Broadcast area | Knoxville metropolitan area |
---|---|
Frequency | 850 kHz |
Branding | Santa 93.7 |
Programming | |
Format | Stunting (Christmas music) |
Ownership | |
Owner | Loud Media LLC |
WVLZ, WKVL, WKCE, WGAP, WTLT | |
History | |
First air date | March 23, 1953 (as WIVK Knoxville) |
Former call signs |
|
Technical information | |
Facility ID | 66618 |
Class | D |
Power | 1,000 watts day |
Transmitter coordinates | 35°45′40″N83°58′56″W / 35.76111°N 83.98222°W |
Translator(s) | 93.7 W229DO (Maryville) |
Links | |
Webcast | Listen Live |
Website | santa937.com |
WSMM (850 AM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Maryville, Tennessee, and serving the Knoxville metropolitan area. It is owned by Loud Media.
By day, WSMM is powered at 1,000 watts non-directional. Because 850 AM is a United States clear-channel frequency, WSMM is a daytimer station, and must leave the air from sunset to sunrise to avoid interference with the skywave signal of the Class A station on 850 AM, KOA in Denver. WSMM programming is also heard around the clock on FM translator W229DO at 93.7 MHz in Maryville.
The station signed on the air on March 23, 1953 . Its original call sign was WKVL, which stood for its city of license, Knoxville. Over time, it was allowed to boost its power to the maximum for commercial AM stations, 50,000 watts. Because it shared its frequency with KOA in Denver, a Class A station, WKVL could not broadcast after sunset.
In the 1970s, it played country music as WIVK, simulcasting co-owned WIVK-FM. In the mid-1980s, 850 AM was adult contemporary WHIG but later returned to the WIVK simulcast. For a time, it had a public radio news and information format as WUTK, owned by the University of Tennessee. It was a member station of National Public Radio.
On July 2, 2010, the classic country music returned to 850 AM. The station targeted country hits from the 1950s through the 1980s. The local lineup included Bob Lewellyn, Eddie Beacon, Tee Blackman and newcomer Tim Byrd. [1] [2]
In May 2013, Blount Broadcasting Corporation, owner of WKVL and WLOD, entered into a time brokerage agreement. [3] The deal was made with Oak Ridge FM. The station's Talk format moved from WNOX, which the company had recently sold.
WKVL for a time simulcast with WLOD. On March 31, 2014, WKVL changed formats to classic country. [4]
On December 15, 2014, WKVL went silent. On December 14, 2015, WKVL returned to the air with classic country. On June 1, 2018, WKVL changed formats from classic country to sports radio, branded as "Rocky Top Sports". [5] Effective December 11, 2018, WKVL was given permission to moved its city of license from Knoxville to Maryville. That was combined with a reduction in power from 50,000 watts to 1,000 watts.
On April 15, 2022, the Blount Broadcasting Corporation announced it had come to an agreement to sell WKVL, its sister station WGAP, and two FM translators to Loud Media. [6] The sale, at a price of $175,000, was consummated on August 17, 2022.
On August 21, 2022, at midnight, WKVL changed formats from sports to variety hits, branded as "Random Music Radio". The first song on “Random Music Radio” was “Mr. Jones” by Counting Crows. On November 24, 2022, WKVL flipped to a simulcast of sister station WPLA 104.9 FM, airing its classic hits music. [7]
On September 20, 2023, WKVL dropped its simulcast with WPLA and began stunting and applied for a new WSMM call sign; the call sign was changed on September 22. [8] It later returned to variety hits with "Random Music Radio" branding. In December, the station began simulcasting on new translator W229DO (93.7 FM), and also began stunting with Christmas music as "Santa 93.7". [9]
WUBG is a Spanish variety station licensed to serve Methuen, Massachusetts. It has an FM translator, W287CW, at 105.3 MHz. The station is called "Exitos Boston". The WUBG transmitter is located in Andover, while W287CW's transmitter is in Medford. The station is owned by Costa-Eagle Radio Ventures Limited Partnership—a partnership between Pat Costa and The Eagle-Tribune
WIVK-FM is a commercial radio station in Knoxville, Tennessee. The station is owned by Cumulus Media and broadcasts a country music radio format known as "107.7 WIVK {wih-vik}" The studios and offices are on Old Kingston Pike in the Sequoyah Hills section of West Knoxville. On weekends, it carries the nationally syndicated American Country Countdown with Kix Brooks, along with University of Tennessee Volunteers football games in the fall.
WTAR is a commercial radio station licensed to Norfolk, Virginia, and serving the Hampton Roads radio market. WTAR is owned and operated by Sinclair Telecable, Inc. It broadcasts an adult album alternative format as "96.5 The Coast". WTAR's studios and offices are on Waterside Drive in Norfolk.
WYUP is a commercial radio station licensed to Loretto, Pennsylvania and serving Blair, and Cambria Counties in west central Pennsylvania. WYUP operates fulltime with 1,000 watts. The station is owned by Matt Lightner, through licensee Lightner Communications, LLC.
WLGJ is a commercially licensed radio station serving Philipsburg, Pennsylvania, in Centre County. WLGJ operates at a daytime power of 5,000 watts and a nighttime power of 34 watts. The station is owned by Jim Loftus of Covenant Communications, through licensee JFLIV, LLC, and is broadcasting a classic country format, simulcasting WLEJ 1450 AM State College.
WCYQ is a commercial radio station licensed to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and serving the Knoxville metropolitan area and East Tennessee. The station is owned by SummitMedia and broadcasts a country music radio format, calling itself 100.3 The Wolf, its studios and offices are on Amherst Road in Knoxville.
WNML is a commercial AM radio station in Knoxville, Tennessee. It is owned by Cumulus Media and it simulcasts a sports radio format with co-owned 99.1 WNML-FM Friendsville. The studios and offices are on Old Kingston Pike in the Sequoyah Hills section of West Knoxville.
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.
WQSC is a commercial radio station licensed to Charleston, South Carolina. It is owned by Kirkman Broadcasting and airs a classic country format. Studios and offices are on Marksfield Drive.
WHVR is a commercial radio station in Hanover, Pennsylvania, serving the York radio market. The station is owned by Forever Media, through licensee FM Radio Licenses, LLC and broadcasts an adult contemporary format, known as "Happy 95.3". WHVR also carries Baltimore Orioles baseball games.
WOKV-FM is a radio station in Atlantic Beach, Florida, United States, serving the Jacksonville metropolitan area. It airs a news/talk format branded as "News 104.5 WOKV". The station is owned by Cox Media Group and broadcasts from studios and a transmitter in the Southside district of Jacksonville.
WTLT is a commercial radio station licensed to Maryville, Tennessee, and serving the Knoxville radio market. It airs an urban contemporary radio format and is owned by Loud Media and operated by One Major Media LLC under via LMA.
WXTG is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Hampton, Virginia, and serving Hampton Roads, including Norfolk, Portsmouth, Newport News and Virginia Beach. WXTG is owned and operated by Terry Suggs, through licensee TL Broadcasting LLC. It carries a classic soul and urban oldies radio format.
WAXB, is a radio station licensed to Ridgefield, Connecticut, United States, one of three area stations owned by The Berkshire Broadcasting Corporation. The others are News/Talk 800 AM WLAD and Hot Adult Contemporary 98Q/98.3 FM WDAQ. WAXB airs a Spanish adult hits radio format for the Greater Danbury region of Connecticut. The station uses the identification "Juan 850". Because 850 AM is a clear channel frequency reserved for KOA in Denver, Colorado and KICY in Nome, Alaska, WAXB must sign-off at night to avoid interference with those stations.
WABY is a commercial radio station licensed to Watervliet, New York, and serving the Capital District. The station broadcasts a 1990s-2000s rock radio format and is owned by Loud Media.
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.
WNML-FM is a commercial radio station licensed to Friendsville, Tennessee, and serving the Knoxville metropolitan area. It simulcasts a sports radio format with sister station WNML 990 AM and is owned by Cumulus Media. The studios and offices are on Old Kingston Pike in the Sequoyah Hills section of West Knoxville.
WUSY is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland, Tennessee, and serving the Chattanooga metropolitan area. The station airs a country music radio format. Local DJs staff the station by day, with the syndicated Cody Alan Show heard overnight.
WGAP is a radio station broadcasting a classic hits music format. Licensed to Maryville, Tennessee, United States, the station serves the Knoxville area.
WKVL is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Greenback, Tennessee, and serving the Knoxville metropolitan area. It is owned by Loud Media. WKVL has its radio studios and offices on the fifth floor of The Sunsphere in Knoxville.