hits to Top 40/CHR, branded as "B97.7". This returned the station to playing current Top 40 music on this frequency for the first time since Radio Disney in 2006, which also carried a similar format. [13]

On July 4, 2023, WOWW changed their format from Top 40/CHR to adult album alternative, branded as "Radio Pig". [14]

Translator

In addition to the main station, WOWW is relayed by an FM translator to widen its broadcast area. It also provides the listener with high fidelity/stereophonic sound.

Broadcast translator for WOWW
Call sign Frequency City of license FID ERP (W) HAAT Class FCC info
W249BN97.7 FM Memphis, Tennessee 139990220223.4  m (733  ft)D LMS

WOWW Guess FM logo.png

Related Research Articles

WHBQ – branded Sports 56 WHBQ – is a commercial sports AM radio station licensed to serve Memphis, Tennessee. Owned by Flinn Broadcasting, the station covers the Memphis metropolitan area, and is the local affiliate for Fox Sports Radio, the Memphis Redbirds, and Ole Miss Rebels football and basketball. The WHBQ studios and transmitter are located in the city of Memphis. Besides a standard analog transmission, WHBQ is available online. The station is also simulcast over translator W253DF at 98.5 FM.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WKOX (AM)</span> Radio station in Everett, Massachusetts

WKOX is a commercial AM radio station owned by the Delmarva Educational Association. It broadcasts a Spanish-language Christian radio format. The station is licensed to Everett, Massachusetts and targets Boston and its suburbs. It broadcasts from radio studios in Medford. The transmitter site is in Saugus.

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.

WYRD, branded as "The Fan Upstate", is a sports-formatted commercial AM radio station, licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to Audacy, Inc. in Greenville, South Carolina, which serves Upstate South Carolina. Studios and transmitter site are located in Greenville.

WTLN (990 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station located in Orlando, Florida. It is owned by the Salem Media Group and it airs a Christian talk and teaching radio format. The offices and studios are on Lake View Drive in Altamonte Springs. Some of the national religious leaders heard on WTLN include David Jeremiah, Chuck Swindoll, Jim Daly, John MacArthur and Charles Stanley. Hosts pay for 30- to 60-minute segments on WTLN and can use the time to seek donations to their ministries. WTLN is known as "AM 990 and FM 101.5 The Word".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WGUE (AM)</span> Radio station in Turrell, Arkansas, serving Memphis, Tennessee

WGUE is a commercial AM radio station in Turrell, Arkansas, serving the Memphis metropolitan area. WGUE is owned by Butron Media Corporation and airs a Regional Mexican radio format. The transmitter is off Legion Road in West Memphis, Arkansas.

WTNA is a radio station licensed to Altoona, Pennsylvania. The station airs a classic hits format and is branded as "WOWY 99.7". The station is owned by Seven Mountains Media, through licensee Southern Belle Media Family, LLC.

WMPX is an AM radio station licensed to Midland, Michigan broadcasting a classic hits format, simulcasting WMRX-FM 97.7 Beaverton. The station is imaged as "Sunny 97.7107.7", with 107.7 being the frequency of translator W299CK Midland. Until January 2014, the station featured the America's Best Music format distributed by Westwood One.

WABD is an American radio station licensed to serve the community of Mobile, Alabama. The station, established in 1973 as WABB-FM, is owned and operated by Cumulus Media. Its studios are on Dauphin Street in Midtown Mobile, and its transmitter is near Spanish Fort, Alabama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WSOL-FM</span> Urban Adult Contemporary radio station in Yulee, Florida, serving Jacksonville, Florida

WSOL-FM is a commercial radio station known as V101.5. It is licensed to Yulee, Florida, and serves the Jacksonville metropolitan area and Southeast Georgia. Owned and operated by iHeartMedia, Inc., it broadcasts an Urban Adult Contemporary radio format. WSOL-FM's studios are located on Central Parkway in Jacksonville's Southside district. The transmitter is off McKendree Road in Kingsland, Georgia, a couple of miles from the Georgia-Florida border.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WLTG</span> Radio station in Panama City, Florida

WLTG is a radio station broadcasting a Spanish Christian format. Licensed to Upper Grand Lagoon, Florida, United States, the station serves the Panama City area. WLTG has the distinction of being one of the radio stations with the lowest daytime power of any licensed AM station in the USA. It is one of a few radio stations with a daytime power of less than 250 watts. The station is currently owned by Faith Radio Network, Inc.

KTIB is a commercial radio station in Thibodaux, Louisiana. It airs a Spanish-language Contemporary Hits radio format and is owned by Gap Broadcasting. With a good radio, the AM station can be heard as far as east as New Orleans, far as north as Baton Rouge, far as west as New Iberia, and as far south as the Gulf of Mexico.

WUSY is a commercial radio station. It is licensed to Cleveland, Tennessee and serves the Chattanooga metropolitan area. The station's radio format is country music.

WMSO is an urban adult contemporary formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Southaven, Mississippi, serving Metro Memphis. WMSO is owned by Flinn Broadcasting, and operated under an LMA by ER Entertainment.

KYMO is a radio station licensed to East Prairie, Missouri, United States. The station is currently owned by Delta Broadcasting, LLC.

WVLZ is a commercial radio station licensed to Maryville, Tennessee, and serving the Knoxville metropolitan area. It is owned by Loud Media.

WMPS – branded as Sunny 1210 & 103.1 – is a commercial radio station licensed to Bartlett, Tennessee, and serving the Memphis metropolitan area. Owned by Flinn Broadcasting, it airs an adult standards and soft oldies radio format. The studios are on Mount Moriah Road Extension at Ridgeway Road in Memphis.

KFXZ is a commercial AM radio station in Lafayette, Louisiana. It is owned by Delta Media and broadcasts a news/talk radio format. KFXZ's studios and offices are on Evangeline Thruway in Carencro. The transmitter is in Lafayette, northeast of the I-10/I-49 interchange.

KDCO is a noncommercial AM radio station licensed to Denver, Colorado. The station is owned by El Sembrador Ministries and carries its ESNE Radio network, featuring Spanish-language Catholic radio programming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WIVG</span> Radio station in Tunica, Mississippi

WIVG is a radio station licensed to Tunica, Mississippi, serving the Memphis, Tennessee area with EMF's Air1 worship music format. Owned by Flinn Broadcasting, the station's studios are located in Southeast Memphis, and the transmitter site is in Coldwater, Mississippi near Arkabutla Lake.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "NPR Revisits WHER – The World's First All-Girl Radio Station". NPR. October 25, 1999. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  2. ↑ "Facility Technical Data for WOWW". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  3. ↑ "WOWW Facility Record". Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  4. ↑ "WOWW-AM 1430 kHz - Germantown, TN". radio-locator.com.
  5. ↑ "W249BN-FM 97.7 MHz - Memphis, TN". radio-locator.com.
  6. ↑ "Tenn. Radio Pioneer 'Janie Joplin' Has Died", All Things Considered . NPR. April 5, 2007. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  7. 1 2 Dye, Robert W. (2017). Memphis: Birthplace of Rock and Roll . Arcadia Publishing. p. 71. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  8. ↑ History Cards for WOWW, fcc.gov. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  9. ↑ Alternative Returns to Memphis Radioinsight - April 10, 2013.
  10. ↑ "Guess What's New In Memphis - RadioInsight".
  11. ↑ "Guess-FM Memphis Relocates". January 2, 2014.
  12. ↑ "Guess Where Guess FM Moved in Memphis", RadioInsight. August 14, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
  13. ↑ B96 Memphis Moves To 97.7 Radioinsight - May 13, 2022.
  14. ↑ Flinn Flips Two in Memphis With LMA Radioinsight - July 5, 2023.

WHER

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.